Football
7-5
(4-4 ACC)
Cal Bears Football Coaching Staff
Last Game
SMU
Win
38-35
Nov 29, 2025
Berkeley, CA
Next Game
UCLA
Sep 5
Berkeley, CA
Nick Rolovich
Interim Head Coach
Nick Rolovich was named as Cal's interim head coach on Nov. 23, 2025. He is in his first season at Cal in 2025 and had been the team's senior offensive assistant prior to his current appointment.
Served as the head coach at Washington State (2020-21) and Hawai'i (2016-19).
Prior to leading the Rainbow Warriors, Rolovich spent four seasons as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Nevada from 2012-15.
Rolovich guided WSU to a 38-28 win at Oregon State in the 2020 season opener, becoming the first Cougar head football coach to win his debut since 2003 and first to win his first game on the road since 1977.
He mentored 11 student-athletes who received All-Pac-12 honors and WSU claimed the Pac-12's first two Freshman of the Week awards in 2020.
Rolovich's Run and Shoot offense produced two of the Pac-12's top three leaders in receiving yards during the season.
During his tenure in Honolulu, , he tallied a 28-27 overall record and led the Rainbow Warriors to three bowl games.
Rolovich guided the 2019 squad to its first 10-win season since 2010 as the Rainbow Warriors went 10-5, capped by a 38-34 win over BYU in the Hawaii Bowl.
2019 was the program's first back-to-back winning seasons since 2006-07 after going 8-6 in 2018 and only the seventh time in program history Hawai'i reached double-digit wins.
Earning 2019 Mountain West Coach of the Year honors, Rolovich's offense threw for 338.0 ypg (fifth nationally), while the Rainbow Warriors were 13th in the FBS in total offense at 471.0 ypg. In 2018 the UH offense racked up over 5,800 yards of offense, along with 43 touchdown passes. The aerial assault accounted for 30.8 points per game and 419 yards per contest.
At Nevada, Rolovich's Wolf Pack offense ranked as high as eighth nationally (2012) in total offense at 514.8 ypg, generating 2,786 yards passing with a rushing attack that ranked seventh nationally at 271 ypg.
Spending a total of eight seasons at Hawai'i, Rolovich served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 2010-11 after leading the quarterbacks in 2008-09.
For the three years Rolovich had play-calling duties (2009-2011), the Warriors threw for 13,915 yards - an average of 347.9 yards per game - and 96 touchdowns. That includes the 2010 season in which Hawai'i averaged 394.29 yards per game and led the nation in passing offense while finishing sixth in the nation in total offense. That year, Rolovich guided quarterback Bryant Moniz to the top of the total offense chart nationally and to an eighth-place standing in passing efficiency.
Rolovich coached quarterbacks for two years at City College of San Francisco and began his coaching career as an assistant coach at San Marin High School in Novato.
The Novato native earned his bachelor's degree in economics from UH in 2004 and a master's in human performance and sport from New Mexico Highlands (2007).
Rolovich and his wife, Analea, have three sons, Daniel, William and Patrick, and one daughter, Alana.
Year-By-Year Coaching Positions
Season: Team – Coaching Position
2002: San Marin (Calif.) High School – Assistant Coach
2003-04: Hawai‘i – Student Assistant
2006-07: City College of San Francisco – Quarterbacks
2008-09: Hawai‘i – Quarterbacks
2010-11: Hawai‘i – Offensive Coordinator
2012-15: Nevada – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
2016-2019: Hawai‘i – Head Coach
2020-21: Washington State – Head Coach
2025: California – Interim Head Coach/Senior Offensive Assistant
Bryan Harsin
Offensive Coordinator/QB Coach
Harsin comes to Berkeley with 23 years of coaching experience on the offensive side of the ball, including 10 seasons as an FBS head coach at Auburn (2021-22), Boise State (2014-20) and Arkansas State (2013).
"Coach Harsin is one of the best offensive minds in football and we are excited to welcome him to Cal," Travers Family Head Football Coach Justin Wilcox said. "I have spent several years of my coaching career on the same staff and in the same room with Coach Harsin. He is a proven winner whose record speaks for itself and he will make an immediate impact on our offense and in recruiting."
With Wilcox as the defensive coordinator and Harsin as the offensive coordinator from 2006-09, Boise State went 49-4 overall and won two Fiesta Bowls.
Harsin led the Tigers to ranked wins over No. 17 Arkansas and No. 10 Ole Miss in 2021 and pieced together two Top-20 recruiting classes while on The Plains. He compiled a 69-19 overall record with three Mountain West Conference titles in his seven seasons in Boise.
Holding an 85-36 overall record as a head coach at the FBS level, Harsin is a former Boise State quarterback, assistant coach and offensive coordinator.
The former Bronco letter winner was named head coach at Boise State in December 2013 - he played quarterback for Boise State from 1995-99. Harsin coached running backs and receivers at Eastern Oregon in 2000 and began his coaching stint at Boise State as a graduate assistant in 2001 before taking over the tight ends as a full-time assistant coach from 2002-05.
Harsin assumed the role of offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2006 when Chris Petersen was hired as head coach. He was Petersen's offensive coordinator for five seasons and was named a finalist for the 2009 Broyles Award, awarded annually to the nation's top assistant coach. Boise State went 61-5 during his tenure as offensive coordinator.
In Harsin's first season as offensive coordinator, the 2006 Broncos went undefeated and running back Ian Johnson led the country in rushing touchdowns and scoring. Johnson also set a school single-season record with 1,713 yards. He was named to four separate All-America teams and finished eighth in the Heisman Trophy voting.
In his five seasons as offensive coordinator at BSU, Harsin's offenses were in the top five nationally in scoring four times, capped by ranking first in 2009 (42.2 ppg) and second in 2010 (45.1 ppg). They also ranked second in 2006 (39.7 ppg), fourth in 2007 (42.4 ppg) and 12th in 2008 (37.6 ppg). In all, Boise State averaged 41.4 ppg during his time as coordinator.
The Broncos ranked in the Top 10 in total offense in three of Harsin's seasons as coordinator and were no lower than 18th in all five of his years, culminating in 2010 with an average of 521.3 ypg, which set the BSU school record and ranked second nationally. In those five seasons, the Broncos offense averaged 459.9 ypg.
As quarterbacks coach, Harsin guided Kellen Moore into becoming one of the nation's most productive quarterbacks. In 2010, Moore was named first-team All-America by the Football Writers Association of America and became Boise State's first Heisman Trophy finalist. He was also a finalist for the Maxwell Award, Davey O'Brien Award and Manning Award and was named the nation's top quarterback by The Touchdown Club of Columbus.
Harsin was the offensive coordinator for Boise State's Fiesta Bowl winning seasons in 2006 (43-42 vs. Oklahoma) and 2009 (17-10 vs. TCU). With Harsin on staff, Boise State won 11 conference championships.
Following the 2010 season, Harsin went to Texas, where he served as co-offensive coordinator from 2011-12. While with the Longhorns, Harsin helped guide the ascension of an offense that ranked 88th in scoring prior to his arrival to No. 24 nationally in 2012 (36.1).
In Harsin's first season at Texas, he had the task of putting a new offense in place with a young group that featured 10 freshmen and sophomores starting for the Longhorns. Despite its youth, the offense was able to put up over 500 yards of total offense four times and rank 21st nationally in rushing offense with 202.6 yards per game. The team ran for over 400 yards in back-to-back games against Kansas (441) and Texas Tech (439), marking just the fifth and sixth 400-yard rushing performances by Texas since 1980.
The Longhorns posted over 400 yards total offense in nine games and scored at least 30 in eight, including a season-high 66 against Ole Miss.
Harsin then earned his first head coaching opportunity at Arkansas State in 2013, which claimed a share of the Sun Belt Conference championship and a berth in the GoDaddy.com Bowl that season.
The Boise, Idaho, native graduated from Boise State with a degree in business management. He and his wife, Kes, have two daughters, Devyn Lynn and Dayn Mykena, and a son, Davis.
Famika Anae
Offensive Line
Famika Anae has been named the new offensive line coach of the California football program, Travers Family Head Football Coach Justin Wilcox announced Saturday.
Anae has over 10 seasons of collegiate coaching experience, most recently serving as the offensive line coach at New Mexico in 2024. The Lobos' high-powered offense was led by a strong running attack, ranking fourth nationally in rushing at 253.6 yards per game.
Led by Anae, the Lobos' offensive line led the country this season in both total sacks allowed (5) and sacks allowed per game (0.42). New Mexico also topped FBS teams in tackles for loss allowed, giving up just 26 on the season for 70 yards (2.17 pg). The 26 tackles for loss allowed were eight fewer than Army's 34, the second-least allowed in the country. The Lobos were fourth in the NCAA in total offense at 484.3 yards per game.
Anae led two All-Conference performers in 2024 as Baraka Beckett was named a First Team Mountain West offensive lineman and McKenzie Agnello was a Second Team selection.
Prior to New Mexico, Anae coached the offensive line at Campbell University for two seasons in 2022-23. Anae coached a pair of All-Coastal Athletic Association honorees in Mike Edwards, a First Team pick at offensive tackle and Tyler McLellan, a Third Team selection at tackle. Edwards was a two-time First Team pick under Anae, and was also an All-American in 2022 when they were members of the Big South Conference.
Campbell's 2023 offensive line ranked No. 2 in the FCS in pass blocking efficiency (93.2), according to PFF. The CU offense also led the CAA and finished fifth nationally in pass completion percentage (.702).
Anae spent three seasons coaching the offensive line at Texas A&M Commerce from 2019-21, developing three All-Conference players. In 2021, the offensive line made way for an offense that gained 3,580 total yards and allowed less than two sacks per game.
Amon Simon earned All-American honors for the second time in Anae's tenure at tackle in 2021. He was also named to D2Football's Elite 100 team and registered Second Team Region IV, and First Team All-LSC accolades. Center Christian Hernandez was also named Second Team All-Lone Star Conference.
Anae also coached at Dixie State in 2018, his first full-time role as a position coach with the offensive line. He was an assistant offensive line coach at Virginia (2016-18) and also BYU (2014-15).
Anae played two seasons on the offensive line at BYU from 2011-12 before injuries ended his career after his sophomore season. As a starter in 2012, Anae earned All-Independent honors for the Cougars. He earned his bachelor's degree in history from BYU in 2014. Anae and his wife Tessi Leila Tolutau have four children Liane, Savani, Fiaali'i, and Litiavava'u.
Julian Griffin
Running Backs
Griffin comes to Berkeley after five successful seasons at UTSA, where he helped the Roadrunners shatter several school records – including single-season marks for rushing yards, rushing yards per game, rushing average and rushing touchdowns. He tutored Sincere McCormick, an All-American running back who was twice named the Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year and now plays for the NFL's Las Vegas Raiders. Griffin also mentored running back Brenden Brady, who was named the 2021 Conference USA Freshman of the Year.
UTSA qualified for a bowl game in each of Griffin's five seasons, including a win over Coastal Carolina in this past season's Myrtle Beach Bowl.
Griffin has also served as an offensive quality control coach at Arkansas and SMU. While with the Mustangs, he worked with current Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton and helped SMU rank in the top 20 nationally in both scoring offense and passing offense in 2017.
Griffin played wide receiver at ULM from 2008-12.
Kyle Cefalo
Wide Receivers Coach/Passing Game Coordinator
Kyle Cefalo has been named the new wide receivers coach/passing game coordinator of the California football program, Travers Family Head Football Coach Justin Wilcox announced Friday.
Cefalo has over a decade of coaching experience at the FBS level and has helped produce some of the most prolific offenses in the country during that span. During his time as an offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach, Cefalo has been part of six teams that have been ranked in the top 25 nationally in both total offense and passing offense. Three of his teams have been ranked in the top 10 in the country in passing offense, including the No. 2-rated squad in passing offense when he was the wide receivers coach and special teams co-coordinator at Arkansas State in 2020.
Most recently the offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach at Utah State, Cefalo directed a unit this past season that produced 467.7 yards per game – which ranks seventh in the nation and second in the Mountain West Conference.
Cefalo has also overseen the development of some of the top wide receivers in the country. He coached two Associated Press Second Team All-Americans and Biletnikoff Award semifinalists at Arkansas State – Omar Bayless in 2019 and Jonathan Adams Jr. in 2020. Adams was also the 2020 Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year.
Utah State's Deven Thompkins was also a Biletnikoff Award semifinalist, Third Team All-American and First Team All-Mountain West performer in 2021. He finished second in the country with 1,704 receiving yards and currently plays for the Carolina Panthers. Jalen Royals was a Third Team All-American for the Aggies under Cefalo's guidance in 2023, when he ranked second nationally with 15 touchdown catches.
Cefalo began his coaching career at Arkansas State in 2013 and spent three seasons there as a graduate assistant – the first of which he worked under then-Red Wolves head coach Bryan Harsin, who was named Cal's offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach on Tuesday. Cefalo was also a grad assistant at Maryland in 2016 before returning to Arkansas State as inside wide receivers coach in 2017. Cefalo moved on to Utah State in 2021 as the Aggies' wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator before becoming the program's co-offensive coordinator in 2023. He took over sole offensive coordinator duties for Utah State this season.
During his coaching tenure, Cefalo has been involved in 10 bowl games and three conference championships. He played wide receiver for the University of Colorado from 2009-13.
Cefalo is a native of Boston, Massachusetts and earned his bachelor's degree in history from Colorado in the spring of 2012.
Mike Saffell
Tight Ends
COACHING CAREER
California – Graduate Assistant, Offense (2022-23); Student Assistant (2021)
– Worked with offensive coordinator/offensive line coach (then offensive line coach/run game coordinator) Mike Bloesch in 2023 with an offensive line that helped the running game average of 172.8 yards per game, which was its highest mark since 2012, and create open running room for 2024 Heisman Trophy candidate Jaydn Ott, who in 2023 paced the Pac-12 and ranked among the nation’s best in all-purpose yards per game (135.67, #6 NCAA), rushing yards per game (109.6, #9 NCAA) and rushing yards (1315, #14 NCAA)
– Helped Cal make tremendous improvements in protecting the quarterback and not allowing negative plays in 2023, improving from 10th to fourth in the Pac-12 in sacks allowed (2.58 to 1.50) and 11th to tied for fifth in tackles for loss allowed (6.08 to 5.42) from a year ago
– Helped produce a trio of Pac-12 Offensive Lineman of the Week selections in Brian Driscoll (Week 1 at North Texas; Week 11 vs. Washington State) and Barrett Miller (Week 12 at Stanford)
PLAYING CAREER
California, Offensive Line (2017-20)
– Played in 28 career games with 23 starts including all 17 Cal games at center during his 2019 junior and 2020 senior campaigns before announcing his medical retirement from football with one season of eligibility remaining prior to the 2021 campaign
– Helped Cal to back-to-back bowl games with the Bears appearing at the Cheez-It Bowl in 2018 before knocking off Illinois at the 2019 Redbox Bowl to finish 8-5 overall
– Named the Pac-12's Football Scholar-Athlete of the Year as a 2020 senior, as well as a team captain, and a semifinalist for the Campbell Trophy and Wuerffel Trophy that are considered college football's premier academic and community service awards, respectively
– A first-team Pac-12 All-Academic selection as a 2018 sophomore and a member of the league's inaugural Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll that replaced its Pac-12 All-Academic teams during his 2019 junior campaign
– Named second-team All-Pac-12 by Pro Football Focus as a 2019 junior
– Picked up Cal’s Clint Evans Award as the program’s most intense freshman competitor in 2017 when he helped protect Ross Bowers on his way to the sixth-highest total for passing yards in school history (3,039) and opened holes for Patrick Laird, who registered the 18th 1,000-yard rushing season ever at Cal
– Took over from Laird as the lead ambassador for the Cal Athletics Summer Reading Challenge in 2019 and spoke to over 5,000 kids that summer to promote reading and combat summer learning loss before returning to the role in 2020 and taking the event online due to the COVID-19 pandemic
YEAR-BY-YEAR COACHING POSITIONS
Season: Team – Position (Postseason, Notes)
2021: California – Student Assistant
2022: California – Graduate Assistant, Offense
2023: California – Graduate Assistant, Offense (Independence Bowl, Elevated To Tight Ends On Dec. 9, 2023)
2024: California – Tight Ends
Andrew Browning
Defensive Line
Andrew Browning is in his sixth season as the defensive line coach and his seventh campaign overall at California in 2024, having served one season in a quality control role on the defensive side of the ball in his first season with the Golden Bears in 2018 before moving into his current role.
Coaching Career
California – Defensive Line (2019 – Present); Qualify Control, Defense (2018)
– Has a group of players in 2024 that have racked up totals of 128 collegiate games played and 38 starts with Ricky Correia (35 games played/13 starts), Ethan Saunders (28/12) and Nate Burrell (25/13) the most experienced of the group and others with experience including Stanley Saole-McKenzie (15/0), Derek Wilkins (12/0), Akili Calhoun (9/0) and Curlee Thomas IV (4/0)
– Coached a veteran group of defensive linemen in 2023 that included eight players who at end of the 2023 campaign had combined to play in 219 games and make 66 collegiate starts at Cal in Correia, Jaedon Roberts (33/2), Brett Johnson (29/25), Saunders, Burrell, Darius Long Jr. (27/1), Saole-McKenzie, Wilkins, Calhoun, Thomas IV and Ieremia Ieremia (2/0)
– Helped Johnson earn Comeback Player Of The Year Semifinalist honors in 2023 for the award presented by College Sports Communicators In conjunction with AP and the Fiesta Bowl organization after Johnson started all 12 regular-season games and contributed 23 tackles after returning from separate season-ending injuries that required him to miss two full campaign in 2021 and 2022 and eventually medically redshirt following his 2023 comeback season
– Coached a unit that helped the Cal defense became elite at taking away the ball away and in 2023 led the nation with 16 fumbles recovered and tied for the national lead with 28 turnovers gained, both pacing the Pac-12, while the Bears' three defensive touchdowns were second in the Pac-12 and tied for 15th nationally, their 12 interceptions tied for third in the Pac-12 and tied for 36th nationally, and the rushing defense sixth in the Pac-12 and 35th nationally (133.4 ypg)
– Dating back to the final game of 2020, Cal has at least one takeaway in 35 of its last 38 contests and at one point during the 2022 season, the defense had the longest streak of consecutive games in the nation with at least one turnover with 19 in a row
– Cal's 2022 defense finished tied for fifth in the Pac-12 with 18 turnovers gained and was sixth in the Pac-12 in scoring defense (27.7 ppg).
– Part of a coaching staff that helped Cal finish the 2021 season strong on defense by holding four of its last six opponents to 14 points or less before finishing second in the Pac-12 in scoring defense (22.2 ppg), fourth in total defense (366.7 ypg) and in the top half of the league in nearly every category, while the Bears also won four of their final six games
– Browning's first campaign as the defensive line coach at Cal in 2019 was highlighted by the performance of a unit that helped contribute to a significant uptick in sacks as the Bears were second in the Pac-12 and 21st nationally with an average of 2.77 per game to help Cal reach a bowl game and post a winning season for the second straight campaign to mark the first time the Bears had done both since 2008 and 2009
– Coached Luc Bequette to the team's 2019 Brick Muller Award as its Most Valuable Lineman with a career-high 52 tackles while adding 4.0 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks, while Zeandae Johnson finished with career highs of 29 tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks to earn honorable mention All-Pac-12 honors, won the team's Bob Tessier Award as its Most Improved Lineman in his first season as a starter and Most Outstanding Defensive Player honors in the Redbox Bowl, while Brett Johnson was a Pro Football Focus third-team Freshman All-American and third-team All-Pac-12 selection, as well as Cal's Bob Simmons Award as the team's Most Valuable Freshman
– On the recruiting front, has helped bring in a 2021 class that ranked as high as No. 20 nationally according to ESPN, which was Cal's highest-ranked class since the 2011 group checked in at No. 15 nationally by 247Sports, a 2023 spring transfer portal class that was listed by The Athletic as one of its 10 "winners", while also being recognized by On3 (1 of 12 "winners") and 247Sports (No. 17 overall class), and a 2024 transfer portal group that is currently ranked No. 15 by On3 after reaching as high as No. 6 at one point
UTEP – Defensive Line (2013-17)
– Tutored future NFL players James Davidson, Horace Miller and Roy Robertson-Harris.
Boise State – Graduate Assistant, Defense (2011-12); Quality Control, Defense (2010)
– Started his coaching career with three campaigns on the staff at his alma mater Boise State, working in quality control for one season in 2010, and as a graduate assistant from 2011-12
– Helped Boise State combine for a 35-4 record during his three seasons with the Broncos, while winning a share of Western Athletic Conference and Mountain West Conference crowns in 2010 and 2011, respectively, picking up victories at the 2010 and 2011 MAACO Bowl, and 2012 Las Vegas Bowl; and ranking in the final AP Top 25 all three seasons including a high of No. 8 in 2011, No. 9 in 2010 and No. 18 in 2012
– Helped Boise State finish with national top-15 rankings in scoring defense in 2010 (No. 2, 12.8 ppg), 2011 (No. 12, 18.7 ppg) and 2012 (No. 8, 15.8 ppg), while its' total defense numbers each of the three seasons were in the top 20 – 2010 (No. 2, 254.7 ypg), 2011 (No. 16, 320.9 ypg) and 2012 (No. 13, 315.6 ypg)
– The Broncos' defense produced 12 all-conference selections during Browning's three-season tenure on staff
Professional Playing Career
San Jose SaberCats (2008)
– Spent the 2008 season on the roster of the San Jose SaberCats of the Arena Football League before moving into coaching
Collegiate Playing Career
Boise State (2003-06)
– Finished his four-year Boise State playing career that started as a 2003 walk-on freshman with 143 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss and 12.5 sacks for teams that combined for a 46-6 record, while playing in bowl games all four years and winning two as a 2003 freshman at the Fort Worth Bowl and 2006 senior at the Fiesta Bowl, as well as at least a share of a conference title in each of his four campaigns, and ranking in the final AP Top 25 on three occasions including as high as No. 5 as a 2006 senior
– Earned first-team All-WAC and second-team Academic All-American honors from ESPN The Magazine as a 2006 senior when he established career highs of 46 tackles, 11.0 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks for the Broncos' 13-0 Fiesta Bowl championship team that ranked No. 5 in the final AP Top 25
– A second-team All-WAC selection as a 2005 junior and earned honorable mention recognition during his 2004 sophomore season
File
Birthdate: January 29, 1984
Hometown: Lake Oswego, OR
High School: Lake Oswego HS
College: Boise State, 2007, Bachelor's in Communications
Family: Wife, Leah; Son, Matthew
Year-By-Year Coaching Positions
Season: Team – Coaching Positions (Champions, Postseason)
2010: Boise State – Quality Control, Defense (WAC Co-Champions, Maaco Bowl)
2011: Boise State – Graduate Assistant, Defense (Maaco Bowl)
2012: Boise State – Graduate Assistant, Defense (MWC Co-Champions, Maaco Bowl)
2013: UTEP – Defensive Line
2014: UTEP – Defensive Line (New Mexico Bowl)
2015: UTEP – Defensive Line
2016: UTEP – Defensive Line
2017: UTEP – Defensive Line
2018: California – Quality Control, Defense (Cheez-It Bowl)
2019: California – Defensive Line (Redbox Bowl)
2020: California – Defensive Line
2021: California – Defensive Line
2022: California – Defensive Line
2023: California – Defensive Line (Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl)
2024: California – Defensive Line
Vic So'oto
Co-DC/OLB Coach
Vic So'oto in his third season at Cal and his second campaign as the special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach in 2024 after serving as the outside linebackers coach in 2022.
Before joining Cal, the former NFL and collegiate player spent the previous two campaigns in 2020 and 2021 on the USC coaching staff after a prior four-year stint at Virginia (2016-19). So’oto was on coaching staffs that won division titles in back-to-back seasons with the Cavaliers in 2019 (ACC Coastal) and Trojans in 2020 (Pac-12 South), while reaching bowls in each of his last three campaigns at Virginia (2017 Military Bowl, 2018 Belk Bowl, 2019 Orange Bowl) and then again at Cal in 2023 with an appearance in the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl.
So’oto began his coaching career in 2015 as an intern at his alma mater BYU, where he spent six seasons as a student-athlete from 2005-10. He was also on NFL rosters for four years in Green Bay (2011-12), Oakland (2012), Washington (2012), Arizona (2013), New Orleans (2013) and Pittsburgh (2014).
Coaching Career
California – Special Teams Coordinator/Outside Linebackers (2023 - Present); Outside Linebackers (2022)
– Has been instrumental in fostering the growth of 2024 returning starting outside linebackers Xavier Carlton and David Reese with Carlton totaling 84 tackles while combining to register more tackles for loss (12.0, -46 yards) and sacks (9.0, -39 yards) over the last two campaigns than any other Cal player and Reese posting his best collegiate season in 2023 with career highs of 36 tackles, 8.0 tackles for loss (-61 yards), 6.5 sacks (-58 yards), two pass breakups, four quarterback hurries and three forced fumbles (tackles for loss, sacks and forced fumbles also team highs) to earn honorable mention All-Pac-12 recognition, as well as Pac-12 Defensive Lineman of the Week and PFF College Football Defensive Team of the Week honors for his performance in the regular-season finale at UCLA
– Runs a Bears' kickoff return unit that posted an average of 19.83 yards allowed per return that was Cal's best since 2016 and ranked fifth in the Pac-12 in his first campaign as Cal's special teams coordinator in 2022 before dropping the yards allowed per kick return to 19.80 in 2023
– Coached Jaydn Ott to a 100-yard touchdown in his first ever kickoff return at any level of football in the 2023 regular-season finale at UCLA
– Helped 2024 returning punter Lachlan Wilson to a 2023 second-team All-Pac-12 selection according to the league's coaches and Phil Steele with Wilson's 44.5 yards per punt average second in the Pac-12 and 23rd nationally, seventh on Cal's all-time single-season list and his career 44.5 mark currently the best in Cal history
– Coached a unit that helped the Cal defense became elite at taking away the ball away and in 2023 led the nation with 16 fumbles recovered and tied for the national lead with 28 turnovers gained, both pacing the Pac-12, while the Bears' three defensive touchdowns were second in the Pac-12 and tied for 15th nationally, their 12 interceptions tied for third in the Pac-12 and tied for 36th nationally, and the rushing defense sixth in the Pac-12 and 35th nationally (133.4 ypg)
– Helped the Bears win their final three regular-season games in 2023 to become bowl eligible and appear in the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl
– Named a Coach On The Rise by Our Coaching Network after Cal's win at UCLA
– Coached a 2022 outside linebacker group that was highlighted by the play of the team's leader in tackles for loss and sacks in Carlton (6.5 TFL, -31 yards; 4.5 sacks, -26 yards)
– On the recruiting front, has helped Cal bring in a 2023 spring transfer portal class that was listed by The Athletic as one of its 10 "winners", while also being recognized by On3 (1 of 12 "winners") and 247Sports (No. 17 overall class) then followed that up with a 2024 transfer portal group that is currently ranked as high as No. 15 by On3 after reaching as high as No. 6 by the media outlet at one point.
USC – Defensive Line (2020); Defensive Line/Outside Linebackers (2020-21)
– Tuli Tuipulotu became So'oto's second first-team All-Pac-12 selection in as many seasons as a 2021 sophomore when he had team-highs of 7.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks while Jackson was a second-team All-Pac-12 pick and Kana'i Mauga was an honorable mention choice
– Helped the Trojans to a Pac-12 South Division title and a 5-1 overall record in his first season in 2020 with his defensive linemen racking up awards (Marlon Tuipulotu, first-team All-Pac-12; Drake Jackson, second-team All-Pac-12; Nick Figueroa, honorable mention All-Pac-12; Tuli Tuipulotu, second-team Freshman All-American, honorable mention Pac-12 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year)
– Recruited and signed Korey Foreman, a five-star recruit who was the No. 2 overall player in the class of 2021 according to 247Sports, while Rivals tabbed him No. 3 and ESPN No. 4, with 247Sports also listing him as the nation’s top defensive lineman and Rivals as the best strong side defensive end in the class
– Coached four players currently on NFL rosters in Drake Jackson (San Francisco), Mauga (Las Vegas), Jay Tufele (Cincinnati), Marlon Tuipulotu (Philadelphia) and Tuli Tuipulotu (Los Angeles Chargers) with Jackson and Tuli Tuipulotu being selected in the second round of the 2022 and 2023 NFL Drafts in the second round by their current teams, while Tufele was selected in the fourth round by Jacksonville and Marlon Tuipulotu in the sixth round by his current Eagles' squad in 2021 by Jacksonville, while Mauga signed as a free agent with Denver in 2022
Virginia – Graduate Assistant, Defense (2016); Defensive Line (2017-19)
– Coached on staffs that reached bowls in each of his three seasons as the defensive line coach (2017 Military Bowl, 2018 Belk Bowl, 2019 Orange Bowl)
– Coached a defensive unit that put up numbers among the nation’s best in each campaign of his full-time tenure including his final season in 2019 when the Cavaliers ranked ninth nationally in sacks (3.3) and 22nd in tackles for loss (7.1) on a squad that won the ACC Coastal title and finished 9-4 overall; while his 2018 squad was 12th in passing efficiency (107.6), 16th in passing yards allowed (183.0 ypg), 20th in total defense (330.5 ypg) and 21st in scoring defense (20.1 ppg) on its way to a 28-0 Belk Bowl win over South Carolina; and his 2017 team was seventh in passing yards allowed (165.8 ypg) and ninth in red zone defense (72.7%)
– Began his coaching career in 2016 as a graduate assistant on defense just two years removed from the end of his NFL playing career
– Position coach for NFL defensive tackle Andrew Brown in 2017 with Brown becoming a fifth-round NFL Draft pick of Cincinnati in 2018 and spending three seasons with the Bengals (2018-20) before later becoming members of rosters in Houston (2020), Indianapolis (2021), Tennessee (2021), the Los Angeles Chargers (2021-22), Arizona (2022), Chicago (2022) and Buffalo (2023)
BYU – Intern (2015)
– Served as an intern for a team that finished 9-4 overall and played Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl
NFL Playing Career – Green Bay (2011-12); Oakland (2012); Washington (2012); Arizona (2013); New Orleans (2013); Pittsburgh (2014)
– Saw action with four different teams and was on rosters of six squads during his four-year NFL playing career, getting into games with Green Bay (2011-12), Oakland (2012), Washington (2012) and Arizona (2013), while he was also on the rosters of New Orleans (2013) and Pittsburgh (2014) but did not see any game action
– Totaled 14 games played, one start, eight tackles and one quarterback hit
Collegiate Playing Career – BYU (2005-10)
– Four-year letterwinner (2005, ’07, ’09-10) who started his career as a tight end before moving to defense as a linebacker and defensive end for his final three seasons of six campaigns that also included two redshirt years
– Teams combined for a 56-21 (.727) record during his playing career, finished the season ranked in the top 25 four times (2006, ’07, ’08, ‘09), won two Mountain West Conference titles (2016, ’17) and reached bowl games each year, winning three of five appearances at the Las Vegas Bowl in 2006, ’07 and ’09, and in their lone trip to the New Mexico Bowl in 2010
– First-Team All-Mountain West selection on a defense as a sixth-year senior in 2010 when he recorded 45 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 5.0 quarterback sacks and one interception
Other
– Selected by the American Football Coaches Association to its 35 Under 35 Coaches Leadership Institute in 2020
– Second cousin of the late Pro Football Hall of Famer Junior Seau
Year-By-Year Coaching Positions
Season: Team – Coaching Position (Postseason, Champions)
2015: BYU – Intern (Las Vegas Bowl)
2016: Virginia – Graduate Assistant, Defense
2017: Virginia – Defensive Line (Military Bowl)
2018: Virginia – Defensive Line (Belk Bowl)
2019: Virginia – Defensive Line (Orange Bowl, ACC Coastal Champion)
2020: USC – Defensive Line (Pac-12 South Champion)
2021: USC – Defensive Line/Outside Linebackers
2022: California – Outside Linebackers
2023: California – Special Teams Coordinator/Outside Linebackers (Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl)
2024: California – Special Teams Coordinator/Outside Linebackers
Terrance BrownCo
Co-DC/DB Coach
Terrence Brown is in his third season as a defensive backs coach at Cal in 2024 sharing duties with Tre Watson. Brown spent 11 seasons in the Pac-12 as a player and coach, including the last two seasons at Cal (2002-23) and five campaigns over two stints on the coaching staff at Washington (2015-17, ’20-21). He also played collegiately in the league for four seasons at Stanford (2009-12). Brown also coached at Vanderbilt (2018-19) in between his stints at Washington. In addition, he was among a group of 30 coaches on 247Sports’ 30Under30 list in both 2019 and 2020.
Coaching Career
California – Defensive Backs (2022 - Present)
– Has a strong combination of returnees and transfer portal additions to comprise the defensive backfield in 2024 led by a pair of sixth-year Cal seniors in two-time honorable mention selection Craig Woodson (2022, '23) and Miles Williams, 2023 first-year starters Nohl Williams and Matthew Littlejohn, two others with significant starting previous starting experience at Cal in Collin Gamble and Lu-Magia Hearns III, and promising transfers in 2023 FCS first-team All-American Marcus Harris (Idaho), Jasiah Wagoner (Oklahoma) and Ryan Yaites (LSU)
– Co-coached a unit that helped the Cal defense become elite at taking away the ball away and in 2023 lead the nation with 16 fumbles recovered and tied for the national lead with 28 turnovers gained, both pacing the Pac-12, while the Bears' three defensive touchdowns were second in the Pac-12 and tied for 15th nationally, their 12 interceptions tied for third in the Pac-12 and tied for 36th nationally, and the rushing defense sixth in the Pac-12 and 35th nationally (133.4 ypg), with Patrick McMorris being selected in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins after posting strong numbers (90 tackles, 4.5 TFL, 1.0 SK, 1 INT, 8 PBU, 2 FR, 2 FF) and Woodson (81 tackles, 3.5 TFL, 1 INT, 4 PBU, 2 FF) earning his second straight honorable mention All-Pac-12 selection
– Helped the Bears win their final three regular-season games in 2023 to become bowl eligible and appear in the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl
– Made an immediate impact in his first season at Cal in 2022, and along with Watson tutored a pair of the Pac-12's top safeties in Daniel Scott and Woodson, as well as one of the nation's top freshmen defensive backs in cornerback Jeremiah Earby, with Scott a fifth-round selection of the Indianapolis Colts in the 2023 NFL Draft after being a third-team All-Pac-12 pick of Phil Steele and Pro Football Focus as a 2022, Earby a second-team College Football News Freshman All-American, and all three honorable mention All-Pac-12 selections of the league's coaches
– On the recruiting front, has helped Cal bring in a 2023 spring transfer portal class that was listed by The Athletic as one of its 10 "winners", while also being recognized by On3 (1 of 12 "winners") and 247Sports (No. 17 overall class) then followed that up with a 2024 transfer portal group that is currently ranked as high as No. 15 by On3 after reaching as high as No. 6 by the media outlet at one point
Washington – Assistant Defensive Backs (2020-21)
– Returned to Washington for a two-season run in the second of two coaching stints with the Huskies in 2020
– Coached a 2021 defensive backs group that helped the Huskies lead the nation by a whopping margin of 25.0 yards per contest over No. 2 Cincinnati with the fewest passing yards allowed per game (143.3 ypg), pace the Pac-12 and rank third nationally in team passing efficiency defense (106.71), and be the least penalized team in the league while ranking in the top 15 nationally in all penalty categories
– Coached a pair of 2021 first-team All-Pac-12 defensive backs in Kyler Gordon and Trent McDuffie, while Elijah Molden was a first-teamer in 2020 when McDuffie earned second-team honors
– Helped the 2020 squad capture the Pac-12 North title and post a 3-1 overall record during a season shortened to four games by COVID-19
– Played a significant role in the Huskies leading the Pac-12 in 2020 in passing yards allowed (185.0 ypg, No. 13 NCAA) and total defense (346.2 ypg), while the scoring defense was second in the conference (25.0 ppg)
– Coached four Huskies currently on NFL rosters in Gordon (Chicago), McDuffie (Kansas City), Molden (Tennessee), and Keith Taylor Jr. (Kansas City), with McDuffie a first-round pick and No. 22 overall selection of the Chiefs in the 2022 NFL Draft while Gordon was taken in the second round (No. 39 overall) by Chicago, Molden was a third-round pick (No. 100 overall) of the Titans in 2021 and Taylor Jr. a fifth-round selection of Carolina also in 2021
Vanderbilt – Cornerbacks (2018-19)
– Spent two seasons at Vanderbilt with the Commodores reaching the Texas Bowl and equaling their best record in eight years during his first campaign in 2018
– Coached second-team All-Southeastern Conference selection Joejuan Williams in 2018 when Williams led all SEC cornerbacks in interceptions (4), while also pacing all of the league's players in pass breakups (14) and passes defended (18) before he was selected by New England in the second round (No. 45 overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft
– Coached a pair of players currently on NFL rosters in Williams (Minnesota) and Allan George (Cincinnati)
Washington – Defensive Graduate Assistant (2015-17)
– Spent three seasons in his first of two coaching stints with the Huskies, winning the Pac-12 title and reaching the College Football Playoff in 2016, while the Huskies compiled a 29-11 (.725) overall record and a 19-8 (.704) Pac-12 mark during the stretch, and played in bowls each season (2015 Heart of Dallas Bowl, 2016 Peach Bowl, 2017 Fiesta Bowl)
– Coached for a Washington squad that led the Pac-12 in total defense and scoring defense for three consecutive seasons from 2015-17
– Coached a pair of All-Americans in Budda Baker and Sidney Jones, while working with a long list of future NFL defensive backs in addition to Baker and Jones including Kevin King, Jordan Miller, Byron Murphy, Taylor Rapp, Keith Taylor Jr. and Zeke Turner, with Husky defensive backs earning five first-team All-Pac-12 honors during the period
Cal Poly – Cornerbacks (Spring 2015)
– Served as the cornerbacks coach
Cincinnati Bengals (2013)
– Signed as an undrafted free agent during the offseason but was not on the roster for the regular season
Stanford (2009-12)
– Started all 23 of his collegiate games during his final two seasons of a four-year collegiate playing career in which he compiled 113 tackles including a career-high 65 stops when he started a career-high all 14 contests as a 2013 senior
Year-By-Year Coaching Positions
Season: Team – Coaching Position (Postseason, Champions)
2015 (Spring): Cal Poly – Cornerbacks
2015: Washington – Defensive Graduate Assistant (Heart Of Dallas Bowl)
2016: Washington – Defensive Graduate Assistant (College Football Playoff, Peach Bowl, Pac-12 Champion, Pac-12 North Champion)
2017: Washington – Defensive Graduate Assistant (Fiesta Bowl, Pac-12 North Co-Champion)
2018: Vanderbilt – Cornerbacks (Texas Bowl)
2019: Vanderbilt – Cornerbacks
2020: Washington – Assistant Defensive Backs (Pac-12 North Champion)
2021: Washington – Assistant Defensive Backs
2022: California – Defensive Backs
2023: California – Defensive Backs (Radiance Technologies Indepedence Bowl)
2024: California – Defensive Backs
Terrence Brown File
Birthdate: March 4, 1991
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
High School: Orange Lutheran HS
College: Stanford, 2013, BA, Science, Technology and Society; Washington, 2017, MA, Education
Family: Wife – Courtney; Son – Ty
Allen Brown
Co-Defensive Backs
Brown returns to Cal after serving as a defensive quality control coach for the 2022 season. Since then, he served in a similar role at Florida in 2023 before being hired as the cornerbacks coach at Washington State last season.
During his one year in Berkeley, Brown worked with safety Daniel Scott, who went on to be drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the fifth round of the NFL Draft. Under his tutelage at Florida, defensive back Jordan Castell was named a Freshman All-American.
Brown has helped produce several other productive defensive backs. Prior to his time at Cal, Brown served as the cornerbacks coach/defensive pass game coordinator for three seasons at his alma mater, Eastern Washington. Brown helped mentor five all-conference selections as well as Freshman All-American Tre Weed during his time at EWU.
Brown also coached the cornerbacks at Cal Poly from 2015-18. While in San Luis Obispo, Brown helped oversee the development of Dominic Frasch, who led the FCS in passes defended and was named a Third Team All-American.
Brown was a three-time All-Big Sky selection at Eastern Washington and helped the Eagles win the 2010 FCS national championship.
Jason Novak
Head Football Athletic Performance Coach
Jason Novak has been named the new head athletic performance coach for the California football program, Travers Family Head Football Coach Justin Wilcox announced Friday.
Novak comes to Berkeley with extensive experience, including most recently serving as director of strength & conditioning at James Madison in 2024 after serving in the same role at Michigan State from 2020-23.
Before arriving in East Lansing, Novak was the head of physical conditioning at IMG Academy (2019-20), was the director of strength and conditioning at Central Michigan (2015-19), and spent 11 years as an assistant strength and conditioning coach for the Tennessee Titans (2004-15).
Novak's offseason strength and conditioning program was one of the key reasons for Michigan State's school-record turnaround season in 2021 as the Spartans won 11 games, beat No. 12 Pittsburgh in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, and finished ranked in the top 10 of the national polls (No. 8 coaches, No. 9 AP).
During his time as the director of strength and conditioning at Central Michigan, Novak oversaw the year-round training for more than 450 student-athletes.
Prior to joining the Titans, Novak served as the director of strength and conditioning at Yale where he handled the design and implementation of strength and conditioning programs for football, hockey, basketball, lacrosse, field hockey and baseball in 2003-04.
He served in a similar capacity at Alabama State from 2000-03, and worked as a graduate assistant/strength coach at both Baylor and Stephen F. Austin.
Novak earned a bachelor's degree in kinesiology from Stephen F. Austin in 1998 and his master's degree from Baylor in sport management in 2000.
A native of Houston, Texas, Novak and his wife, Michelle, have three children: Drew, Avery and Gray.