oski003 said:Golden One said:oski003 said:
We were ravaged by Mendoza's departure and the subsequent departure of our WR core. If this didn't happen, we'd likely have 2-3 more wins this season. If we can avoid something like that this offseason, the future is looking alright.
The future always looks "alright" for Cal fans. In fact the future is always looks like we're going to be a top tier team. It's the "present" that always sucks.
I don't think we can win the ACC with Wilcox as our head coach (or at least the odds are very low). We would need to have an amazing hire to do so. I am not sure Cal can pay a $10 million buyout and get an amazing hire in the cycle, especially after firing a coach with 8+ wins.
72CalBear said:oski003 said:Golden One said:oski003 said:
We were ravaged by Mendoza's departure and the subsequent departure of our WR core. If this didn't happen, we'd likely have 2-3 more wins this season. If we can avoid something like that this offseason, the future is looking alright.
The future always looks "alright" for Cal fans. In fact the future is always looks like we're going to be a top tier team. It's the "present" that always sucks.
I don't think we can win the ACC with Wilcox as our head coach (or at least the odds are very low). We would need to have an amazing hire to do so. I am not sure Cal can pay a $10 million buyout and get an amazing hire in the cycle, especially after firing a coach with 8+ wins.
The Head Coach alone is not going to combine the just above average players we get historically to equal an ACC championship. Why do you believe a new coach will?? The best HC we have had in my recent past is Tedford - he took us as far as our talent would take us - and then all the other P12 teams caught up. We need better transfers and recruits.
SoFlaBear said:72CalBear said:oski003 said:Golden One said:oski003 said:
We were ravaged by Mendoza's departure and the subsequent departure of our WR core. If this didn't happen, we'd likely have 2-3 more wins this season. If we can avoid something like that this offseason, the future is looking alright.
The future always looks "alright" for Cal fans. In fact the future is always looks like we're going to be a top tier team. It's the "present" that always sucks.
I don't think we can win the ACC with Wilcox as our head coach (or at least the odds are very low). We would need to have an amazing hire to do so. I am not sure Cal can pay a $10 million buyout and get an amazing hire in the cycle, especially after firing a coach with 8+ wins.
The Head Coach alone is not going to combine the just above average players we get historically to equal an ACC championship. Why do you believe a new coach will?? The best HC we have had in my recent past is Tedford - he took us as far as our talent would take us - and then all the other P12 teams caught up. We need better transfers and recruits.
We've had two solid runs since Pappy Waldorf. One was the Bruce Snyder era in which we got to the Citrus Bowl and had a solid ranking. But Snyder left for better pay and facilities. The second run, as you note, was Tedford. The stadium issues and tree sitters helped screw that up.
I think we could become a solid ACC citizen, but my sense is that Wilcox has to show everyone that he can get the team north of 7 wins and then treat the feat to subsequent years. Right now we are 6-7, and we need to get to 8-9.
Big C said:SoFlaBear said:72CalBear said:oski003 said:Golden One said:oski003 said:
We were ravaged by Mendoza's departure and the subsequent departure of our WR core. If this didn't happen, we'd likely have 2-3 more wins this season. If we can avoid something like that this offseason, the future is looking alright.
The future always looks "alright" for Cal fans. In fact the future is always looks like we're going to be a top tier team. It's the "present" that always sucks.
I don't think we can win the ACC with Wilcox as our head coach (or at least the odds are very low). We would need to have an amazing hire to do so. I am not sure Cal can pay a $10 million buyout and get an amazing hire in the cycle, especially after firing a coach with 8+ wins.
The Head Coach alone is not going to combine the just above average players we get historically to equal an ACC championship. Why do you believe a new coach will?? The best HC we have had in my recent past is Tedford - he took us as far as our talent would take us - and then all the other P12 teams caught up. We need better transfers and recruits.
We've had two solid runs since Pappy Waldorf. One was the Bruce Snyder era in which we got to the Citrus Bowl and had a solid ranking. But Snyder left for better pay and facilities. The second run, as you note, was Tedford. The stadium issues and tree sitters helped screw that up.
I think we could become a solid ACC citizen, but my sense is that Wilcox has to show everyone that he can get the team north of 7 wins and then treat the feat to subsequent years. Right now we are 6-7, and we need to get to 8-9.
6-7! We are as cool as can be!
Can't be too much longer until we are uncool with that, though: Let's capitalize while we still can.
Bobodeluxe said:
Stop, children.
calumnus said:philly1121 said:calumnus said:HearstMining said:calumnus said:Cal88 said:BrightBear said:
It doesn't matter and SHOULDN'T matter because of all the destruction that went into this program. You LOST a Heisman candidate, a WR1, NFL Draft picks and the list goes on.
Classic Justin Wilcox
We've ADDED a future Heisman candidate that has more upside than the previous one, and added several draft picks like Masses and Austin. That's how we were able to beat a top 15 team on the road, something which the current Heisman candidate, WR1, NFL Draft picks that left were not able to do last year.Quote:
This year feels different - especially after the Louisville game. The LA Bowl was terrible - no Mendoza and Ott was MIA. Even the starters left the building in the second half. If we win at Stanfurd and play well (and win?) vs SMU, Wilcox definitely will stay
Wilcox is staying regardless of what happens in the last 2 regular season games. Everything else is unfounded fan speculation.
We could have kept Knowlton, not hired Rivera and saved $millions for the same result. Such a waste.
This was always the danger in letting Wilcox coach in 2024 and 2025 and be the beneficiary of this incredibly easy scheduling. And despite these easy schedules he is currently 5-9 in the ACC and we are talking about retaining him if he gets to 6-10.
I haven't kept up with every "Fire Wilcox" thread because . . . well, it's pretty much a constant rehash. But from what I have read, the only argument for keeping him is that Cal can't/won't spend the $$ for the buy-out. If anybody in this forum is seriously arguing to keep Wilcox at this point based on his record, I haven't seen it.
Many have. See Cal88 above. The whole question of "how many wins does Wilcox need to be retained" or "he needs to win Big Game" "Cal won't fire a coach that goes to a bowl game" assumes there is a record that would get him fired and that we can and will pay for a new coach (Wilcox gets most of his money whether we keep him or not, but he gets LESS if we fire him) if we did.
Its a bit of conjecture, no? I think if there was any kind of push or desire to fire Wilcox, surely someone connected to the Atheltic Dept. would have said or leaked something. I am in the camp that, if we win out, or even if we beat Stanfurd and lose to SMU - he stays. If we lose both, well then I think there may be a push to sack him.
If we win out, or get one win in two, we will be in some kind of purgatory. Good enough for a pointless bowl; not bad enough to change coaches. This IS Cal.
Being "Cal" and rewarding and defending 7 years of losing with Wilcox is what got us left behind when the Pac-12 imploded and we got thrown a life preserver with a partial ACC share, but only after NC State flipped their vote.
Supposedly that all ended when, Lyons, our first chancellor who is an alumnus and fan in the history of the school took over in Sumner of 2024. Then supposed that ended when Lyons hired Rivera as GM earlier this year. Then supposedly that all ended when Rivera was finally "given the keys" months later and Knowlton retired.
If we are going to act like nothing has changed and continue to do nothing, we might as well have let Knowlton continue to do nothing. We are spending $millions trying to turn Wilcox into something he has proven he is not, a winning coach, instead of spending that on a winning coach, or at least someone who hasn't proven he is not.
The ACC is a life preserver, but we need to pull ourselves to the boat and pull ourselves onto the boat and get moving. Floundering around in the water thinking we are saved because we are holding a life preserver is foolish. We are still in stormy water, the sharks are circling and the next big wave is coming. We can't pretend like everything is "good enough."
