Who can we hire that is a big improvement?

Probably literally hundreds of people.

Hell, take a gamble on Desean J.

The short answer: nobody really knows with coaching searches. Cignetti wasn't seen as a home run by IU and now look at them. On the other side there are tons of coaches who seem like can't-miss hires who bust.

My answer:

Davis Webb (Broncos)

Jon Sumrall (Tulane

Jason Eck (UNM)

All those are pretty unlikely for us but would be great options. It is much more likely that we pull a fairly unknown guy from FCS or G6, or hire an assistant or position coach from the P5. There are too many names and possibilities to sift through their so most people's answers will be the fairly obvious fan favorites or en vogue names this cycle

Bearly Clad said:

---

The short answer: nobody really knows with coaching searches. Cignetti wasn't seen as a home run by IU and now look at them. On the other side there are tons of coaches who seem like can't-miss hires who bust.

---

Totally. Just get a hungry up-and-comer. Might work out, might not, just don't commit to him long term (like we mistakenly did with Wilcox) until he shows he can win.

Recruiting, recruiting, recruiting. Either the next head coach and his staff vastly improve recruiting, both HS and transfer players, or this isn't going to get any better.

The quick fix in recruiting would be to hire someone who will bring a bunch of good players from his current team, like Cignetti did when he moved to Indiana, or even like Deion did when he moved to Colorado.

But with or without the quick fix, the next head coach has to deliver a roster in the top third of the ACC in order to consistently finish in the top third of the ACC. Forget about fantasies of "doing more with less" or "turning two star players into all-conference players".

Rolo on you bears!

Cal analyst Nick Rolovich is expected to be the interim coach, per ESPN sources. https://t.co/PoQZVEDs6X

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) November 23, 2025

Will Rolovich be a potential candidate?

Oakbear said:

---

Who can we hire that is a big improvement?

---

a monkey that only gets a banana if they win and gets an apple if they don't.

For football, Head Coach alma mater (Hawaii):

University of Hawaii, Manoa

University of Hawaii, Silicon Valley (San Jose State)

University of Hawaii, East Bay (UC Berkeley)

University of Hawaii, Online (Ohio University, Brian Smith former OC for Hawaii)

HungryCalBear said:

---

Will Rolovich be a potential candidate?

---

For sure if he beats SMU

Hiring from within after firing the HC would be the least serious move ever. There's no way in hell Rivera would do that.

BearSD said:

---

But with or without the quick fix, the next head coach has to deliver a roster in the top third of the ACC in order to consistently finish in the top third of the ACC. Forget about fantasies of "doing more with less" or "turning two star players into all-conference players".

---

Though of course . . . a coach who shows he can do more with less will likely attract better players, as Tedford did. The one thing feeds the other.

ducktilldeath said:

---

Hiring from within after firing the HC would be the least serious move ever. There's no way in hell Rivera would do that.

---

IMO Rolovich is purely "interim" and that's fine. I don't think it's likely he would be hired as the new permanent head coach.

LANE KIFFIN TO CAL

— donniecambridge (@donniecambridge) November 23, 2025

lol

Brian Kelly?

Since White Christian Nationalism is now mainstream and TPUSA speaks on the Cal campus, this guy is a natural and dying to get back on the gridiron:

Oregon defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi is a prime candidate to return to Cal, his alma mater, sources tell @clowfb and I for @On3sports.

Hot Board: https://t.co/4ssbVnrSBX https://t.co/Sh4tgqcYU9 pic.twitter.com/CnfNB5ygUp

— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos) November 24, 2025

bearister said:

---

Since White Christian Nationalism is now mainstream and TPUSA speaks on the Cal campus, this guy is a natural and dying to get back on the gridiron:

---

Wouldn't surprise me at all if Gruden has already called Rivera.

ChatGPT. Operated by the CS nerds from Foothill. Would probably yield better game management results than we've been used to...

sycasey said:

---

ducktilldeath said:

---

Hiring from within after firing the HC would be the least serious move ever. There's no way in hell Rivera would do that.

---

IMO Rolovich is purely "interim" and that's fine. I don't think it's likely he would be hired as the new permanent head coach.

---

If he were named "permanent" head coach, it would be the death knell of Cal football.

Hawaii Haas said:

---

HungryCalBear said:

---

Will Rolovich be a potential candidate?

---

For sure if he beats SMU

---

If we did it against SDSU or did it against Duke or did it against Virginia Tech we'd have a way larger sample size

But i dont think so . And thats prob best

New for ESPN: Breaking down the Cal coaching change with candidates to replace Justin Wilcox (starting with a certain Oregon coordinator), as well as key players and recruits to retain. From @ByEliLederman, @max_olson and me. https://t.co/5IIhmE4MOR

— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) November 24, 2025

It would be such a Cal thing to hire another "Oregon" guy.

PAC-10-BEAR said:

---

New for ESPN: Breaking down the Cal coaching change with candidates to replace Justin Wilcox (starting with a certain Oregon coordinator), as well as key players and recruits to retain. From @ByEliLederman, @max_olson and me. https://t.co/5IIhmE4MOR

— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) November 24, 2025

It would be such a Cal thing to hire another "Oregon" guy.

---

Except he's also a Cal guy

ducktilldeath said:

---

Probably literally hundreds of people.

---

It does feel at least right now like it will be which Oregon coach does Cal hire, but we'll see. One is a Cal alum and one flipped JKS from the Bears back in December.

— Matt Moreno (@MattRMoreno) November 23, 2025

Or maybe it's just some Oregon people.

PAC-10-BEAR said:

---

New for ESPN: Breaking down the Cal coaching change with candidates to replace Justin Wilcox (starting with a certain Oregon coordinator), as well as key players and recruits to retain. From @ByEliLederman, @max_olson and me. https://t.co/5IIhmE4MOR

— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) November 24, 2025

It would be such a Cal thing to hire another "Oregon" guy.

---

Utterly meaningless.

Hawaii Haas said:

---

HungryCalBear said:

---

Will Rolovich be a potential candidate?

---

For sure if he beats SMU

---

If "he" beats SMU? Really? That's criteria for you. One week and a win? Hoping we get a little more in depth with other candidates. FYI we are going to be in trouble against the Mustangs even if Pappy came back.

Oakbear said:

---

Who can we hire that is a big improvement?

---

Start out with this board. There are dozens of capable potential candidates who profess to know more than most coaches!!

PAC-10-BEAR said:

---

New for ESPN: Breaking down the Cal coaching change with candidates to replace Justin Wilcox (starting with a certain Oregon coordinator), as well as key players and recruits to retain. From @ByEliLederman, @max_olson and me. https://t.co/5IIhmE4MOR

— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) November 24, 2025

It would be such a Cal thing to hire another "Oregon" guy.

---

Oregon OC/QB coach Will Stein would be the Oregon candidate.

ducktilldeath said:

---

Utterly meaningless.

---

"Meaningless! Meaningless!"
says the Teacher.
"Utterly meaningless!
Everything is meaningless."

BearSD said:

---

bearister said:

---

Since White Christian Nationalism is now mainstream and TPUSA speaks on the Cal campus, this guy is a natural and dying to get back on the gridiron:

---

Wouldn't surprise me at all if Gruden has already called Rivera.

---

Probably sent this video to Rivera

Those Golden Bears out in the California have some of my favorite colors in all of college football... and quite the history of great players!

Berkeley is home to so much football history, it's an honor to wear this gear!

Thank you Coach Wilcox and @CalFootball! pic.twitter.com/Qx0RqnCSpN

— Jon Gruden (@BarstoolGruden) June 20, 2025

72CalBear said:

---

Hawaii Haas said:

---

HungryCalBear said:

---

Will Rolovich be a potential candidate?

---

For sure if he beats SMU

---

If "he" beats SMU? Really? That's criteria for you. One week and a win? Hoping we get a little more in depth with other candidates. FYI we are going to be in trouble against the Mustangs even if Pappy came back.

---

He asked if Rolo would be a candidate. I stand by my opinion.

Hawaii Haas said:

---

72CalBear said:

---

Hawaii Haas said:

---

HungryCalBear said:

---

Will Rolovich be a potential candidate?

---

For sure if he beats SMU

---

If "he" beats SMU? Really? That's criteria for you. One week and a win? Hoping we get a little more in depth with other candidates. FYI we are going to be in trouble against the Mustangs even if Pappy came back.

---

He asked if Rolo would be a candidate. I stand by my opinion.

---

A huge performance makes it a possibility, but that's it

You all are so misguided, we need to bring JK back as a consultant for this, we know he does well at hiringcoaches

bearister said:

---

Since White Christian Nationalism is now mainstream and TPUSA speaks on the Cal campus, this guy is a natural and dying to get back on the gridiron:

---

The crazies went crazy in Berkeley due to legendary controversial speaker - Rob Schneider.