Sigh

calumnus said:

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Big C said:

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calumnus said:

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Taylor took over a losing, bottom dwelling, Sac State program with no tradition, no resources, few fans and immediately turned them into a winner, and now two years later despite "California" and "COVID" they are the best team in FCS, better than nearly half of FBS teams including P5 teams like Cal, better than Tedford at Fresno, and he did it with unranked Nor Cal recruits.

People are touting D1 coaches whose teams are not as good as the team Taylor has developed overnight at FCS Sac State. They actually view his Cal alumni status, his love of Cal, as a negative.

We need more, smart Cal grads and generally need to stop hiring dumb Fresno, Oregon, Army and Eastern New Mexico grads to run Cal athletics into the ground.

---

Two questions about Troy Taylor, for which you can perhaps allay people's concerns:

- Would he be able to recruit 4-star caliber recruits? Why do you say that?

- Would he be able to recruit a top-caliber staff? What evidence is there to believe that?

There are a lot of potential plusses about Troy Taylor, but these (above) are the concerns. Also, how does he fit in, considering we still apparently owe Wilcox a gazillion dollars? Maybe he comes aboard as OC, with an unwritten promise that he's heir apparent?

---

It is tough to tell precisely. He was Cal WT coach when we landed speedster WR Pipersburg. He was QB coach at Cal when we landed 5 star, #1 ranked QB, Kyle Boller.

The 4 star talent at Utah before he arrived was on the defensive side. While he was OC they signed: 4 star QB Jack Tuttle from San Marcos, CA; 4 star WR Solomon Enis out of Phoenix, 4 star OT Bainidele Olaseni out of Garden City, KS; and 4 star OG Sataoa Laumea out of Rialto, CA. and some high 3 stars.

He was not a good OC at Utah. They went from #60 in P/G before he arrived to #76 his second year and from #64 in y/p to #70 his second year.

He appears to be a mediocre OC but a great HC. He is not an Xs and Os genius. Competent. I am sure much better than Musgrave, but it would be up to Wilcox and Taylor to figure out if they could be essentially co-head coaches. Probably a better bet to swing for the fences and bring in a brilliant young OC like Marion and implement the Go Go Bears Offense.

---

Who is Marion and what is his background. Why would he be a good OC for Cal.

Skeedabear said:

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KoreAmBear said:

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Strykur said:

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Hire

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Now 7-0 beat #7 Montana.

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Think you meant Montana St-who is also undefeated and doesn't play Sac State this year… unless they meet in the playoffs.

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No, pretty sure he meant Montana, who was in the top ten before Sac St beat them this past weekend.

BearGoggles said:

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Alkiadt said:

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calumnus said:

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Cal_79 said:

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upsetof86 said:

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Cal_79 said:

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bipolarbear said:

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Strykur said:

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Hire

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What to do with Wilcox's massive buy out?

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What are your thoughts about whether JW could become a good AD to replace Knowlton?

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This is a transparent effort to draw another parallel to Holmoe. No to the AD idea, haven't we been saying our man Wilcox has hiring and personnel management deficiencies? Is this about finding a way to absorb his disastrous buyout cost or some irrational Cal crush on coach because he doesn't look or act like a "hard core" football coach, which would be beneath us?

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From my perspective, this is absolutely about finding a way to absorb JW's disastrous buyout.

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Exactly, Knowlton extending Wilcox 6 years out has put us in a bind. Unless we get some huge financial windfall, we have two choices:

1) Force a change at OC and hope we finally get a good one (along with offensive staff changes, especially OL) or

2) fire Wilcox and hire someone with upside on the cheap, who we would hope would be loyal and stay underpaid at Cal until we are out from under Wilcox's contract or who would inspire alums to kick in the money needed. The two obvious options are Rivera and Taylor. We know Taylor is available.

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No choice.
It's #1 for the next few years.
I guess we all have a choice to decide to support that or not.

---

Exactly. Unless Taylor is willing to come to Cal as an OC, he's not coming anytime soon. Cal is stuck with Wilcox for the foreseeable future (which I define as at least 3 years, possibly 4).

So the only options are: (i) give up and resign yourself to losing; or (ii) double down, throw a bunch of money at an OC, other staff upgrades, and NIL OL.

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I'm not sure you have much choice. You can look at the men's basketball programs when you don't act and lose money even paying bargain basement salaries, or try to cure the problem by writing a check for an upgrade lat OC and offensive staff My guess is other teams will go after our defensive assistants and Toler. Sirmon likely turns down offers to stay with his son another year. But I expect a lot of coach turnover.

wifeisafurd said:

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BearGoggles said:

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Alkiadt said:

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calumnus said:

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Cal_79 said:

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upsetof86 said:

---

Cal_79 said:

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bipolarbear said:

---

Strykur said:

---

Hire

---

What to do with Wilcox's massive buy out?

---

What are your thoughts about whether JW could become a good AD to replace Knowlton?

---

This is a transparent effort to draw another parallel to Holmoe. No to the AD idea, haven't we been saying our man Wilcox has hiring and personnel management deficiencies? Is this about finding a way to absorb his disastrous buyout cost or some irrational Cal crush on coach because he doesn't look or act like a "hard core" football coach, which would be beneath us?

---

From my perspective, this is absolutely about finding a way to absorb JW's disastrous buyout.

---

Exactly, Knowlton extending Wilcox 6 years out has put us in a bind. Unless we get some huge financial windfall, we have two choices:

1) Force a change at OC and hope we finally get a good one (along with offensive staff changes, especially OL) or

2) fire Wilcox and hire someone with upside on the cheap, who we would hope would be loyal and stay underpaid at Cal until we are out from under Wilcox's contract or who would inspire alums to kick in the money needed. The two obvious options are Rivera and Taylor. We know Taylor is available.

---

No choice.
It's #1 for the next few years.
I guess we all have a choice to decide to support that or not.

---

Exactly. Unless Taylor is willing to come to Cal as an OC, he's not coming anytime soon. Cal is stuck with Wilcox for the foreseeable future (which I define as at least 3 years, possibly 4).

So the only options are: (i) give up and resign yourself to losing; or (ii) double down, throw a bunch of money at an OC, other staff upgrades, and NIL OL.

---

I'm not sure you have much choice. You can look at the men's basketball programs when you don't act and lose money even paying bargain basement salaries, or try to cure the problem by writing a check for an upgrade lat OC and offensive staff My guess is other teams will go after our defensive assistants and Toler. Sirmon likely turns down offers to stay with his son another year. But I expect a lot of coach turnover.

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This is Sirmon's last year at Cal. Check the roster.

https://calbears.com/sports/football/roster

Gobears49 said:

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calumnus said:

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Big C said:

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calumnus said:

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Taylor took over a losing, bottom dwelling, Sac State program with no tradition, no resources, few fans and immediately turned them into a winner, and now two years later despite "California" and "COVID" they are the best team in FCS, better than nearly half of FBS teams including P5 teams like Cal, better than Tedford at Fresno, and he did it with unranked Nor Cal recruits.

People are touting D1 coaches whose teams are not as good as the team Taylor has developed overnight at FCS Sac State. They actually view his Cal alumni status, his love of Cal, as a negative.

We need more, smart Cal grads and generally need to stop hiring dumb Fresno, Oregon, Army and Eastern New Mexico grads to run Cal athletics into the ground.

---

Two questions about Troy Taylor, for which you can perhaps allay people's concerns:

- Would he be able to recruit 4-star caliber recruits? Why do you say that?

- Would he be able to recruit a top-caliber staff? What evidence is there to believe that?

There are a lot of potential plusses about Troy Taylor, but these (above) are the concerns. Also, how does he fit in, considering we still apparently owe Wilcox a gazillion dollars? Maybe he comes aboard as OC, with an unwritten promise that he's heir apparent?

---

It is tough to tell precisely. He was Cal WT coach when we landed speedster WR Pipersburg. He was QB coach at Cal when we landed 5 star, #1 ranked QB, Kyle Boller.

The 4 star talent at Utah before he arrived was on the defensive side. While he was OC they signed: 4 star QB Jack Tuttle from San Marcos, CA; 4 star WR Solomon Enis out of Phoenix, 4 star OT Bainidele Olaseni out of Garden City, KS; and 4 star OG Sataoa Laumea out of Rialto, CA. and some high 3 stars.

He was not a good OC at Utah. They went from #60 in P/G before he arrived to #76 his second year and from #64 in y/p to #70 his second year.

He appears to be a mediocre OC but a great HC. He is not an Xs and Os genius. Competent. I am sure much better than Musgrave, but it would be up to Wilcox and Taylor to figure out if they could be essentially co-head coaches. Probably a better bet to swing for the fences and bring in a brilliant young OC like Marion and implement the Go Go Bears Offense.

---

Who is Marion and what is his background. Why would he be a good OC for Cal.

---

Brennan Marion is a 35 year old up-and-coming offensive mind, known for his innovative "GoGo" offense. He has two Bay Area ties: He played JC ball here and was also coach at St. Patrick's/St. Vincent's HS in Vallejo, when he was breaking into coaching. He is rapidly working his way up in the profession, currently working as Passing Game Coordinator at Texas. His next job will likely be as an Offensive Coordinator at a P5 school.

Hiring a guy at a level at which he is still unproven is always a risk:
- Is he wedded to this specific offense and would it work at our level?
- He's been moving up really fast -- lotta different jobs, without much track record in any one place.

Dunno if he would be good at Cal, but it might be exciting to take a little gamble on what might be the Next Big Thing. Wilcox and his guys can handle the defense, while this guy goes for broke on offense. Somebody's gonna give him a shot some time over the next 15 months, almost certainly.

Big C said:

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Gobears49 said:

---

calumnus said:

---

Big C said:

---

calumnus said:

---

Taylor took over a losing, bottom dwelling, Sac State program with no tradition, no resources, few fans and immediately turned them into a winner, and now two years later despite "California" and "COVID" they are the best team in FCS, better than nearly half of FBS teams including P5 teams like Cal, better than Tedford at Fresno, and he did it with unranked Nor Cal recruits.

People are touting D1 coaches whose teams are not as good as the team Taylor has developed overnight at FCS Sac State. They actually view his Cal alumni status, his love of Cal, as a negative.

We need more, smart Cal grads and generally need to stop hiring dumb Fresno, Oregon, Army and Eastern New Mexico grads to run Cal athletics into the ground.

---

Two questions about Troy Taylor, for which you can perhaps allay people's concerns:

- Would he be able to recruit 4-star caliber recruits? Why do you say that?

- Would he be able to recruit a top-caliber staff? What evidence is there to believe that?

There are a lot of potential plusses about Troy Taylor, but these (above) are the concerns. Also, how does he fit in, considering we still apparently owe Wilcox a gazillion dollars? Maybe he comes aboard as OC, with an unwritten promise that he's heir apparent?

---

It is tough to tell precisely. He was Cal WT coach when we landed speedster WR Pipersburg. He was QB coach at Cal when we landed 5 star, #1 ranked QB, Kyle Boller.

The 4 star talent at Utah before he arrived was on the defensive side. While he was OC they signed: 4 star QB Jack Tuttle from San Marcos, CA; 4 star WR Solomon Enis out of Phoenix, 4 star OT Bainidele Olaseni out of Garden City, KS; and 4 star OG Sataoa Laumea out of Rialto, CA. and some high 3 stars.

He was not a good OC at Utah. They went from #60 in P/G before he arrived to #76 his second year and from #64 in y/p to #70 his second year.

He appears to be a mediocre OC but a great HC. He is not an Xs and Os genius. Competent. I am sure much better than Musgrave, but it would be up to Wilcox and Taylor to figure out if they could be essentially co-head coaches. Probably a better bet to swing for the fences and bring in a brilliant young OC like Marion and implement the Go Go Bears Offense.

---

Who is Marion and what is his background. Why would he be a good OC for Cal.

---

Brennan Marion is a 35 year old up-and-coming offensive mind, known for his innovative "GoGo" offense. He has two Bay Area ties: He played JC ball here and was also coach at St. Patrick's/St. Vincent's HS in Vallejo, when he was breaking into coaching. He is rapidly working his way up in the profession, currently working as Passing Game Coordinator at Texas. His next job will likely be as an Offensive Coordinator at a P5 school.

Hiring a guy at a level at which he is still unproven is always a risk:
- Is he wedded to this specific offense and would it work at our level?
- He's been moving up really fast -- lotta different jobs, without much track record in any one place.

Dunno if he would be good at Cal, but it might be exciting to take a little gamble on what might be the Next Big Thing. Wilcox and his guys can handle the defense, while this guy goes for broke on offense. Somebody's gonna give him a shot some time over the next 15 months, almost certainly.

---

He has a bunch of videos detailing his offense. I don't think he is overly wed to any form. One of the principles is adjusting strategy to fit the personnel. More importantly from his videos his intelligence, creativity and personality are on full display. I think he would be a phenomenal recruiter to his offense, maybe we have a chance of keeping Ott and the WRs and having Rashada or Martin transfer back. I would be excited about our chances in 2023.

Big C said:

---

calumnus said:

---

Taylor took over a losing, bottom dwelling, Sac State program with no tradition, no resources, few fans and immediately turned them into a winner, and now two years later despite "California" and "COVID" they are the best team in FCS, better than nearly half of FBS teams including P5 teams like Cal, better than Tedford at Fresno, and he did it with unranked Nor Cal recruits.

People are touting D1 coaches whose teams are not as good as the team Taylor has developed overnight at FCS Sac State. They actually view his Cal alumni status, his love of Cal, as a negative.

We need more, smart Cal grads and generally need to stop hiring dumb Fresno, Oregon, Army and Eastern New Mexico grads to run Cal athletics into the ground.

---

Two questions about Troy Taylor, for which you can perhaps allay people's concerns:

- Would he be able to recruit 4-star caliber recruits? Why do you say that?

- Would he be able to recruit a top-caliber staff? What evidence is there to believe that?

There are a lot of potential plusses about Troy Taylor, but these (above) are the concerns. Also, how does he fit in, considering we still apparently owe Wilcox a gazillion dollars? Maybe he comes aboard as OC, with an unwritten promise that he's heir apparent?

---

If he wins at Cal, those 2 things will sort themselves out

How much time ? We are on a running clock

According to JW, it's up to the coaches and players to motivate themselves. Right?

calumnus said:

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Big C said:

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Gobears49 said:

---

calumnus said:

---

Big C said:

---

calumnus said:

---

Taylor took over a losing, bottom dwelling, Sac State program with no tradition, no resources, few fans and immediately turned them into a winner, and now two years later despite "California" and "COVID" they are the best team in FCS, better than nearly half of FBS teams including P5 teams like Cal, better than Tedford at Fresno, and he did it with unranked Nor Cal recruits.

People are touting D1 coaches whose teams are not as good as the team Taylor has developed overnight at FCS Sac State. They actually view his Cal alumni status, his love of Cal, as a negative.

We need more, smart Cal grads and generally need to stop hiring dumb Fresno, Oregon, Army and Eastern New Mexico grads to run Cal athletics into the ground.

---

Two questions about Troy Taylor, for which you can perhaps allay people's concerns:

- Would he be able to recruit 4-star caliber recruits? Why do you say that?

- Would he be able to recruit a top-caliber staff? What evidence is there to believe that?

There are a lot of potential plusses about Troy Taylor, but these (above) are the concerns. Also, how does he fit in, considering we still apparently owe Wilcox a gazillion dollars? Maybe he comes aboard as OC, with an unwritten promise that he's heir apparent?

---

It is tough to tell precisely. He was Cal WT coach when we landed speedster WR Pipersburg. He was QB coach at Cal when we landed 5 star, #1 ranked QB, Kyle Boller.

The 4 star talent at Utah before he arrived was on the defensive side. While he was OC they signed: 4 star QB Jack Tuttle from San Marcos, CA; 4 star WR Solomon Enis out of Phoenix, 4 star OT Bainidele Olaseni out of Garden City, KS; and 4 star OG Sataoa Laumea out of Rialto, CA. and some high 3 stars.

He was not a good OC at Utah. They went from #60 in P/G before he arrived to #76 his second year and from #64 in y/p to #70 his second year.

He appears to be a mediocre OC but a great HC. He is not an Xs and Os genius. Competent. I am sure much better than Musgrave, but it would be up to Wilcox and Taylor to figure out if they could be essentially co-head coaches. Probably a better bet to swing for the fences and bring in a brilliant young OC like Marion and implement the Go Go Bears Offense.

---

Who is Marion and what is his background. Why would he be a good OC for Cal.

---

Brennan Marion is a 35 year old up-and-coming offensive mind, known for his innovative "GoGo" offense. He has two Bay Area ties: He played JC ball here and was also coach at St. Patrick's/St. Vincent's HS in Vallejo, when he was breaking into coaching. He is rapidly working his way up in the profession, currently working as Passing Game Coordinator at Texas. His next job will likely be as an Offensive Coordinator at a P5 school.

Hiring a guy at a level at which he is still unproven is always a risk:
- Is he wedded to this specific offense and would it work at our level?
- He's been moving up really fast -- lotta different jobs, without much track record in any one place.

Dunno if he would be good at Cal, but it might be exciting to take a little gamble on what might be the Next Big Thing. Wilcox and his guys can handle the defense, while this guy goes for broke on offense. Somebody's gonna give him a shot some time over the next 15 months, almost certainly.

---

He has a bunch of videos detailing his offense. I don't think he is overly wed to any form. One of the principles is adjusting strategy to fit the personnel. More importantly from his videos his intelligence, creativity and personality are on full display. I think he would be a phenomenal recruiter to his offense, maybe we have a chance of keeping Ott and the WRs and having Rashada or Martin transfer back. I would be excited about our chances in 2023.

---

Just watched Sac St Montana. Gotta say I was underwhelmed. First, TT appears to be a clone of JW in the intensity/enthusiasm department. Second, the O was ordinary - no theme to it, esp passing. Third, I didn't see any standout players - all competent, but no stars. I'm having second thoughts. I know he's a loyal Bear, but so are many others.

Rushinbear said:

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calumnus said:

---

Big C said:

---

Gobears49 said:

---

calumnus said:

---

Big C said:

---

calumnus said:

---

Taylor took over a losing, bottom dwelling, Sac State program with no tradition, no resources, few fans and immediately turned them into a winner, and now two years later despite "California" and "COVID" they are the best team in FCS, better than nearly half of FBS teams including P5 teams like Cal, better than Tedford at Fresno, and he did it with unranked Nor Cal recruits.

People are touting D1 coaches whose teams are not as good as the team Taylor has developed overnight at FCS Sac State. They actually view his Cal alumni status, his love of Cal, as a negative.

We need more, smart Cal grads and generally need to stop hiring dumb Fresno, Oregon, Army and Eastern New Mexico grads to run Cal athletics into the ground.

---

Two questions about Troy Taylor, for which you can perhaps allay people's concerns:

- Would he be able to recruit 4-star caliber recruits? Why do you say that?

- Would he be able to recruit a top-caliber staff? What evidence is there to believe that?

There are a lot of potential plusses about Troy Taylor, but these (above) are the concerns. Also, how does he fit in, considering we still apparently owe Wilcox a gazillion dollars? Maybe he comes aboard as OC, with an unwritten promise that he's heir apparent?

---

It is tough to tell precisely. He was Cal WT coach when we landed speedster WR Pipersburg. He was QB coach at Cal when we landed 5 star, #1 ranked QB, Kyle Boller.

The 4 star talent at Utah before he arrived was on the defensive side. While he was OC they signed: 4 star QB Jack Tuttle from San Marcos, CA; 4 star WR Solomon Enis out of Phoenix, 4 star OT Bainidele Olaseni out of Garden City, KS; and 4 star OG Sataoa Laumea out of Rialto, CA. and some high 3 stars.

He was not a good OC at Utah. They went from #60 in P/G before he arrived to #76 his second year and from #64 in y/p to #70 his second year.

He appears to be a mediocre OC but a great HC. He is not an Xs and Os genius. Competent. I am sure much better than Musgrave, but it would be up to Wilcox and Taylor to figure out if they could be essentially co-head coaches. Probably a better bet to swing for the fences and bring in a brilliant young OC like Marion and implement the Go Go Bears Offense.

---

Who is Marion and what is his background. Why would he be a good OC for Cal.

---

Brennan Marion is a 35 year old up-and-coming offensive mind, known for his innovative "GoGo" offense. He has two Bay Area ties: He played JC ball here and was also coach at St. Patrick's/St. Vincent's HS in Vallejo, when he was breaking into coaching. He is rapidly working his way up in the profession, currently working as Passing Game Coordinator at Texas. His next job will likely be as an Offensive Coordinator at a P5 school.

Hiring a guy at a level at which he is still unproven is always a risk:
- Is he wedded to this specific offense and would it work at our level?
- He's been moving up really fast -- lotta different jobs, without much track record in any one place.

Dunno if he would be good at Cal, but it might be exciting to take a little gamble on what might be the Next Big Thing. Wilcox and his guys can handle the defense, while this guy goes for broke on offense. Somebody's gonna give him a shot some time over the next 15 months, almost certainly.

---

He has a bunch of videos detailing his offense. I don't think he is overly wed to any form. One of the principles is adjusting strategy to fit the personnel. More importantly from his videos his intelligence, creativity and personality are on full display. I think he would be a phenomenal recruiter to his offense, maybe we have a chance of keeping Ott and the WRs and having Rashada or Martin transfer back. I would be excited about our chances in 2023.

---

Just watched Sac St Montana. Gotta say I was underwhelmed. First, TT appears to be a clone of JW in the intensity/enthusiasm department. Second, the O was ordinary - no theme to it, esp passing. Third, I didn't see any standout players - all competent, but no stars. I'm having second thoughts. I know he's a loyal Bear, but so are many others.

---

Note that you responded to my post about Marion.

I agree with your observations about Taylor, I am not sure I see the there there, and thst worries me too, though I would have said the exact same things about Tedford. Results speak for themselves. Quiet competence beats boisterous incompetence and quiet incompetence.

I do think Taylor is a better HC than OC. However, with Wilcox's contract, we are not hiring an HC anytime soon. I doubt Taylor as a co-HC/OC works. Thus I am now thinking going after a smart young, dynamic OC like Marion is our best option, given the box Knowlton has put us in.

Rushinbear said:

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calumnus said:

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Big C said:

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Gobears49 said:

---

calumnus said:

---

Big C said:

---

calumnus said:

---

Taylor took over a losing, bottom dwelling, Sac State program with no tradition, no resources, few fans and immediately turned them into a winner, and now two years later despite "California" and "COVID" they are the best team in FCS, better than nearly half of FBS teams including P5 teams like Cal, better than Tedford at Fresno, and he did it with unranked Nor Cal recruits.

People are touting D1 coaches whose teams are not as good as the team Taylor has developed overnight at FCS Sac State. They actually view his Cal alumni status, his love of Cal, as a negative.

We need more, smart Cal grads and generally need to stop hiring dumb Fresno, Oregon, Army and Eastern New Mexico grads to run Cal athletics into the ground.

---

Two questions about Troy Taylor, for which you can perhaps allay people's concerns:

- Would he be able to recruit 4-star caliber recruits? Why do you say that?

- Would he be able to recruit a top-caliber staff? What evidence is there to believe that?

There are a lot of potential plusses about Troy Taylor, but these (above) are the concerns. Also, how does he fit in, considering we still apparently owe Wilcox a gazillion dollars? Maybe he comes aboard as OC, with an unwritten promise that he's heir apparent?

---

It is tough to tell precisely. He was Cal WT coach when we landed speedster WR Pipersburg. He was QB coach at Cal when we landed 5 star, #1 ranked QB, Kyle Boller.

The 4 star talent at Utah before he arrived was on the defensive side. While he was OC they signed: 4 star QB Jack Tuttle from San Marcos, CA; 4 star WR Solomon Enis out of Phoenix, 4 star OT Bainidele Olaseni out of Garden City, KS; and 4 star OG Sataoa Laumea out of Rialto, CA. and some high 3 stars.

He was not a good OC at Utah. They went from #60 in P/G before he arrived to #76 his second year and from #64 in y/p to #70 his second year.

He appears to be a mediocre OC but a great HC. He is not an Xs and Os genius. Competent. I am sure much better than Musgrave, but it would be up to Wilcox and Taylor to figure out if they could be essentially co-head coaches. Probably a better bet to swing for the fences and bring in a brilliant young OC like Marion and implement the Go Go Bears Offense.

---

Who is Marion and what is his background. Why would he be a good OC for Cal.

---

Brennan Marion is a 35 year old up-and-coming offensive mind, known for his innovative "GoGo" offense. He has two Bay Area ties: He played JC ball here and was also coach at St. Patrick's/St. Vincent's HS in Vallejo, when he was breaking into coaching. He is rapidly working his way up in the profession, currently working as Passing Game Coordinator at Texas. His next job will likely be as an Offensive Coordinator at a P5 school.

Hiring a guy at a level at which he is still unproven is always a risk:
- Is he wedded to this specific offense and would it work at our level?
- He's been moving up really fast -- lotta different jobs, without much track record in any one place.

Dunno if he would be good at Cal, but it might be exciting to take a little gamble on what might be the Next Big Thing. Wilcox and his guys can handle the defense, while this guy goes for broke on offense. Somebody's gonna give him a shot some time over the next 15 months, almost certainly.

---

He has a bunch of videos detailing his offense. I don't think he is overly wed to any form. One of the principles is adjusting strategy to fit the personnel. More importantly from his videos his intelligence, creativity and personality are on full display. I think he would be a phenomenal recruiter to his offense, maybe we have a chance of keeping Ott and the WRs and having Rashada or Martin transfer back. I would be excited about our chances in 2023.

---

Just watched Sac St Montana. Gotta say I was underwhelmed. First, TT appears to be a clone of JW in the intensity/enthusiasm department. Second, the O was ordinary - no theme to it, esp passing. Third, I didn't see any standout players - all competent, but no stars. I'm having second thoughts. I know he's a loyal Bear, but so are many others.

---

Sometimes the whole is greater than the sum of its parts... O is ordinary + players are competent + team is undefeated = extraordinary results.

Rushinbear said:

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I didn't see any standout players - all competent, but no stars.

---

And yet he's still winning. Isn't that what we want? "all competent, but no stars" is a typical description of Cal team, except I think we have "a few stars". Imagine what he can do with that. Did you expect him to recruit as well as Deion Sanders does to an FCS school?

bluehenbear said:

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Rushinbear said:

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I didn't see any standout players - all competent, but no stars.

---

And yet he's still winning. Isn't that what we want? "all competent, but no stars" is a typical description of Cal team, except I think we have "a few stars". Imagine what he can do with that. Did you expect him to recruit as well as Deion Sanders does to an FCS school?

---

At his level. He is reported not to have done as well as OC at Utah. Just reacting to what I saw compared to the raves that some have given us.

How did you bring Sanders into this? People mentioning him in re Cal are incomprehensible. He's beyond wishful thinking, even if you think he would be good for us.

Rushinbear said:

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calumnus said:

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Big C said:

---

Gobears49 said:

---

calumnus said:

---

Big C said:

---

calumnus said:

---

Taylor took over a losing, bottom dwelling, Sac State program with no tradition, no resources, few fans and immediately turned them into a winner, and now two years later despite "California" and "COVID" they are the best team in FCS, better than nearly half of FBS teams including P5 teams like Cal, better than Tedford at Fresno, and he did it with unranked Nor Cal recruits.

People are touting D1 coaches whose teams are not as good as the team Taylor has developed overnight at FCS Sac State. They actually view his Cal alumni status, his love of Cal, as a negative.

We need more, smart Cal grads and generally need to stop hiring dumb Fresno, Oregon, Army and Eastern New Mexico grads to run Cal athletics into the ground.

---

Two questions about Troy Taylor, for which you can perhaps allay people's concerns:

- Would he be able to recruit 4-star caliber recruits? Why do you say that?

- Would he be able to recruit a top-caliber staff? What evidence is there to believe that?

There are a lot of potential plusses about Troy Taylor, but these (above) are the concerns. Also, how does he fit in, considering we still apparently owe Wilcox a gazillion dollars? Maybe he comes aboard as OC, with an unwritten promise that he's heir apparent?

---

It is tough to tell precisely. He was Cal WT coach when we landed speedster WR Pipersburg. He was QB coach at Cal when we landed 5 star, #1 ranked QB, Kyle Boller.

The 4 star talent at Utah before he arrived was on the defensive side. While he was OC they signed: 4 star QB Jack Tuttle from San Marcos, CA; 4 star WR Solomon Enis out of Phoenix, 4 star OT Bainidele Olaseni out of Garden City, KS; and 4 star OG Sataoa Laumea out of Rialto, CA. and some high 3 stars.

He was not a good OC at Utah. They went from #60 in P/G before he arrived to #76 his second year and from #64 in y/p to #70 his second year.

He appears to be a mediocre OC but a great HC. He is not an Xs and Os genius. Competent. I am sure much better than Musgrave, but it would be up to Wilcox and Taylor to figure out if they could be essentially co-head coaches. Probably a better bet to swing for the fences and bring in a brilliant young OC like Marion and implement the Go Go Bears Offense.

---

Who is Marion and what is his background. Why would he be a good OC for Cal.

---

Brennan Marion is a 35 year old up-and-coming offensive mind, known for his innovative "GoGo" offense. He has two Bay Area ties: He played JC ball here and was also coach at St. Patrick's/St. Vincent's HS in Vallejo, when he was breaking into coaching. He is rapidly working his way up in the profession, currently working as Passing Game Coordinator at Texas. His next job will likely be as an Offensive Coordinator at a P5 school.

Hiring a guy at a level at which he is still unproven is always a risk:
- Is he wedded to this specific offense and would it work at our level?
- He's been moving up really fast -- lotta different jobs, without much track record in any one place.

Dunno if he would be good at Cal, but it might be exciting to take a little gamble on what might be the Next Big Thing. Wilcox and his guys can handle the defense, while this guy goes for broke on offense. Somebody's gonna give him a shot some time over the next 15 months, almost certainly.

---

He has a bunch of videos detailing his offense. I don't think he is overly wed to any form. One of the principles is adjusting strategy to fit the personnel. More importantly from his videos his intelligence, creativity and personality are on full display. I think he would be a phenomenal recruiter to his offense, maybe we have a chance of keeping Ott and the WRs and having Rashada or Martin transfer back. I would be excited about our chances in 2023.

---

Just watched Sac St Montana. Gotta say I was underwhelmed. First, TT appears to be a clone of JW in the intensity/enthusiasm department. Second, the O was ordinary - no theme to it, esp passing. Third, I didn't see any standout players - all competent, but no stars. I'm having second thoughts. I know he's a loyal Bear,
but so are many others.

---

I watched part of the second half, and OT. Tough opponent, 3 uncharacteristic turnovers by Sac.

You didn't see RB Cameron Skattebo running over people, 8.5 ypc? Or how he gets 4-5 yards after contact?

How about the clutch onside kick which changed the momentum?

Skattebo had almost 200 yards the previous week as the Hornets amassed almost 400 yards rushing. The fact that they're winning without star players might mean more? Above average QB (not great). Maybe great line play?

Food for thought.

calumnus said:

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Big C said:

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Gobears49 said:

---

calumnus said:

---

Big C said:

---

calumnus said:

---

Taylor took over a losing, bottom dwelling, Sac State program with no tradition, no resources, few fans and immediately turned them into a winner, and now two years later despite "California" and "COVID" they are the best team in FCS, better than nearly half of FBS teams including P5 teams like Cal, better than Tedford at Fresno, and he did it with unranked Nor Cal recruits.

People are touting D1 coaches whose teams are not as good as the team Taylor has developed overnight at FCS Sac State. They actually view his Cal alumni status, his love of Cal, as a negative.

We need more, smart Cal grads and generally need to stop hiring dumb Fresno, Oregon, Army and Eastern New Mexico grads to run Cal athletics into the ground.

---

Two questions about Troy Taylor, for which you can perhaps allay people's concerns:

- Would he be able to recruit 4-star caliber recruits? Why do you say that?

- Would he be able to recruit a top-caliber staff? What evidence is there to believe that?

There are a lot of potential plusses about Troy Taylor, but these (above) are the concerns. Also, how does he fit in, considering we still apparently owe Wilcox a gazillion dollars? Maybe he comes aboard as OC, with an unwritten promise that he's heir apparent?

---

It is tough to tell precisely. He was Cal WT coach when we landed speedster WR Pipersburg. He was QB coach at Cal when we landed 5 star, #1 ranked QB, Kyle Boller.

The 4 star talent at Utah before he arrived was on the defensive side. While he was OC they signed: 4 star QB Jack Tuttle from San Marcos, CA; 4 star WR Solomon Enis out of Phoenix, 4 star OT Bainidele Olaseni out of Garden City, KS; and 4 star OG Sataoa Laumea out of Rialto, CA. and some high 3 stars.

He was not a good OC at Utah. They went from #60 in P/G before he arrived to #76 his second year and from #64 in y/p to #70 his second year.

He appears to be a mediocre OC but a great HC. He is not an Xs and Os genius. Competent. I am sure much better than Musgrave, but it would be up to Wilcox and Taylor to figure out if they could be essentially co-head coaches. Probably a better bet to swing for the fences and bring in a brilliant young OC like Marion and implement the Go Go Bears Offense.

---

Who is Marion and what is his background. Why would he be a good OC for Cal.

---

Brennan Marion is a 35 year old up-and-coming offensive mind, known for his innovative "GoGo" offense. He has two Bay Area ties: He played JC ball here and was also coach at St. Patrick's/St. Vincent's HS in Vallejo, when he was breaking into coaching. He is rapidly working his way up in the profession, currently working as Passing Game Coordinator at Texas. His next job will likely be as an Offensive Coordinator at a P5 school.

Hiring a guy at a level at which he is still unproven is always a risk:
- Is he wedded to this specific offense and would it work at our level?
- He's been moving up really fast -- lotta different jobs, without much track record in any one place.

Dunno if he would be good at Cal, but it might be exciting to take a little gamble on what might be the Next Big Thing. Wilcox and his guys can handle the defense, while this guy goes for broke on offense. Somebody's gonna give him a shot some time over the next 15 months, almost certainly.

---

He has a bunch of videos detailing his offense. I don't think he is overly wed to any form. One of the principles is adjusting strategy to fit the personnel. More importantly from his videos his intelligence, creativity and personality are on full display. I think he would be a phenomenal recruiter to his offense, maybe we have a chance of keeping Ott and the WRs and having Rashada or Martin transfer back. I would be excited about our chances in 2023.

---

It seems you have a lot of undeserved enthusiasm for Marion. I base that on your thinking we have a chance in signing Rashada and Martin from UCLA. That will never happen because 1) they had their chance at coming to Cal and decided not to because our prospective likelihood of doing well in football were not good, and 2) it seems more likely players will be transferring out of Cal than staying transferring in.

Gobears49 said:

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calumnus said:

---

Big C said:

---

Gobears49 said:

---

calumnus said:

---

Big C said:

---

calumnus said:

---

Taylor took over a losing, bottom dwelling, Sac State program with no tradition, no resources, few fans and immediately turned them into a winner, and now two years later despite "California" and "COVID" they are the best team in FCS, better than nearly half of FBS teams including P5 teams like Cal, better than Tedford at Fresno, and he did it with unranked Nor Cal recruits.

People are touting D1 coaches whose teams are not as good as the team Taylor has developed overnight at FCS Sac State. They actually view his Cal alumni status, his love of Cal, as a negative.

We need more, smart Cal grads and generally need to stop hiring dumb Fresno, Oregon, Army and Eastern New Mexico grads to run Cal athletics into the ground.

---

Two questions about Troy Taylor, for which you can perhaps allay people's concerns:

- Would he be able to recruit 4-star caliber recruits? Why do you say that?

- Would he be able to recruit a top-caliber staff? What evidence is there to believe that?

There are a lot of potential plusses about Troy Taylor, but these (above) are the concerns. Also, how does he fit in, considering we still apparently owe Wilcox a gazillion dollars? Maybe he comes aboard as OC, with an unwritten promise that he's heir apparent?

---

It is tough to tell precisely. He was Cal WT coach when we landed speedster WR Pipersburg. He was QB coach at Cal when we landed 5 star, #1 ranked QB, Kyle Boller.

The 4 star talent at Utah before he arrived was on the defensive side. While he was OC they signed: 4 star QB Jack Tuttle from San Marcos, CA; 4 star WR Solomon Enis out of Phoenix, 4 star OT Bainidele Olaseni out of Garden City, KS; and 4 star OG Sataoa Laumea out of Rialto, CA. and some high 3 stars.

He was not a good OC at Utah. They went from #60 in P/G before he arrived to #76 his second year and from #64 in y/p to #70 his second year.

He appears to be a mediocre OC but a great HC. He is not an Xs and Os genius. Competent. I am sure much better than Musgrave, but it would be up to Wilcox and Taylor to figure out if they could be essentially co-head coaches. Probably a better bet to swing for the fences and bring in a brilliant young OC like Marion and implement the Go Go Bears Offense.

---

Who is Marion and what is his background. Why would he be a good OC for Cal.

---

Brennan Marion is a 35 year old up-and-coming offensive mind, known for his innovative "GoGo" offense. He has two Bay Area ties: He played JC ball here and was also coach at St. Patrick's/St. Vincent's HS in Vallejo, when he was breaking into coaching. He is rapidly working his way up in the profession, currently working as Passing Game Coordinator at Texas. His next job will likely be as an Offensive Coordinator at a P5 school.

Hiring a guy at a level at which he is still unproven is always a risk:
- Is he wedded to this specific offense and would it work at our level?
- He's been moving up really fast -- lotta different jobs, without much track record in any one place.

Dunno if he would be good at Cal, but it might be exciting to take a little gamble on what might be the Next Big Thing. Wilcox and his guys can handle the defense, while this guy goes for broke on offense. Somebody's gonna give him a shot some time over the next 15 months, almost certainly.

---

He has a bunch of videos detailing his offense. I don't think he is overly wed to any form. One of the principles is adjusting strategy to fit the personnel. More importantly from his videos his intelligence, creativity and personality are on full display. I think he would be a phenomenal recruiter to his offense, maybe we have a chance of keeping Ott and the WRs and having Rashada or Martin transfer back. I would be excited about our chances in 2023.

---

It seems you have a lot of undeserved enthusiasm for Marion. I base that on your thinking we have a chance in signing Rashada and Martin from UCLA. That will never happen because 1) they had their chance at coming to Cal and decided not to because our prospective likelihood of doing well in football were not good, and 2) it seems more likely players will be transferring out of Cal than staying transferring in.

---

Marion does have an interesting history. Here's his somewhat detailed Wikipedia page.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brennan_Marion

I'd bet he is more of a WR coach at Texas than a passing game coordinator. Big difference between the two and he is not running Texas' passing offense. When he gets a job like that and does well at it he will become eligible to be an offensive coordinator somewhere.

Rushinbear said:

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calumnus said:

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Big C said:

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Gobears49 said:

---

calumnus said:

---

Big C said:

---

calumnus said:

---

Taylor took over a losing, bottom dwelling, Sac State program with no tradition, no resources, few fans and immediately turned them into a winner, and now two years later despite "California" and "COVID" they are the best team in FCS, better than nearly half of FBS teams including P5 teams like Cal, better than Tedford at Fresno, and he did it with unranked Nor Cal recruits.

People are touting D1 coaches whose teams are not as good as the team Taylor has developed overnight at FCS Sac State. They actually view his Cal alumni status, his love of Cal, as a negative.

We need more, smart Cal grads and generally need to stop hiring dumb Fresno, Oregon, Army and Eastern New Mexico grads to run Cal athletics into the ground.

---

Two questions about Troy Taylor, for which you can perhaps allay people's concerns:

- Would he be able to recruit 4-star caliber recruits? Why do you say that?

- Would he be able to recruit a top-caliber staff? What evidence is there to believe that?

There are a lot of potential plusses about Troy Taylor, but these (above) are the concerns. Also, how does he fit in, considering we still apparently owe Wilcox a gazillion dollars? Maybe he comes aboard as OC, with an unwritten promise that he's heir apparent?

---

It is tough to tell precisely. He was Cal WT coach when we landed speedster WR Pipersburg. He was QB coach at Cal when we landed 5 star, #1 ranked QB, Kyle Boller.

The 4 star talent at Utah before he arrived was on the defensive side. While he was OC they signed: 4 star QB Jack Tuttle from San Marcos, CA; 4 star WR Solomon Enis out of Phoenix, 4 star OT Bainidele Olaseni out of Garden City, KS; and 4 star OG Sataoa Laumea out of Rialto, CA. and some high 3 stars.

He was not a good OC at Utah. They went from #60 in P/G before he arrived to #76 his second year and from #64 in y/p to #70 his second year.

He appears to be a mediocre OC but a great HC. He is not an Xs and Os genius. Competent. I am sure much better than Musgrave, but it would be up to Wilcox and Taylor to figure out if they could be essentially co-head coaches. Probably a better bet to swing for the fences and bring in a brilliant young OC like Marion and implement the Go Go Bears Offense.

---

Who is Marion and what is his background. Why would he be a good OC for Cal.

---

Brennan Marion is a 35 year old up-and-coming offensive mind, known for his innovative "GoGo" offense. He has two Bay Area ties: He played JC ball here and was also coach at St. Patrick's/St. Vincent's HS in Vallejo, when he was breaking into coaching. He is rapidly working his way up in the profession, currently working as Passing Game Coordinator at Texas. His next job will likely be as an Offensive Coordinator at a P5 school.

Hiring a guy at a level at which he is still unproven is always a risk:
- Is he wedded to this specific offense and would it work at our level?
- He's been moving up really fast -- lotta different jobs, without much track record in any one place.

Dunno if he would be good at Cal, but it might be exciting to take a little gamble on what might be the Next Big Thing. Wilcox and his guys can handle the defense, while this guy goes for broke on offense. Somebody's gonna give him a shot some time over the next 15 months, almost certainly.

---

He has a bunch of videos detailing his offense. I don't think he is overly wed to any form. One of the principles is adjusting strategy to fit the personnel. More importantly from his videos his intelligence, creativity and personality are on full display. I think he would be a phenomenal recruiter to his offense, maybe we have a chance of keeping Ott and the WRs and having Rashada or Martin transfer back. I would be excited about our chances in 2023.

---

Just watched Sac St Montana. Gotta say I was underwhelmed. First, TT appears to be a clone of JW in the intensity/enthusiasm department. Second, the O was ordinary - no theme to it, esp passing. Third, I didn't see any standout players - all competent, but no stars. I'm having second thoughts. I know he's a loyal Bear, but so are many others.

---

There was a cool play to score a TD late. I forget what it was, but I think a fake pitch to the outside and a give up the middle to a guy in motion? I would have to go back and look.

But my takeaway was similar to yours: Huh.

As I posted elsewhere, the biggest problem I had was some very bad clock management late that would have made this board's collective head explode.

I also saw something I had never seen before. I am not sure this held in OT, but at the end of regulation Sac State's running back had more yards after contact than total yards. In other words, he was getting hit behind the LOS a lot. That does not inspire much confidence in the offensive line coaching at Sac State.

GMP said:

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Rushinbear said:

---

calumnus said:

---

Big C said:

---

Gobears49 said:

---

calumnus said:

---

Big C said:

---

calumnus said:

---

Taylor took over a losing, bottom dwelling, Sac State program with no tradition, no resources, few fans and immediately turned them into a winner, and now two years later despite "California" and "COVID" they are the best team in FCS, better than nearly half of FBS teams including P5 teams like Cal, better than Tedford at Fresno, and he did it with unranked Nor Cal recruits.

People are touting D1 coaches whose teams are not as good as the team Taylor has developed overnight at FCS Sac State. They actually view his Cal alumni status, his love of Cal, as a negative.

We need more, smart Cal grads and generally need to stop hiring dumb Fresno, Oregon, Army and Eastern New Mexico grads to run Cal athletics into the ground.

---

Two questions about Troy Taylor, for which you can perhaps allay people's concerns:

- Would he be able to recruit 4-star caliber recruits? Why do you say that?

- Would he be able to recruit a top-caliber staff? What evidence is there to believe that?

There are a lot of potential plusses about Troy Taylor, but these (above) are the concerns. Also, how does he fit in, considering we still apparently owe Wilcox a gazillion dollars? Maybe he comes aboard as OC, with an unwritten promise that he's heir apparent?

---

It is tough to tell precisely. He was Cal WT coach when we landed speedster WR Pipersburg. He was QB coach at Cal when we landed 5 star, #1 ranked QB, Kyle Boller.

The 4 star talent at Utah before he arrived was on the defensive side. While he was OC they signed: 4 star QB Jack Tuttle from San Marcos, CA; 4 star WR Solomon Enis out of Phoenix, 4 star OT Bainidele Olaseni out of Garden City, KS; and 4 star OG Sataoa Laumea out of Rialto, CA. and some high 3 stars.

He was not a good OC at Utah. They went from #60 in P/G before he arrived to #76 his second year and from #64 in y/p to #70 his second year.

He appears to be a mediocre OC but a great HC. He is not an Xs and Os genius. Competent. I am sure much better than Musgrave, but it would be up to Wilcox and Taylor to figure out if they could be essentially co-head coaches. Probably a better bet to swing for the fences and bring in a brilliant young OC like Marion and implement the Go Go Bears Offense.

---

Who is Marion and what is his background. Why would he be a good OC for Cal.

---

Brennan Marion is a 35 year old up-and-coming offensive mind, known for his innovative "GoGo" offense. He has two Bay Area ties: He played JC ball here and was also coach at St. Patrick's/St. Vincent's HS in Vallejo, when he was breaking into coaching. He is rapidly working his way up in the profession, currently working as Passing Game Coordinator at Texas. His next job will likely be as an Offensive Coordinator at a P5 school.

Hiring a guy at a level at which he is still unproven is always a risk:
- Is he wedded to this specific offense and would it work at our level?
- He's been moving up really fast -- lotta different jobs, without much track record in any one place.

Dunno if he would be good at Cal, but it might be exciting to take a little gamble on what might be the Next Big Thing. Wilcox and his guys can handle the defense, while this guy goes for broke on offense. Somebody's gonna give him a shot some time over the next 15 months, almost certainly.

---

He has a bunch of videos detailing his offense. I don't think he is overly wed to any form. One of the principles is adjusting strategy to fit the personnel. More importantly from his videos his intelligence, creativity and personality are on full display. I think he would be a phenomenal recruiter to his offense, maybe we have a chance of keeping Ott and the WRs and having Rashada or Martin transfer back. I would be excited about our chances in 2023.

---

Just watched Sac St Montana. Gotta say I was underwhelmed. First, TT appears to be a clone of JW in the intensity/enthusiasm department. Second, the O was ordinary - no theme to it, esp passing. Third, I didn't see any standout players - all competent, but no stars. I'm having second thoughts. I know he's a loyal Bear, but so are many others.

---

There was a cool play to score a TD late. I forget what it was, but I think a fake pitch to the outside and a give up the middle to a guy in motion? I would have to go back and look.

But my takeaway was similar to yours: Huh.

As I posted elsewhere, the biggest problem I had was some very bad clock management late that would have made this board's collective head explode.

I also saw something I had never seen before. I am not sure this held in OT, but at the end of regulation Sac State's running back had more yards after contact than total yards. In other words, he was getting hit behind the LOS a lot. That does not inspire much confidence in the offensive line coaching at Sac State.

---

In hindsight, I would say the O was blah. Not particularly crisp or exciting. Not plodding, exactly, but...

Maybe the buildup was too hyped and my expectations were too high.

Possibly. Montana is typically a top 5 FCS team. The Aggies (sometimes) do more misdirection, unbalanced lines, trick plays, etc. (Last week they took at least one purposeful penalty before a fake punt.)

Sac does go Wildcat w QB #2, and I believe they ran some tempo / no huddle that was effective.

Gobears49 said:

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Gobears49 said:

---

calumnus said:

---

Big C said:

---

Gobears49 said:

---

calumnus said:

---

Big C said:

---

calumnus said:

---

Taylor took over a losing, bottom dwelling, Sac State program with no tradition, no resources, few fans and immediately turned them into a winner, and now two years later despite "California" and "COVID" they are the best team in FCS, better than nearly half of FBS teams including P5 teams like Cal, better than Tedford at Fresno, and he did it with unranked Nor Cal recruits.

People are touting D1 coaches whose teams are not as good as the team Taylor has developed overnight at FCS Sac State. They actually view his Cal alumni status, his love of Cal, as a negative.

We need more, smart Cal grads and generally need to stop hiring dumb Fresno, Oregon, Army and Eastern New Mexico grads to run Cal athletics into the ground.

---

Two questions about Troy Taylor, for which you can perhaps allay people's concerns:

- Would he be able to recruit 4-star caliber recruits? Why do you say that?

- Would he be able to recruit a top-caliber staff? What evidence is there to believe that?

There are a lot of potential plusses about Troy Taylor, but these (above) are the concerns. Also, how does he fit in, considering we still apparently owe Wilcox a gazillion dollars? Maybe he comes aboard as OC, with an unwritten promise that he's heir apparent?

---

It is tough to tell precisely. He was Cal WT coach when we landed speedster WR Pipersburg. He was QB coach at Cal when we landed 5 star, #1 ranked QB, Kyle Boller.

The 4 star talent at Utah before he arrived was on the defensive side. While he was OC they signed: 4 star QB Jack Tuttle from San Marcos, CA; 4 star WR Solomon Enis out of Phoenix, 4 star OT Bainidele Olaseni out of Garden City, KS; and 4 star OG Sataoa Laumea out of Rialto, CA. and some high 3 stars.

He was not a good OC at Utah. They went from #60 in P/G before he arrived to #76 his second year and from #64 in y/p to #70 his second year.

He appears to be a mediocre OC but a great HC. He is not an Xs and Os genius. Competent. I am sure much better than Musgrave, but it would be up to Wilcox and Taylor to figure out if they could be essentially co-head coaches. Probably a better bet to swing for the fences and bring in a brilliant young OC like Marion and implement the Go Go Bears Offense.

---

Who is Marion and what is his background. Why would he be a good OC for Cal.

---

Brennan Marion is a 35 year old up-and-coming offensive mind, known for his innovative "GoGo" offense. He has two Bay Area ties: He played JC ball here and was also coach at St. Patrick's/St. Vincent's HS in Vallejo, when he was breaking into coaching. He is rapidly working his way up in the profession, currently working as Passing Game Coordinator at Texas. His next job will likely be as an Offensive Coordinator at a P5 school.

Hiring a guy at a level at which he is still unproven is always a risk:
- Is he wedded to this specific offense and would it work at our level?
- He's been moving up really fast -- lotta different jobs, without much track record in any one place.

Dunno if he would be good at Cal, but it might be exciting to take a little gamble on what might be the Next Big Thing. Wilcox and his guys can handle the defense, while this guy goes for broke on offense. Somebody's gonna give him a shot some time over the next 15 months, almost certainly.

---

He has a bunch of videos detailing his offense. I don't think he is overly wed to any form. One of the principles is adjusting strategy to fit the personnel. More importantly from his videos his intelligence, creativity and personality are on full display. I think he would be a phenomenal recruiter to his offense, maybe we have a chance of keeping Ott and the WRs and having Rashada or Martin transfer back. I would be excited about our chances in 2023.

---

It seems you have a lot of undeserved enthusiasm for Marion. I base that on your thinking we have a chance in signing Rashada and Martin from UCLA. That will never happen because 1) they had their chance at coming to Cal and decided not to because our prospective likelihood of doing well in football were not good, and 2) it seems more likely players will be transferring out of Cal than staying transferring in.

---

Marion does have an interesting history. Here's his somewhat detailed Wikipedia page.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brennan_Marion

I'd bet he is more of a WR coach at Texas than a passing game coordinator. Big difference between the two and he is not running Texas' passing offense. When he gets a job like that and does well at it he will become eligible to be an offensive coordinator somewhere.

---

Not wedded to Marion in particular. A similar guy we could look at is Oregon co-offensive coordinator Junior Adams. His resume looks similar to Marion's. The last 3 years he was WR coach at UW. He was an OC before that at Western Kentucky and had a prolific offense. He played at Oregon State and Montana State and coached at Boise and EWU, so he is well in Wilcox's comfort zone. He from the Bay Area, born in Fremont and played at Amador Valley in Pleasanton.

However, watch some of Marion's videos.

Let's see how Sac. St. does in the FCS playoffs. Also how they do vs UC Davis in their last game so we can compare that game vs.. how well Cal did versus the same opponent.

Taylor did much better in his second year at Utah, helping them get to the Pac 12 title game.

movielover said:

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Possibly. Montana is typically a top 5 FCS team. The Aggies (sometimes) do more misdirection, unbalanced lines, trick plays, etc. (Last week they took at least one purposeful penalty before a fake punt.)

Sac does go Wildcat w QB #2, and I believe they ran some tempo / no huddle that was effective.

---

Wow. Sounds great.

How about Nick Rolovich for OC? He was OC at Hawaii and Nevada. He's coaching high school in the Bay Area; he's native to Daly City and Novato. He brings an unique offense (the Run & Shoot pistol - hybrid Hawaii/Nevada) that produced 3 1,000 yard receivers and the 4th one was close, in 2019. He has a lot of JC connections, having gone that route: esp Laney, CCSF, College of San Mateo.

I strongly believe for Hawaii and a school like Cal, that you need to run an unique offense and not try to need the same players that everyone else is trying to get. Your offensive stars will need to stay at your school because of the unique offense (vs portal).

He had some issues as HC at WSU, but he's young (early 40's) and has a good mind. He might be the type to lay low for a while as a coordinator after the high profile drama.

While I want only Hawaii to run the RNS offense. I'd be ok if Cal had some success with it. I don't like WSU.


Brennan Marion coached at Hawaii in 2020 (Tulsa connection with then coach Todd Graham). Then, went to Pitt and took Melquise Stovall with him. He does have a good rep. He does job hop a lot.

Good FCS HC or OC does not always make for great OC at FBS. There is a talent gap between the two. If your team is talent poor, an offense for a powerhouse FCS school with more talent might not translate well to at the FBS level.

I would say though an OC can bring their scheme but also talents as a playcaller under someone else's scheme. So, think of 1) scheme, 2) implementation, 3) playcalling as different responsibilities (along with recruiting, etc).

calumnus said:

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Hawaii Haas said:

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How about Nick Rolovich for OC? He was OC at Hawaii and Nevada. He's coaching high school in the Bay Area; he's native to Daly City and Novato. He brings an unique offense (the Run & Shoot pistol - hybrid Hawaii/Nevada) that produced 3 1,000 yard receivers and the 4th one was close, in 2019. He has a lot of JC connections, having gone that route: esp Laney, CCSF, College of San Mateo.

I strongly believe for Hawaii and a school like Cal, that you need to run an unique offense and not try to need the same players that everyone else is trying to get. Your offensive stars will need to stay at your school because of the unique offense (vs portal).

He had some issues as HC at WSU, but he's young (early 40's) and has a good mind. He might be the type to lay low for a while as a coordinator after the high profile drama.

While I want only Hawaii to run the RNS offense. I'd be ok if Cal had some success with it. I don't like WSU.


Brennan Marion coached at Hawaii in 2020 (Tulsa connection with then coach Todd Graham). Then, went to Pitt and took Melquise Stovall with him. He does have a good rep. He does job hop a lot.

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Agree overall, but if Rolovich blew up his job with his politics and anti-vax attitudes in Pullman, he'd be a ticking time bomb in Berkeley.

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HC yes. Assistant coach, do people care?

Ok I have short term memory.

But I think he will eventually coach someplace again. Maybe Sac St.

calumnus said:

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Gobears49 said:

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Gobears49 said:

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calumnus said:

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Big C said:

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Gobears49 said:

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calumnus said:

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Big C said:

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calumnus said:

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Taylor took over a losing, bottom dwelling, Sac State program with no tradition, no resources, few fans and immediately turned them into a winner, and now two years later despite "California" and "COVID" they are the best team in FCS, better than nearly half of FBS teams including P5 teams like Cal, better than Tedford at Fresno, and he did it with unranked Nor Cal recruits.

People are touting D1 coaches whose teams are not as good as the team Taylor has developed overnight at FCS Sac State. They actually view his Cal alumni status, his love of Cal, as a negative.

We need more, smart Cal grads and generally need to stop hiring dumb Fresno, Oregon, Army and Eastern New Mexico grads to run Cal athletics into the ground.

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Two questions about Troy Taylor, for which you can perhaps allay people's concerns:

- Would he be able to recruit 4-star caliber recruits? Why do you say that?

- Would he be able to recruit a top-caliber staff? What evidence is there to believe that?

There are a lot of potential plusses about Troy Taylor, but these (above) are the concerns. Also, how does he fit in, considering we still apparently owe Wilcox a gazillion dollars? Maybe he comes aboard as OC, with an unwritten promise that he's heir apparent?

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It is tough to tell precisely. He was Cal WT coach when we landed speedster WR Pipersburg. He was QB coach at Cal when we landed 5 star, #1 ranked QB, Kyle Boller.

The 4 star talent at Utah before he arrived was on the defensive side. While he was OC they signed: 4 star QB Jack Tuttle from San Marcos, CA; 4 star WR Solomon Enis out of Phoenix, 4 star OT Bainidele Olaseni out of Garden City, KS; and 4 star OG Sataoa Laumea out of Rialto, CA. and some high 3 stars.

He was not a good OC at Utah. They went from #60 in P/G before he arrived to #76 his second year and from #64 in y/p to #70 his second year.

He appears to be a mediocre OC but a great HC. He is not an Xs and Os genius. Competent. I am sure much better than Musgrave, but it would be up to Wilcox and Taylor to figure out if they could be essentially co-head coaches. Probably a better bet to swing for the fences and bring in a brilliant young OC like Marion and implement the Go Go Bears Offense.

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Who is Marion and what is his background. Why would he be a good OC for Cal.

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Brennan Marion is a 35 year old up-and-coming offensive mind, known for his innovative "GoGo" offense. He has two Bay Area ties: He played JC ball here and was also coach at St. Patrick's/St. Vincent's HS in Vallejo, when he was breaking into coaching. He is rapidly working his way up in the profession, currently working as Passing Game Coordinator at Texas. His next job will likely be as an Offensive Coordinator at a P5 school.

Hiring a guy at a level at which he is still unproven is always a risk:
- Is he wedded to this specific offense and would it work at our level?
- He's been moving up really fast -- lotta different jobs, without much track record in any one place.

Dunno if he would be good at Cal, but it might be exciting to take a little gamble on what might be the Next Big Thing. Wilcox and his guys can handle the defense, while this guy goes for broke on offense. Somebody's gonna give him a shot some time over the next 15 months, almost certainly.

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He has a bunch of videos detailing his offense. I don't think he is overly wed to any form. One of the principles is adjusting strategy to fit the personnel. More importantly from his videos his intelligence, creativity and personality are on full display. I think he would be a phenomenal recruiter to his offense, maybe we have a chance of keeping Ott and the WRs and having Rashada or Martin transfer back. I would be excited about our chances in 2023.

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It seems you have a lot of undeserved enthusiasm for Marion. I base that on your thinking we have a chance in signing Rashada and Martin from UCLA. That will never happen because 1) they had their chance at coming to Cal and decided not to because our prospective likelihood of doing well in football were not good, and 2) it seems more likely players will be transferring out of Cal than staying transferring in.

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Marion does have an interesting history. Here's his somewhat detailed Wikipedia page.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brennan_Marion

I'd bet he is more of a WR coach at Texas than a passing game coordinator. Big difference between the two and he is not running Texas' passing offense. When he gets a job like that and does well at it he will become eligible to be an offensive coordinator somewhere.

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Not wedded to Marion in particular. A similar guy we could look at is Oregon co-offensive coordinator Junior Adams. His resume looks similar to Marion's. The last 3 years he was WR coach at UW. He was an OC before that at Western Kentucky and had a prolific offense. He played at Oregon State and Montana State and coached at Boise and EWU, so he is well in Wilcox's comfort zone. He from the Bay Area, born in Fremont and played at Amador Valley in Pleasanton.

However, watch some of Marion's videos.

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Yeah, Marion looks intriguing, for sure, but there are others out there, like him (up and comers).

One thing to note about scrutinizing the performance at their latest stops: A lot of it really does depend on the players they have to work with. You'd be surprised... offensive coordinators who we figure are stupid, actually (incredibly) know a lot; they've just found themselves in the wrong situation, at the wrong time, with the wrong personnel.

Unfortunately, I'm not sure if our AD or our HC knows these guys from those guys from a hole in the wall. Maybe at least Wilcox knows them from 2-3 degrees of separation. But is he willing to try a bold move?

Another name like Rolovich but, to my knowledge, without the baggage.

Chad Smith - former coach at SMU and Arkansas. He has a terrible record as a head coach, but was a good OC before that at Clemson among other places.