It would be nice, though not every P4 school actually has one.
Sloppy special teams was likely more the result of a general overall lack of accountability and attention to detail under the previous regime…my bet is you’ll see a more disciplined, and better coached, Cal team next year and with that, ST’s will be better.
But a dedicated one all the better. You need to devote practice time to coaching ST’s….we haven’t historically done that nearly enough.
I was actually thinking more the non-football stuff, donors, admin, etc. Hopefully Ron will be running some interference in those areas, but will be nice to have someone who's navigated that gauntlet at your side. I'm assuming that Rolo & the current and/or future OC will have fairly autonomous control over the offense.
Figured he'd be QB coach at the very least. Interesting that they created a "Assistant HC" position instead of giving him OC. Probably to justify a higher salary to keep him on staff.
That is interesting! To me it indicates that he'll work closely with the OC. I wonder if it's because Tosh already knows who his OC will be, and this way he'll get to have them both?
I’m sure at the very least Tosh has a short list. I actually think alot of Rolo wanting that role might simply be an opportunity to work more closely with JKS, a possible all-timer. A coaches dream to help mold that type of talent, plus still be involved in some aspects of game planning.
Also seems to suggest that we have some extra cash to throw at assistants. This seems kinda like we created a pseudo-coordinator role just for him. Which is fine, we need to win!
Just having the QB coach title would be a demotion at this point. This keeps him nominally high on the org chart, even if he is mostly there to coach JKS.
If I remember correctly, Jeff Tedford kept Ron Gould from the previous staff and he also ended up as the assistant head coach. I like this move and am hoping that it will be as successful as that decision was.
Any skill position player with a good set of hands and the ability to get open even a little bit would work well with JKS!!! Let’s get a bunch of them!
I want to see some great 4* receivers who are 6’2”+ and 195 pounds plus who run low 4.4’s and 4.3’s show up from the portal. Those guys dream about playing with a QB who can deliver in a tight window. JKS is that QB.
You need wholesale changes at WR and RB. Raphael and JDJ played admirably but if Cal is going to take the next step you need game breakers that can house it at any time.
4.x. 40 yards. Gad, back in the day, (70?) I was around the third fastest on the entire team at American River College...at 4.9, timed on first day of practice where I had just rolled off the sofa.
My freshman Spring Ball I watched Wesley Walker run a 4.4 on grass. One of our assistants, a coach named Skip Stress said Wesley was gonna be a millionaire. He looked at me and said, "If you can run a 40 as fast as him and catch a football, you'll be a millionaire too." I still laugh when I think of that moment. Some guys are gifted.
Thinking about Wesley Walker, why isn't he in the Pro Football Hall of Fame at this point. Career 438 receptions for the Jets, for an amazing 8306 yards - 19 yards a reception. Back in the day when teams were running more and not throwing deep as much. Total of 71 TDs. Legally blind in one eye. Amazing story...
I was just typing “Back when I was a little girl, running 50 yd dashes, thinking I was Wesley Walker 2.0 & going to be WR at Cal” he was one of my heroes!!
I don’t know the circumstances, but they think the can get him another year if he wants it. I don’t think he walked with the seniors at senior game either.
Our offense, for the most part, became reliant on JKS's amazing, bailout, explosive plays. I want a steady march to a TD on most every drive. That means well-coached execution, minimal to zero pre-snap penalties, a pocket that keeps Jaron on schedule, and receivers making the contested catches with zero drops. Our offense, apart from a few stars, such as JKS, very hit-and-miss.
Too many times the 3-n-outs would exhaust and a demoralize our defense, which, even at peak Wilcox, can only do so much of they are constantly on the field.
Im with ya, but I think Tosh's culture will fix the discipline and communication issues that plagued Wilcox. And we eventually get an upgrade in talent on OL, RB, WR who can execute, compared to the roster this season.
Well, not surprised given all the rumors about JKS really liking him, but I guess I'm out for at least two more years. Antivaxxers should have no place at the #1 public university in the world
One thing about a truly great university is that it entertains - even invites - divergent opinions, beliefs - and sometimes behaviors. I don't agree with what Rolovich did at Wazzu but am willing to put that in the past. Rolovich's continuing anti-vaxxing opinion - if it does continue - will be no more than opinion after all and everybody should get a second chance, shouldn't they? For some folks, Tosh is.
Wrongway: You are absolutely right! The key to any great university is diversity, whether that's people or ideas. When I went to Cal, I knew people that loved Cesar Chavez and MLK and others that loved Ronald Reagan. I knew others who didn't believe in God and some went to church every Sunday and prayed every day. The key thing is that WE ALL GOT ALONG and contributed to the greatness that makes us all love our alma mater so much. GO BEARS!!!!!! FOREVER!!!!!!!
Well, good, go away if that's what you want to do. Rolo didn't do anything to take your precious mRNA injection away. He believes in informed consent, that it is his right to decide for himself whether he should get a medical treatment or not. And while the shots may have decreased covid's severity and symptoms for some people, the shots do nothing to stop transmission or whether one gets covid. His choice to decline it did not put you or anyone in danger. You are apparently in complete denial that some people suffered severe adverse events from these shots. I'm glad you did not, but I would you encourage you to rethink that you should impose your beliefs in these products upon others and vilify those who decline them.
I have a different take. Rolo decided to not get the shot when the rules mandated it. He suffered the consequences. It's not about risk to us or anything else but the rules in place at the time, and he knew what he was doing for whatever reason. I don't personally agree with his decision, nor do I condemn him. I am simply glad he is our coach now, but do not feel the need to devolve this conversation into the pros and cons of vaccination and compliance. Different blog site for that please.
Unless I missed it, Rolovich (or Harsin, for that matter) didn't appear to wear his politics on his sleeve since arriving in Berkeley, which meant I could just focus on the product on the field. I am at least grateful for that.
I certainly wouldn’t have brought up the topic, but felt that nullpointerintime’s post deserved a response. Happy to turn the discussion back to football, glad Rolo’s back, and happy to see the new staff start to take shape.
Rolo didn't need to be a football head coach for a public university that is required to function under state guidelines. He got paid a lot of money to follow their rules, and instead decided to sue the state and the university when they enacted their regulations on all employees equally. Regardless of your political beliefs, no university would want to risk hiring someone who would react in such a volatile manner. That is why he's been blacklisted, and that is why many don't like the fact that he is at Cal.
Exactly. And his treatment of Kassidy Woods, the player with sickle cell whom Rolovich threatened to remove from the team if he joined the Pac-12 player unity group, per reports.
Was about. He lost. Trial court found factually that his “religious” objection wasn’t genuinely held, so no constitutional issue. Dunno if there’s an appeal pending.
There is a major debate to be had about do we believe in science and whether you can compel people to do things based on science for the benefit of society. I really don’t want to get into that. What I would hope Cal fans could keep in their minds is that the whole Rolo vs the vaccine thing demonstrated that he is a person of integrity and conviction and that is a good thing.
Whether or not someone gets the COVID vaccine is no longer a real concern, and it’s not like Rolovich is still out there talking about vaccines today. I’m willing to move on. I don’t need an assistant football coach to share my opinion on everything.
Coach Rolo is the JKS whisperer. Has the Aloha connection as well as being a very successful QB in his own right. Do we know how much of a role he had in bringing JKS to Cal?
One plea if I may be heard....get a real Special Teams Coach this round...thank you.
It would be nice, though not every P4 school actually has one.
Sloppy special teams was likely more the result of a general overall lack of accountability and attention to detail under the previous regime…my bet is you’ll see a more disciplined, and better coached, Cal team next year and with that, ST’s will be better.
But a dedicated one all the better. You need to devote practice time to coaching ST’s….we haven’t historically done that nearly enough.
I just miss the days of competent place kicking and a stud punter.
Even in the team's darkest days of the 1980s and 1990s, those were two positions that never seemed neglected.
Anger SMASH
Anyone remember going to games with Anger...
every time he would kick a rainbow punt...
the entire stadium would go... oooooooh :)
Matt Anderson was automatic.
I wonder if Pat MacAfee has eligibility left.
Yes, need more attention to details from top to bottom.
That would be awesome
Elevate Bob Gregory to STC?
Can a special teams defense bend-but-not-break?
Yes, but not in the woods.
It will give the opponents great field position on every punt/KO
But not a lot of returns for TDs! ;-)
And how!
I like this news very much. I got my 2026 season tickets yesterday. Go Freaking Bears!
Good move. Tosh will be a newbie HC, great to have a talented former HC to help steer the ship.
Especially on offense.
I was actually thinking more the non-football stuff, donors, admin, etc. Hopefully Ron will be running some interference in those areas, but will be nice to have someone who's navigated that gauntlet at your side. I'm assuming that Rolo & the current and/or future OC will have fairly autonomous control over the offense.
It's good that Rivera's there for that, but he hasn't actually been a college head coach like Rolovich has.
Congrats Rolo.
Great news, Cici.
Figured he'd be QB coach at the very least. Interesting that they created a "Assistant HC" position instead of giving him OC. Probably to justify a higher salary to keep him on staff.
That is interesting! To me it indicates that he'll work closely with the OC. I wonder if it's because Tosh already knows who his OC will be, and this way he'll get to have them both?
I’m sure at the very least Tosh has a short list. I actually think alot of Rolo wanting that role might simply be an opportunity to work more closely with JKS, a possible all-timer. A coaches dream to help mold that type of talent, plus still be involved in some aspects of game planning.
where them NFL guys...
can this oregon game be done already.
This^…Rolo would have moved on if he were just the QB coach.
Also seems to suggest that we have some extra cash to throw at assistants. This seems kinda like we created a pseudo-coordinator role just for him. Which is fine, we need to win!
He helped retain JKS, show him the money!
Also, Tosh may not want a run and gun offense.
Just having the QB coach title would be a demotion at this point. This keeps him nominally high on the org chart, even if he is mostly there to coach JKS.
I'm also wondering if Rolovich could also provide some mentorship (along with Rivera) for a first-time HC.
I think it definitely helps a new head coach to have some former head coaches as assistants.
You mean like Beau Baldwin....?
And TDR
Love Rolo, but can't say he's a, yet, proven quantity to be a homerun at OC. This position is perfect.
If I remember correctly, Jeff Tedford kept Ron Gould from the previous staff and he also ended up as the assistant head coach. I like this move and am hoping that it will be as successful as that decision was.
If this keeps JKS happy then I am happy!
It’s truly refreshing to see Cal football doing smart things again.
Would Jet & Nyziah work well with JKS?
Any skill position player with a good set of hands and the ability to get open even a little bit would work well with JKS!!! Let’s get a bunch of them!
I want to see some great 4* receivers who are 6’2”+ and 195 pounds plus who run low 4.4’s and 4.3’s show up from the portal. Those guys dream about playing with a QB who can deliver in a tight window. JKS is that QB.
You need wholesale changes at WR and RB. Raphael and JDJ played admirably but if Cal is going to take the next step you need game breakers that can house it at any time.
There were an awful lot of 3* recruits in the Wilcox era. Obviously, we need 4* & 5* level talent to get to the next level
JDJ would be like Darren Sproles if we had receivers that were actual threats.
4.x. 40 yards. Gad, back in the day, (70?) I was around the third fastest on the entire team at American River College...at 4.9, timed on first day of practice where I had just rolled off the sofa.
My freshman Spring Ball I watched Wesley Walker run a 4.4 on grass. One of our assistants, a coach named Skip Stress said Wesley was gonna be a millionaire. He looked at me and said, "If you can run a 40 as fast as him and catch a football, you'll be a millionaire too." I still laugh when I think of that moment. Some guys are gifted.
Thinking about Wesley Walker, why isn't he in the Pro Football Hall of Fame at this point. Career 438 receptions for the Jets, for an amazing 8306 yards - 19 yards a reception. Back in the day when teams were running more and not throwing deep as much. Total of 71 TDs. Legally blind in one eye. Amazing story...
I was just typing “Back when I was a little girl, running 50 yd dashes, thinking I was Wesley Walker 2.0 & going to be WR at Cal” he was one of my heroes!!
Avergaing 25.7 yards per catch with that kind of volume has to be some kinda record....must have been cool to see that guy.
Guys like that are a dime a dozen, should not be a problem picking up a few.
I hope we can retain DeJesus. Better guys on the outside should only open things up for him more.
I think he's played 5 years already including COVID extension
I don’t know the circumstances, but they think the can get him another year if he wants it. I don’t think he walked with the seniors at senior game either.
DeJesus is a senior and has finished his eligibility.
Need WRs that can get separation and have excellent hands!! Two things that have generally been missing.
Top WR from Hawaii entered the transfer portal.
Berkeley High grad at that.
Go Jackets!
Hmmm. I wonder if the Bears will be in Hawaii anytime soon.
Scudero from SJSU is insanely productive at WR, but had a year with more deep balls and TD’s than De Jesus. If the two can work together, look out! https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/47288041/san-jose-state-wr-danny-scudero-enter-transfer-portal
Great news!
JKS is here to stay for two more years then off to the NFL!
Let it be known that Fernando Mendoza won the heisman and did thank Cal during his Heisman acceptance speech.
Sweet, this is precisely what I was hoping he would be. I think he will learn a lot from Tosh in terms of energy and aggressive approach.
I'd even like it if Harsin stayed on as OC, but excited to see where Tosh and Ron go with that either way.
Not so sure about Harsin.
Our offense, for the most part, became reliant on JKS's amazing, bailout, explosive plays. I want a steady march to a TD on most every drive. That means well-coached execution, minimal to zero pre-snap penalties, a pocket that keeps Jaron on schedule, and receivers making the contested catches with zero drops. Our offense, apart from a few stars, such as JKS, very hit-and-miss.
Too many times the 3-n-outs would exhaust and a demoralize our defense, which, even at peak Wilcox, can only do so much of they are constantly on the field.
Im with ya, but I think Tosh's culture will fix the discipline and communication issues that plagued Wilcox. And we eventually get an upgrade in talent on OL, RB, WR who can execute, compared to the roster this season.
Great move Bears!
I like this. Now, who will be the OC? Harsin?
OC and DC presents for unwrapping after xmas maybe? This is going to be a fun winter.
No
Thoughts?
I want someone new and exciting
Well, not surprised given all the rumors about JKS really liking him, but I guess I'm out for at least two more years. Antivaxxers should have no place at the #1 public university in the world
One thing about a truly great university is that it entertains - even invites - divergent opinions, beliefs - and sometimes behaviors. I don't agree with what Rolovich did at Wazzu but am willing to put that in the past. Rolovich's continuing anti-vaxxing opinion - if it does continue - will be no more than opinion after all and everybody should get a second chance, shouldn't they? For some folks, Tosh is.
Wrongway: You are absolutely right! The key to any great university is diversity, whether that's people or ideas. When I went to Cal, I knew people that loved Cesar Chavez and MLK and others that loved Ronald Reagan. I knew others who didn't believe in God and some went to church every Sunday and prayed every day. The key thing is that WE ALL GOT ALONG and contributed to the greatness that makes us all love our alma mater so much. GO BEARS!!!!!! FOREVER!!!!!!!
Well said, agree %.
Well, good, go away if that's what you want to do. Rolo didn't do anything to take your precious mRNA injection away. He believes in informed consent, that it is his right to decide for himself whether he should get a medical treatment or not. And while the shots may have decreased covid's severity and symptoms for some people, the shots do nothing to stop transmission or whether one gets covid. His choice to decline it did not put you or anyone in danger. You are apparently in complete denial that some people suffered severe adverse events from these shots. I'm glad you did not, but I would you encourage you to rethink that you should impose your beliefs in these products upon others and vilify those who decline them.
I have a different take. Rolo decided to not get the shot when the rules mandated it. He suffered the consequences. It's not about risk to us or anything else but the rules in place at the time, and he knew what he was doing for whatever reason. I don't personally agree with his decision, nor do I condemn him. I am simply glad he is our coach now, but do not feel the need to devolve this conversation into the pros and cons of vaccination and compliance. Different blog site for that please.
Unless I missed it, Rolovich (or Harsin, for that matter) didn't appear to wear his politics on his sleeve since arriving in Berkeley, which meant I could just focus on the product on the field. I am at least grateful for that.
I certainly wouldn’t have brought up the topic, but felt that nullpointerintime’s post deserved a response. Happy to turn the discussion back to football, glad Rolo’s back, and happy to see the new staff start to take shape.
Agree.
But were the rules legal. The outcome of his lawsuit will tell all.
He lost the lawsuit, but is appealing… moving on…
Rolo didn't need to be a football head coach for a public university that is required to function under state guidelines. He got paid a lot of money to follow their rules, and instead decided to sue the state and the university when they enacted their regulations on all employees equally. Regardless of your political beliefs, no university would want to risk hiring someone who would react in such a volatile manner. That is why he's been blacklisted, and that is why many don't like the fact that he is at Cal.
Exactly. And his treatment of Kassidy Woods, the player with sickle cell whom Rolovich threatened to remove from the team if he joined the Pac-12 player unity group, per reports.
Unless the rules enacted were in violation of the Constitution. Which is what his case is about.
Was about. He lost. Trial court found factually that his “religious” objection wasn’t genuinely held, so no constitutional issue. Dunno if there’s an appeal pending.
There is a major debate to be had about do we believe in science and whether you can compel people to do things based on science for the benefit of society. I really don’t want to get into that. What I would hope Cal fans could keep in their minds is that the whole Rolo vs the vaccine thing demonstrated that he is a person of integrity and conviction and that is a good thing.
Whether or not someone gets the COVID vaccine is no longer a real concern, and it’s not like Rolovich is still out there talking about vaccines today. I’m willing to move on. I don’t need an assistant football coach to share my opinion on everything.
That said, I do sometimes wonder how the Torture Memo guy over at the law school would do as the Defensive Coordinator?
You mean Coordinator of War
Maybe he could come up with a memo that excuses Cal from pre-snap penalties.
I wish there was a dislike button for comments like this
Adios
That’s silly.
I'm an anti-vaxxer.
Guess I'll turn in my diploma.
E Pluribus Oski.
Click bait
Coach Rolo is the JKS whisperer. Has the Aloha connection as well as being a very successful QB in his own right. Do we know how much of a role he had in bringing JKS to Cal?
Seems about right. Good move to help keep you-know-who, you-know-where.
Which is essential to maintain momentum, IMO.