Cal Fires Justin Wilcox After Ugly Loss to Stanford
In a move that came as no surprise, the University of California (UC Berkeley) has parted ways with its football coach, Justin Wilcox. The decision was announced on Sunday afternoon, mere hours after the Bears suffered an embarrassing 31-10 loss at home to Stanford.
Wilcox's tenure as head coach had been marked by inconsistency, despite winning four consecutive Big Games and leading the team to a third consecutive bowl-eligible season. However, Saturday's meltdown proved too much for him, with the team turning over the ball three times and committing 13 penalties totaling 123 yards.
The final straw came when two of those turnovers were returned for Cardinal touchdowns, effectively ending any hopes of a comeback. The loss marked a low point in an already struggling season, which has seen Cal lose five of its last eight games.
In a statement, Bears football general manager Ron Rivera attributed the decision to "new leadership," saying that he wished Wilcox "the best of luck in his future endeavors." Rivera, who took over as general manager of the football program last spring, will now serve as interim coach alongside offensive assistant Nick Rolovich.
Wilcox's departure marks a significant change for the program, which had been struggling to find its footing since the loss of star quarterback Fernando Mendoza to Indiana. The school had touted a renewed energy among boosters, but without a coach in place, it remains unclear how Cal will persuade Sagapolutele to stay.
With Rolovich at the helm, the Bears will face SMU next Saturday and will likely be headed to a bowl game for their third straight appearance. Despite Wilcox's impressive resume, which includes stints at Boise State, Tennessee, Washington, and USC, his inability to elevate the team to the level expected has ultimately led to his downfall.
In a move that came as no surprise, the University of California (UC Berkeley) has parted ways with its football coach, Justin Wilcox. The decision was announced on Sunday afternoon, mere hours after the Bears suffered an embarrassing 31-10 loss at home to Stanford.
Wilcox's tenure as head coach had been marked by inconsistency, despite winning four consecutive Big Games and leading the team to a third consecutive bowl-eligible season. However, Saturday's meltdown proved too much for him, with the team turning over the ball three times and committing 13 penalties totaling 123 yards.
The final straw came when two of those turnovers were returned for Cardinal touchdowns, effectively ending any hopes of a comeback. The loss marked a low point in an already struggling season, which has seen Cal lose five of its last eight games.
In a statement, Bears football general manager Ron Rivera attributed the decision to "new leadership," saying that he wished Wilcox "the best of luck in his future endeavors." Rivera, who took over as general manager of the football program last spring, will now serve as interim coach alongside offensive assistant Nick Rolovich.
Wilcox's departure marks a significant change for the program, which had been struggling to find its footing since the loss of star quarterback Fernando Mendoza to Indiana. The school had touted a renewed energy among boosters, but without a coach in place, it remains unclear how Cal will persuade Sagapolutele to stay.
With Rolovich at the helm, the Bears will face SMU next Saturday and will likely be headed to a bowl game for their third straight appearance. Despite Wilcox's impressive resume, which includes stints at Boise State, Tennessee, Washington, and USC, his inability to elevate the team to the level expected has ultimately led to his downfall.
. four big wins and a bowl-eligible season are impressive but thats not enough when youre struggling against teams like stanford who werent exactly breaking down the cal doors 
. ron rivera's decision to step in as interim coach is a good move, at least he has experience with the program and can try to turn things around ASAP 
! I mean, who expects Cal Bears to lose so badly 
? But in all seriousness, Wilcox's gotta go - 31-10 against Stanford is just embarrassing 
. Four straight Big Games wins and bowl eligibility are nice, but not enough to save him from this one loss. I feel bad for the players, they must be so frustrated 
. Rivera making a smart call here by getting rid of Wilcox, at least he's trying to turn it around 
, now let's see if they can get back on track and make some noise in the Pac-12 
. The Bears' collapse against Stanford was a textbook example of how even the smallest mistakes can snowball into catastrophic losses.
. By sidestepping any direct criticism of Wilcox, Rivera has managed to create an air of uncertainty around the team's future while still projecting a sense of optimism 
.
. With Rolovich at the helm, there's certainly potential for growth and renewal 
. But it remains to be seen whether this new iteration of the Bears can overcome their historical baggage and emerge as a legitimate contender in the Pac-12 
Justin Wilcox gets canned after that ugly loss to Stanford... yeah, it was pretty brutal 
. I'm not surprised, though - Wilcox's tenure had its ups and downs (literally 
). The kid won some big games, but then there were the losses where he seemed lost 
. And now he's outta there 
. I guess Ron Rivera's got some work to do to get Cal back on track... wish them luck 
! Justin Wilcox just didn't deliver on the Cal football team's expectations, you know? 
️! I mean, 31-10 at home? That's just rough