Jason Novak named new Cal football strength and conditioning coach
The California Golden Bears appear to have a new offseason leader to get the football team in the best shape possible.
Jason Novak has been named the head athletic performance coach for California football, as announced by head coach Justin Wilcox. Novak most recently served as director of strength and conditioning at James Madison in 2024 and Michigan State from 2020-2023. With the Spartans, his highmark was the team's 2021 campaign, culminating in 11 wins and a Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl victory.
Novak previously led strength programs at IMG Academy (2019-20) and Central Michigan (2015-19), where he oversaw training for over 450 student-athletes. He also spent 11 years as an assistant strength coach with the Tennessee Titans (2004-15). Earlier roles include strength and conditioning leadership at Yale, Alabama State, Baylor, and Stephen F. Austin. Improving the team’s conditioning is of paramount importance, as the team has struggled with health since the departure of Torre Becton to Texas.
Novak earned high watermarks at Michigan State for his conditioning, particularly for navigating the difficulties of COVID protocols for getting the Spartans in tip top shape for its successful 2021 campaign.
“I think there might be a small part of us in that,” Novak said Thursday on a video call with reporters. “I think one probably larger factor in that is the way that we train as far as practice goes. You guys have been out there and seen us practice. The tempos that we go at, the physicality in our practices, things like that – it’s a 360-degree deal. We’re a small part of that by the way we train our players for the way we practice. I think a large part of it is the way we trained daily on the field in practice, too.”
It is unclear what the future holds for current strength coach Brian Johnson.
Welcome to Cal Jason! Go Bears!
Seems like S&C is a tough position to judge. The new guys are usually ballyhooed as difference makers, replacing some other guy that was ballyhooed as a difference maker. At smaller institutions, the good ones usually have tenure that transcends coaching regimes. So, what to make of journeymen S&C guys? Hard to tell, really. Welcome other thoughts on this, as there is rarely a retrospective look at which ones were good and which ones were not so good.
I once moved across three states to take a job where my predecessor had yet to be informed of her imminent departure. The boss even took us both out to dinner. Awkward, to say the least.
So if I’m a new Cal Football hire and the organization trumpets my arrival without a whisper as to who I’m replacing — nor any separate announcements about at least, maybe, sorta, some kinda “reorganization” — I’d be wondering if I might endure a similar fate.
A year and a half later I gave two weeks and split for one of the best jobs I’d ever have.