Fred Bear said:

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annarborbear said:

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I think the only real option is for Ron to take over the team and coach it for the next three years. His reputation as a coach in the NFL should attract recruits. He can also work for very little extra money given his unique loyalty to the University. And if he can take us to the next level that we need, we can even rename the stadium after him.

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Shouldn't the fact that one of the most successful coaches in NFL history is tanking at UNC give people pause at assuming that an NFL coach alum with far less success is gonna take over a college program and be good at it. College coaching requires a completely different skill set than NFL coaching and it's a lot of work and a lot of road miles talking to 18 year olds and trying to get them to go to your school.

A lot of older coaches don't have the energy for that and there's nothing wrong with that.

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Since we have no buyout money, this seems the only way out. Ron can also hire a younger "Head Coach in Waiting" as Associate Head Coach. The number one issue now is in bringing in talent. Ron's experience in the NFL should give him strong credibility for that. Then his younger Associate can take over.

Lots of other good ideas floating around. But simply not enough money to implement them.

Ron had many coaching similarities with wilcox. If he knows football as well as we think he does, he knows that isn't it

The good news is that Rich and Ron have gone on record to say the goal is 9 win seasons.

https://sfstandard.com/2025/10/07/ron-rivera-cal-football-rich-lyons/

pingpong2 said:

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The good news is that Rich and Ron have gone on record to say the goal is 9 win seasons.

https://sfstandard.com/2025/10/07/ron-rivera-cal-football-rich-lyons/

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good. we need a high standard

From the sound of it, i don't think Ron will make a decision till end of the season. and be that as it may, I am fine with it. Despite the posters on this board claiming that its a sunk cost (but my suspicion not footing a dollar of the bill), $10 M vs $15 M buyout is no joke.

I am fine waiting till the end of the year assuming wilcox will get us to a typical 7 or perhaps even 8 win season if it means canning him after the year

Now if we lose to UNC this weekend, bring on the pitchforks.

pingpong2 said:

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The good news is that Rich and Ron have gone on record to say the goal is 9 win seasons.

https://sfstandard.com/2025/10/07/ron-rivera-cal-football-rich-lyons/

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This is encouraging, yes.

pingpong2 said:

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The good news is that Rich and Ron have gone on record to say the goal is 9 win seasons.

https://sfstandard.com/2025/10/07/ron-rivera-cal-football-rich-lyons/

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Talk is cheap. Why doesn't Ron put his money where his mouth is and commit to resigning if he doesn't get to 9 wins

pingpong2 said:

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The good news is that Rich and Ron have gone on record to say the goal is 9 win seasons.

https://sfstandard.com/2025/10/07/ron-rivera-cal-football-rich-lyons/

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We used to say the goal was conference championships. Our fake goals that we have no intention of holding ourselves to are getting less aggressive.

sycasey said:

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pingpong2 said:

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The good news is that Rich and Ron have gone on record to say the goal is 9 win seasons.

https://sfstandard.com/2025/10/07/ron-rivera-cal-football-rich-lyons/

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This is encouraging, yes.

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Sandy Barbour's goals:

"I think we need to get reacquainted with the Rose Bowl,"

"The bar has been set high here," she said. "No doubt we have some difficult challenges. But I am confident that we can not only hit the bar, but I anticipate that we will continue to raise it and hit it again and again and again."

Berkeley, she said, "is a world class institution with a phenomenal reputation. Its athletic department should mirror that reputation and level of achievement.

09.16.2004 - New AD Sandy Barbour 'thrilled' by chance to lead Cal sports

Sonny Dykes goals:

"Everybody's goal in the program is to reach the Rose Bowl," he said after Cal athletic director Sandy Barbour introduced him at Memorial Stadium Thursday afternoon. "That means you've won a conference championship. That's why you coach. That's why you play."

Dykes has 'Rose Bowl goal' for Cal football NBC Sports Bay Area & California

But hey, if it floats people's boats to have the Chancellor saying at the press conference "Gee sir, do you think we could maybe possibly even win 8 games?!?!" and getting the response "Oh, 9! You know you've made the big time when you beat up 4 patsy non-conference teams and win 5 conference games (or 4 with a minor bowl victory)" and the Chancellor responding "Oooooooh. I like the cut of your gib. Game on!" have at it.

There is a big difference between setting lofty goals at a press conference and setting an expectation that must be met. All three of the examples were in the former category. No one has said that failure to meet 9 wins means regime change any more than they said failure to get to a Rose Bowl meant regime change.

Our lofty goals have gotten far less lofty. We don't even remotely talk about winning conference championships anymore. Frankly, I find the give up much deeper in the discouraging category than encouraging.

BearlyCareAnymore said:

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sycasey said:

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pingpong2 said:

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The good news is that Rich and Ron have gone on record to say the goal is 9 win seasons.

https://sfstandard.com/2025/10/07/ron-rivera-cal-football-rich-lyons/

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This is encouraging, yes.

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Sandy Barbour's goals:

"I think we need to get reacquainted with the Rose Bowl,"

"The bar has been set high here," she said. "No doubt we have some difficult challenges. But I am confident that we can not only hit the bar, but I anticipate that we will continue to raise it and hit it again and again and again."

Berkeley, she said, "is a world class institution with a phenomenal reputation. Its athletic department should mirror that reputation and level of achievement.

09.16.2004 - New AD Sandy Barbour 'thrilled' by chance to lead Cal sports

Sonny Dykes goals:

"Everybody's goal in the program is to reach the Rose Bowl," he said after Cal athletic director Sandy Barbour introduced him at Memorial Stadium Thursday afternoon. "That means you've won a conference championship. That's why you coach. That's why you play."

Dykes has 'Rose Bowl goal' for Cal football NBC Sports Bay Area & California

But hey, if it floats people's boats to have the Chancellor saying at the press conference "Gee sir, do you think we could maybe possibly even win 8 games?!?!" and getting the response "Oh, 9! You know you've made the big time when you beat up 4 patsy non-conference teams and win 5 conference games (or 4 with a minor bowl victory)" and the Chancellor responding "Oooooooh. I like the cut of your gib. Game on!" have at it.

There is a big difference between setting lofty goals at a press conference and setting an expectation that must be met. All three of the examples were in the former category. No one has said that failure to meet 9 wins means regime change any more than they said failure to get to a Rose Bowl meant regime change.

Our lofty goals have gotten far less lofty. We don't even remotely talk about winning conference championships anymore. Frankly, I find the give up much deeper in the discouraging category than encouraging.

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Well . . . there is a difference between a coach or AD saying this and the Chancellor actually talking about football in this way.

But that said, I take your point. Actions will speak louder.

Fred Bear said:

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AXLBear said:

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I got news for you. Berkeley is not a attractive job in the football world. We are looking for at best a smaller no name up-and-comer or an old retread. Just because we fire Wilcox doesn't mean we're going to get better. Be careful what you wish for.

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I got news for you. Simping for a losing football head football coach that has consistently lost for years is a weak look.

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I don't disagree. I for one think we should have let him go after 2021. Just pointing out that the replacement is hardly a slam dunk. Lots has to change. Not just coach. I don't know if it can be done. There is a real possibility Wilcox is as good as we can do.

Golden One said:

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AXLBear said:

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I got news for you. Berkeley is not a attractive job in the football world. We are looking for at best a smaller no name up-and-comer or an old retread. Just because we fire Wilcox doesn't mean we're going to get better. Be careful what you wish for.

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It's hard to get much worse. About the only teams we can beat are the Oregon States and the TSU's of the world along with an occasional Minnesota and Boston College type--in other worlds, the dregs of college football.

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It can certainly get a lot worse that what you describe! Use your imagination!

Wilcox has LOST the whole fanbase

Let's get on with it shall we.

Fred Bear said:

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BrightBear said:

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Wilcox has LOST the whole fanbase

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That should have happened years ago, but this fanbase lives to make excuses for bad nice guy persona coaches

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Those empty seats at every game don't exactly sound like folks making excuses....

mbBear said:

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Fred Bear said:

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BrightBear said:

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Wilcox has LOST the whole fanbase

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That should have happened years ago, but this fanbase lives to make excuses for bad nice guy persona coaches

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Those empty seats at every game don't exactly sound like folks making excuses....

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"That should have happened years ago"

He should've been fired after the 2022 colorado game. Bill Musgrave and Angus McClure should've taken Wilcox with them.