StillNoStanfurdium said:
eastcoastcal said:
https://athlonsports.com/college-football/acc-coaches-talk-anonymously-about-conference-foes-for-2025#gid=ci02fbcb3b00002724
Quote:
"This program is in serious trouble. Last year they were really good on defense, and they had good offensive pieces, but they've lost their top linebackers and running backs in the portal."
"They're a bad fit for the league in every way, and they're trying to break in a new offensive staff with no NIL because the boosters want to put [GM] Ron Rivera in charge of the program instead of the head coach. I'm not sure I've ever seen anything like what's happening here, and this is all before they have to start grinding it out cross country for a few more years."
"It's a complete mess, and [Justin] Wilcox should just go DC somewhere."
Obviously they're negative but they also aren't well-researched statements and aren't completely accurate. Others have mentioned it already but it seems odd to mention the LBs as one of our biggest portal losses compared to Mendoza leaving or top receiving targets leaving in addition to the RBs. Especially since our defense has been far more consistent than offense under Wilcox amidst changes in players or coaching.
The second comment is like someone only heard of the stand-off between donors and the school via a game of telephone and seems to think that we still have no NIL right now in addition to mischaracterizing our desired goals.
Although I can't necessarily find much fault with the last comment aside from it being way more pessimistic on things but it's sure not an uncommon sentiment that Wilcox might be better served as a DC instead of a HC. But it's so short as to be unclear whether they think Cal is a mess partially due to Wilcox as the HC or if they're implying that we're inherently a mess. The fact that they don't say he should be a HC elsewhere suggests to me that they're somewhat aware that Wilcox might be playing a role in the mess.
Wilcox has a good reputation as a DC. But is not a good manager of a program. Cal needs a really strong manager and coach to win. That is not Wilcox. And he had no track record to show folks. He simply was never really the right fit here and now when the program needs to win the donors have helped put together a team that may be able to push the program over the hump.
But they have added a lot of cost as well. If it works it is money well spent. Wilcox is here only because of the buyout. The only thing that I feel really better about is that Rivera is here and he is very qualified to organize the program and determine if it is Wilcox or Cal that is the biggest problem. And should Cal move on from Wilcox he is a great person to lead a search for the next HC.
My belief is Cal bears the larger burden for the poor results. But Wilcox has been here and he is not a good person to be the face of the program any longer. Too many losses and poor decisions. The results speak for themselves. He has to be gone. They have 6 months to figure out how that happens.
But there really is little doubt that the program was in trouble in this new environment of realignment etc. The reasons they provide in the article are not wholly accurate, but the larger point of being a mess is. This season should tell us a lot. They need to show progress on the field and improve the attendance etc. I think if they do show progress the program may be able to begin to change some minds. But they cannot regress.
