36 Comments
Feb 3, 2022Liked by Avinash Kunnath, Piotr Le

Always inspiring to watch a Wilcox interview, and credit to Piotr for asking thoughtful big picture questions...Go Bears!

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Feb 4, 2022·edited Feb 4, 2022Author

Thank you! This was only my second time representing WFC in these interviews so I was quite nervous if I was doing a good job.

The last question, on the impact of the extension on recruiting, was actualy Jesse Stewart's from Cal Rivals, his internet was choppy so I just relayed it to Wilcox myself.

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You did a great job!

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Feb 3, 2022Liked by Piotr Le

Yes, Piotr asked the best questions. I'm always wishing people asked the bigger, conceptual questions. Sounds like Special Teams will be by committee. Count me as worried about that. In Wilcox I trust, but if everyone is in charge, no one is in charge.

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Feb 3, 2022·edited Feb 3, 2022

I think from day 1 Wilcox had a business plan written down, detailing every step he needed to take to build a successful program. For three years there was steady improvement with our program and then Covid fucked things up. We're back to normal and I expect the steady improvement to happen again. And considering where we are starting from now versus Wilcox's first year, I'd say he is well along with his plan and perhaps we are "on the verge of doing something great'. I'm optimistic. Roll on you sturdy Golden Bear!!

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We're back to normal?

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Well, we are using indoor facilities normally with perhaps the exception of wearing masks. We are in the weight room. Spring drills will happen. We are scheduled for a 12 game season including road trips. Yeah, I'd say things are pretty normal again.

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That sounds the same as 2021 season

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unenforced indoor masking

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Feb 3, 2022·edited Feb 3, 2022

Then it's "more Covid-impacted" than last year.

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You mean the one where we never had a full season or Spring to practice and install Musgrave's new system? You mean the one where the City of Berkeley tested asymptomatic players and kept 30 or more of them from travelling to Arizona to play in a game (apparently the final straw in Maettauer's decision to tranfer)? You mean that season?

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You wrote "we are using indoor facilities normally with perhaps the exception of wearing masks. We are in the weight room. Spring drills will happen. We are scheduled for a 12 game season including road trips."

In 2021 season, we were using indoor facilities, we were in the weight room, we had spring drills, we had 12 game season and had road trips. Didn't we?

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According to your definition of "normal season" yes

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the old covid excuse...

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Clearly Covid was the reason for our 1-5 start to the season.

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No it wasn't. Or is that what you think? Because I have not heard anyone else on this thread suggest as much. We floundered because we played poorly and did not execute in those games. But, from an improvement standpoint, small marginal improvements should get to where we win those games. Not to sound like I know everything, but I have played and coached the game, and just like in business, the more competitive it gets, better execution is required, and at the top of the competitive heap, it only takes small mistakes to lose. The goal is to execute better and eliminate mistakes. Part of that is getting solid athletes and making them better in the weight room and on the field, and some of that is coaching and reps. You can only go so far with one and not the other. And, gains are measured incrementally. Not that it gives any pleasure but we were probably the best 1-5 team in the country, and with a few improvements that 1-5 record will become 3-2 and then 5-1 and then 6-0. We were steadily improving for 3 years before Covid hit us. I believe Wilcox will get us back on that steady improvement track. I believe, like any good CEO, he came into a situation and created a roadmap to success. Like any roadmap it has to be tweaked along the way. And, like a lot of businesses, CAL Football suffered through Covid, however, as we get back to 'normal' we should start seeing signs of improvement again. I think it's why Oregon wanted Wilcox as their coach; they probably had a long conversation with him and realized how deeply he understands the game, managing people and coaching. It's not all going to happen next year, but watch for continued progress in our program. I'll give him three years to get to 10 or 11 wins. If he get's there, then he will have built a program shat should sustain its success as long as he runs it. Go Bears!!

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Never expect Rugbear to get sarcasm.

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When its written it's tough to be sure. ;-)

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Don't worry, you are not the only one. Bob doesn't get it either.

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maybe you should remove your Cal colored glasses with your assessments.

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Feb 4, 2022·edited Feb 4, 2022

Why is anything I wrote above through a lens of CAL colored glasses? I am optimistic to be sure, but my reasons are based on experience as a player and coach (and I played on the 75 team that was a PAC 8 co-champion) and coached for 5 years a on a Bowl winning JC team, where we went from being one win away from a conference championship, to having a tie record but being locked out of a conference championship, to losing in the conference championship, to winning a conference championship and finally a bowl game by making small incremental improvements every year. I've experienced first hand what Wilcox is doing. So, maybe you should get a pair of my glasses. ;-)

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Headline made me think of Funkadelic's "Standing on the verge of getting it on", which would be a helluva an introduction to a class.

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hell yes I've been in need of some serious sunshine pumping and this is hitting the spot ahhhhhh

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Given that sunshine pumping and Old blue sad sack whining both have exact same impact on the outcome on the field, I'll take sunshine pumping any day!!!! Go Bears!

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In Wilcox We Trust

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Doing "something special" will require Coach Wilcox and his staff to coach up his mostly 3-star recruits the way that Willingham at Utah does it. Wilcox has shown he can coach up the defensive players, but not so on the other side of the ball. I think you can make the argument that two of the best players on offense during the Wilcox era - that being Mettaur and Polk - opted to leave the program early. That's not a good sign and will need to be corrected if special is used to describe the Cal football team going forward. I hope it happens. I miss those fun days of the ball flying around at Memorial.

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Feb 3, 2022·edited Feb 3, 2022

Good class. I wish Wilcox would have used a scholarship on a top 5 HS kicker rather than the 246th ranked player in the state of Florida QB that we got.

Wilcox is a defensive minded coach who likes to play field position and play close games. Why not spend a scholarship on a highly rated HS FG kicker who has the leg and accuracy to hit from inside 50 and constantly kick touchbacks.

A quality FG kicker and we probably pickup 2 more wins last season.

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Feb 3, 2022·edited Feb 3, 2022

He got Mick Luckhurst's son. I played football and Rugby with Mick. He was a solid kicker who played in the NFL and a great rugby player. I'm sure his son knows how to kick. And, don't let the rankings of Fernando Mendoza mislead you. You should listen to Coach Musgrave about why they offered Fernando a scholly. He may well surprise some people. And just as an aside, did we lose a game because of our kicker last year or because we chose not to kick? A good QB wins you games.

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I saw that we got him as a PWO. I’m sure he will be good but I just wish we would use a scholarship on a highly regarded kicker.

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I live in the LA market, and the high profile Catholic schools like Bosco, Servite, Mater Dei and JSerra that play in the Trinity league are on television regularly. I am guessing it is the same in the Miami area where Mendoza also played for a high profile Catholic school. Lots of very knowledgeable football people saw him play a lot and didn't give him a second look. The fact that Musgrave saw something in him WAY after the recruiting cycle is intriguing. But Musgrave could not coach up Johnson or Millner to play in the Arizona game, and this new kid is going to require really good coaching to see the field.

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Feb 4, 2022·edited Feb 4, 2022

Johnson was on the Covid no travel list and Milner was a true freshman with no experience, in a complicated system and was not even involved in Spring ball last year because he was not an early enrollee. Quite simply, there is no coach who could have gotten him ready in the time they had. They went with the guy who had game experience who turned out to be a bust. Musgrave has coached up some solid NFL talent. I think he knows better than any of us who is a legit prospect. And like I've said before, they did not need to give out a scholly just for the sake of giving it out. Fully agree he will need some serious coaching to get to a point where he can play. But then that's te case for almost all freshman players, especially QB's.

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Anyone know if the really nice Zoom event last night will ever show up on Youtube? It is high quality and I had to leave early.

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That's not the video I'm asking about. You may not know but there was a high quality event last night that may have only been for season ticket holders. It was on Zoom. It had the position coaches reviewing players, it had Saffel interviewing Ott. I had to leaver early and I'm hoping to see it. I've reached out to the ATO folks.

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Yes, I watched it. I'm sure the audience included season ticket holders, donors and former players. The portion where Musgrave and Sirmon talked I have not found on Youtube. Likewise, I have not been able to find on Youtube Michael Saffell's interview with Rutchena and Ott.

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Think that was an STH event so it won't be made public. Have you tried reaching out to see if they can send over a recording to you?

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