Big C said:

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When there was talk of Jason Kidd becoming our basketball coach, I recollect that the idea that the coach needs to have graduated was proven to be incorrect.

---

JKidd has a degree. It's not a Cal degree, but he has a BA.

westcoastdude said:

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From the LA Times' UCLA beat writer:

An open letter to UCLA chancellor Julio Frenk about Bruins athletics

---

And they think the guys on BI are bitter.

Note that at the end of his tirade he grades UCLA players, and Javian Thomas and Micky Mathews get terrible grades.

UCLA has a lot of issues and so does Cal. But the real difference is that coach looking at UCLA has a worry about how long his boss will be retained despite Jamond having a horrible Knowtlon type contract.

Bearbassics said:

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Cal88 said:

---

HungryCalBear said:

---

Hypothetical question: Tosh vs Desean - who would you choose?

---

Cal would be the dream job for Desean, while Tosh has had a track record of a mercenary mindset, viewing coaching as a business. That's one knock against Tosh, but the reason I don't want Tosh is that I don't think he is good enough in the bread and butter aspects of the job to lead Cal.

Desean has done a tremendous job in his first assignment as a head coach, turning a 1-11 program into an 8-4 winner.

Good article from the Sporting News about DJ and the Cal opening:

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-football/news/desean-jackson-signals-where-he-stands-aaron-rodgers-marshawn-lynch-cal-and-future-coaching-opportunities/1f3205df308b63f8581dcc64

Excerpts:

Quote:

---

Cal does not just need a new football coach. It needs a spark. It needs a direction. It needs a program builder who can reconnect the team to its alumni, reset the culture, and give the Bears an identity in a rebuilt ACC. DeSean Jackson checks every one of those boxes and brings something Cal has not had in years. Undeniable belief.

What Jackson did at Delaware State was not a rebuild. It was a resurrection. In one year he took a 111 program and turned it into an 84 team that played for the MEAC championship. The Hornets posted the largest win improvement in all of FCS football, and Jackson has been named an Eddie Robinson Award finalist. That honor goes to the national FCS Coach of the Year. It is national validation that his rise is real.

More importantly, he changed the program's heartbeat. Jackson explained on the MEAC coaches call that his philosophy begins with people, not plays. Be where your feet are, he told reporters. It is the same message he gives his players. We cannot get caught up in the chaos of the noise.

When he was asked about his coaching aspirations, Jackson did not dodge the question. He gave one of the clearest windows into who he is and how he sees his future.

...But nothing defines him more than the way he pours into his players. Jackson returned repeatedly to one theme. His players needed love, structure, honesty, and belief. These young men believe and trust in us, he said. They are willing to run through a brick wall for us. That level of buy in does not happen by accident. It happens when players know their coach sees them, respects them, and pushes them toward something greater than football.

Cal needs that. It needs a unifier and a motivator. It needs a face of the program who can recruit the Bay Area, energize the fan base, and bring back the swagger of the Marshawn Lynch, Aaron Rodgers, and DeSean Jackson era. It needs someone the players will follow and the alumni will rally behind.

---

We could do a lot worse than Desean.

---

I don't think DeSean graduated from Cal which I believe is a prerequisite to coaching here (an undergraduate degree). I could be wrong though, I just recall this coming up on the MBB side at one point

---

You need a BA degree to be eligible to coach at Cal and that is true for almost all colleges. DJ was pretty close to graduating at one point, so he likely does some interest classes to finalize his degree.

And he doesn't need to finish at Cal either. He just needs a degree.

That said, I don't think has a sufficient resume to be considered at this point.

Cal88 said:

---

Bearbassics said:

---

Cal88 said:

---

HungryCalBear said:

---

Hypothetical question: Tosh vs Desean - who would you choose?

---

Cal would be the dream job for Desean, while Tosh has had a track record of a mercenary mindset, viewing coaching as a business. That's one knock against Tosh, but the reason I don't want Tosh is that I don't think he is good enough in the bread and butter aspects of the job to lead Cal.

Desean has done a tremendous job in his first assignment as a head coach, turning a 1-11 program into an 8-4 winner.

Good article from the Sporting News about DJ and the Cal opening:

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-football/news/desean-jackson-signals-where-he-stands-aaron-rodgers-marshawn-lynch-cal-and-future-coaching-opportunities/1f3205df308b63f8581dcc64

Excerpts:

Quote:

---

Cal does not just need a new football coach. It needs a spark. It needs a direction. It needs a program builder who can reconnect the team to its alumni, reset the culture, and give the Bears an identity in a rebuilt ACC. DeSean Jackson checks every one of those boxes and brings something Cal has not had in years. Undeniable belief.

What Jackson did at Delaware State was not a rebuild. It was a resurrection. In one year he took a 111 program and turned it into an 84 team that played for the MEAC championship. The Hornets posted the largest win improvement in all of FCS football, and Jackson has been named an Eddie Robinson Award finalist. That honor goes to the national FCS Coach of the Year. It is national validation that his rise is real.

More importantly, he changed the program's heartbeat. Jackson explained on the MEAC coaches call that his philosophy begins with people, not plays. Be where your feet are, he told reporters. It is the same message he gives his players. We cannot get caught up in the chaos of the noise.

When he was asked about his coaching aspirations, Jackson did not dodge the question. He gave one of the clearest windows into who he is and how he sees his future.

...But nothing defines him more than the way he pours into his players. Jackson returned repeatedly to one theme. His players needed love, structure, honesty, and belief. These young men believe and trust in us, he said. They are willing to run through a brick wall for us. That level of buy in does not happen by accident. It happens when players know their coach sees them, respects them, and pushes them toward something greater than football.

Cal needs that. It needs a unifier and a motivator. It needs a face of the program who can recruit the Bay Area, energize the fan base, and bring back the swagger of the Marshawn Lynch, Aaron Rodgers, and DeSean Jackson era. It needs someone the players will follow and the alumni will rally behind.

---

We could do a lot worse than Desean.

---

I don't think DeSean graduated from Cal which I believe is a prerequisite to coaching here (an undergraduate degree). I could be wrong though, I just recall this coming up on the MBB side at one point

---

Was that with Jason Kidd being mentioned as a potential candidate? Ironic because he is, if anything overqualified for the Cal MBB job with his head coaching experience in the NBA...

The main knock about Desean from my perspective is that he is a freakishly talented player, arguably the most talented player in the entire history of the Cal football program. For people gifted with those kinds of talent, winning comes easy, whereas people who had to work to build up their skills are intrinsically more connected with the process of coaching. In his case though, he seems to have exceptional leadership skills and is a pretty bright guy.

In any case, he has crossed paths with Rivera in the League as their long careers there overlapped, and I am sure he is on RRs radar.

---

My recollection is Kidd was between jobs (an assistant with the Lakers) and told an interviewer Cal was the only college job he would take at a time we had an opening, but Knowlton….

calumnus said:

---

Cal88 said:

---

Bearbassics said:

---

Cal88 said:

---

HungryCalBear said:

---

Hypothetical question: Tosh vs Desean - who would you choose?

---

Cal would be the dream job for Desean, while Tosh has had a track record of a mercenary mindset, viewing coaching as a business. That's one knock against Tosh, but the reason I don't want Tosh is that I don't think he is good enough in the bread and butter aspects of the job to lead Cal.

Desean has done a tremendous job in his first assignment as a head coach, turning a 1-11 program into an 8-4 winner.

Good article from the Sporting News about DJ and the Cal opening:

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-football/news/desean-jackson-signals-where-he-stands-aaron-rodgers-marshawn-lynch-cal-and-future-coaching-opportunities/1f3205df308b63f8581dcc64

Excerpts:

Quote:

---

Cal does not just need a new football coach. It needs a spark. It needs a direction. It needs a program builder who can reconnect the team to its alumni, reset the culture, and give the Bears an identity in a rebuilt ACC. DeSean Jackson checks every one of those boxes and brings something Cal has not had in years. Undeniable belief.

What Jackson did at Delaware State was not a rebuild. It was a resurrection. In one year he took a 111 program and turned it into an 84 team that played for the MEAC championship. The Hornets posted the largest win improvement in all of FCS football, and Jackson has been named an Eddie Robinson Award finalist. That honor goes to the national FCS Coach of the Year. It is national validation that his rise is real.

More importantly, he changed the program's heartbeat. Jackson explained on the MEAC coaches call that his philosophy begins with people, not plays. Be where your feet are, he told reporters. It is the same message he gives his players. We cannot get caught up in the chaos of the noise.

When he was asked about his coaching aspirations, Jackson did not dodge the question. He gave one of the clearest windows into who he is and how he sees his future.

...But nothing defines him more than the way he pours into his players. Jackson returned repeatedly to one theme. His players needed love, structure, honesty, and belief. These young men believe and trust in us, he said. They are willing to run through a brick wall for us. That level of buy in does not happen by accident. It happens when players know their coach sees them, respects them, and pushes them toward something greater than football.

Cal needs that. It needs a unifier and a motivator. It needs a face of the program who can recruit the Bay Area, energize the fan base, and bring back the swagger of the Marshawn Lynch, Aaron Rodgers, and DeSean Jackson era. It needs someone the players will follow and the alumni will rally behind.

---

We could do a lot worse than Desean.

---

I don't think DeSean graduated from Cal which I believe is a prerequisite to coaching here (an undergraduate degree). I could be wrong though, I just recall this coming up on the MBB side at one point

---

Was that with Jason Kidd being mentioned as a potential candidate? Ironic because he is, if anything overqualified for the Cal MBB job with his head coaching experience in the NBA...

The main knock about Desean from my perspective is that he is a freakishly talented player, arguably the most talented player in the entire history of the Cal football program. For people gifted with those kinds of talent, winning comes easy, whereas people who had to work to build up their skills are intrinsically more connected with the process of coaching. In his case though, he seems to have exceptional leadership skills and is a pretty bright guy.

In any case, he has crossed paths with Rivera in the League as their long careers there overlapped, and I am sure he is on RRs radar.

---

My recollection is Kidd was between jobs (an assistant with the Lakers) and told an interviewer Cal was the only college job he would take at a time we had an opening, but Knowlton….

---

Note he said "college job".
He was never taking a college job if he could score another nba job. Which he did. People actually believed he wanted the Cal job. He was never interested. That was a PR quote…

Alkiadt said:

---

calumnus said:

---

Cal88 said:

---

Bearbassics said:

---

Cal88 said:

---

HungryCalBear said:

---

Hypothetical question: Tosh vs Desean - who would you choose?

---

Cal would be the dream job for Desean, while Tosh has had a track record of a mercenary mindset, viewing coaching as a business. That's one knock against Tosh, but the reason I don't want Tosh is that I don't think he is good enough in the bread and butter aspects of the job to lead Cal.

Desean has done a tremendous job in his first assignment as a head coach, turning a 1-11 program into an 8-4 winner.

Good article from the Sporting News about DJ and the Cal opening:

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-football/news/desean-jackson-signals-where-he-stands-aaron-rodgers-marshawn-lynch-cal-and-future-coaching-opportunities/1f3205df308b63f8581dcc64

Excerpts:

Quote:

---

Cal does not just need a new football coach. It needs a spark. It needs a direction. It needs a program builder who can reconnect the team to its alumni, reset the culture, and give the Bears an identity in a rebuilt ACC. DeSean Jackson checks every one of those boxes and brings something Cal has not had in years. Undeniable belief.

What Jackson did at Delaware State was not a rebuild. It was a resurrection. In one year he took a 111 program and turned it into an 84 team that played for the MEAC championship. The Hornets posted the largest win improvement in all of FCS football, and Jackson has been named an Eddie Robinson Award finalist. That honor goes to the national FCS Coach of the Year. It is national validation that his rise is real.

More importantly, he changed the program's heartbeat. Jackson explained on the MEAC coaches call that his philosophy begins with people, not plays. Be where your feet are, he told reporters. It is the same message he gives his players. We cannot get caught up in the chaos of the noise.

When he was asked about his coaching aspirations, Jackson did not dodge the question. He gave one of the clearest windows into who he is and how he sees his future.

...But nothing defines him more than the way he pours into his players. Jackson returned repeatedly to one theme. His players needed love, structure, honesty, and belief. These young men believe and trust in us, he said. They are willing to run through a brick wall for us. That level of buy in does not happen by accident. It happens when players know their coach sees them, respects them, and pushes them toward something greater than football.

Cal needs that. It needs a unifier and a motivator. It needs a face of the program who can recruit the Bay Area, energize the fan base, and bring back the swagger of the Marshawn Lynch, Aaron Rodgers, and DeSean Jackson era. It needs someone the players will follow and the alumni will rally behind.

---

We could do a lot worse than Desean.

---

I don't think DeSean graduated from Cal which I believe is a prerequisite to coaching here (an undergraduate degree). I could be wrong though, I just recall this coming up on the MBB side at one point

---

Was that with Jason Kidd being mentioned as a potential candidate? Ironic because he is, if anything overqualified for the Cal MBB job with his head coaching experience in the NBA...

The main knock about Desean from my perspective is that he is a freakishly talented player, arguably the most talented player in the entire history of the Cal football program. For people gifted with those kinds of talent, winning comes easy, whereas people who had to work to build up their skills are intrinsically more connected with the process of coaching. In his case though, he seems to have exceptional leadership skills and is a pretty bright guy.

In any case, he has crossed paths with Rivera in the League as their long careers there overlapped, and I am sure he is on RRs radar.

---

My recollection is Kidd was between jobs (an assistant with the Lakers) and told an interviewer Cal was the only college job he would take at a time we had an opening, but Knowlton….

---

Note he said "college job".
He was never taking a college job if he could score another nba job. Which he did. People actually believed he wanted the Cal job. He was never interested. That was a PR quote…

---

So Cal reached out to him and he turned us down? He told you personally? Didn't you also say Kyle Smith would never leave WSU so no use perusing him when I knew for a fact (my brother is a friend of his from San Diego hoops) that he loved the Bay Area and the East Bay and then he took the Stanford job?

Knowlton is gone, there is no need to defend his incompetence. Madsen is not bad considering who was doing the hiring.

Cal88 said:

---

HungryCalBear said:

---

Hypothetical question: Tosh vs Desean - who would you choose?

---

Cal would be the dream job for Desean, while Tosh has had a track record of a mercenary mindset, viewing coaching as a business. That's one knock against Tosh, but the reason I don't want Tosh is that I don't think he is good enough in the bread and butter aspects of the job to lead Cal.

Desean has done a tremendous job in his first assignment as a head coach, turning a 1-11 program into an 8-4 winner.

Good article from the Sporting News about DJ and the Cal opening:

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-football/news/desean-jackson-signals-where-he-stands-aaron-rodgers-marshawn-lynch-cal-and-future-coaching-opportunities/1f3205df308b63f8581dcc64

Excerpts:

Quote:

---

Cal does not just need a new football coach. It needs a spark. It needs a direction. It needs a program builder who can reconnect the team to its alumni, reset the culture, and give the Bears an identity in a rebuilt ACC. DeSean Jackson checks every one of those boxes and brings something Cal has not had in years. Undeniable belief.

What Jackson did at Delaware State was not a rebuild. It was a resurrection. In one year he took a 1-11 program and turned it into an 8-4 team that played for the MEAC championship. The Hornets posted the largest win improvement in all of FCS football, and Jackson has been named an Eddie Robinson Award finalist. That honor goes to the national FCS Coach of the Year. It is national validation that his rise is real.

More importantly, he changed the program's heartbeat. Jackson explained on the MEAC coaches call that his philosophy begins with people, not plays. Be where your feet are, he told reporters. It is the same message he gives his players. We cannot get caught up in the chaos of the noise.

When he was asked about his coaching aspirations, Jackson did not dodge the question. He gave one of the clearest windows into who he is and how he sees his future.

...But nothing defines him more than the way he pours into his players. Jackson returned repeatedly to one theme. His players needed love, structure, honesty, and belief. These young men believe and trust in us, he said. They are willing to run through a brick wall for us. That level of buy in does not happen by accident. It happens when players know their coach sees them, respects them, and pushes them toward something greater than football.

Cal needs that. It needs a unifier and a motivator. It needs a face of the program who can recruit the Bay Area, energize the fan base, and bring back the swagger of the Marshawn Lynch, Aaron Rodgers, and DeSean Jackson era. It needs someone the players will follow and the alumni will rally behind.

---

We could do a lot worse than Desean.

---

Everybody's dream job is their dream job until a better job comes along. If Cal offers Desean, he will take the job because Cal is the best job he is going to get this year because there is no one else where hiring Desean will drive the same excitement as it would at Cal. He is a risk and probably not one worth it (yet) for anyone else.

Tosh will take a Cal offer if it is his best offer. There may or may not be competition for him. Anyone who thinks he is going to come to Cal because it is his "dream job" if he gets an offer from a top program paying him more money is kidding themselves.

In much the same fashion, the window for Desean at Cal is probably now. If he doesn't get it now, he will probably either be too sought after or have shown not to be that great when the next hiring cycle comes along. Because if he is offered by a top program in 5 years, paying him more money, he isn't coming either.

BearlyCareAnymore said:

---

Cal88 said:

---

HungryCalBear said:

---

Hypothetical question: Tosh vs Desean - who would you choose?

---

Cal would be the dream job for Desean, while Tosh has had a track record of a mercenary mindset, viewing coaching as a business. That's one knock against Tosh, but the reason I don't want Tosh is that I don't think he is good enough in the bread and butter aspects of the job to lead Cal.

Desean has done a tremendous job in his first assignment as a head coach, turning a 1-11 program into an 8-4 winner.

Good article from the Sporting News about DJ and the Cal opening:

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-football/news/desean-jackson-signals-where-he-stands-aaron-rodgers-marshawn-lynch-cal-and-future-coaching-opportunities/1f3205df308b63f8581dcc64

Excerpts:

Quote:

---

Cal does not just need a new football coach. It needs a spark. It needs a direction. It needs a program builder who can reconnect the team to its alumni, reset the culture, and give the Bears an identity in a rebuilt ACC. DeSean Jackson checks every one of those boxes and brings something Cal has not had in years. Undeniable belief.

What Jackson did at Delaware State was not a rebuild. It was a resurrection. In one year he took a 1-11 program and turned it into an 8-4 team that played for the MEAC championship. The Hornets posted the largest win improvement in all of FCS football, and Jackson has been named an Eddie Robinson Award finalist. That honor goes to the national FCS Coach of the Year. It is national validation that his rise is real.

More importantly, he changed the program's heartbeat. Jackson explained on the MEAC coaches call that his philosophy begins with people, not plays. Be where your feet are, he told reporters. It is the same message he gives his players. We cannot get caught up in the chaos of the noise.

When he was asked about his coaching aspirations, Jackson did not dodge the question. He gave one of the clearest windows into who he is and how he sees his future.

...But nothing defines him more than the way he pours into his players. Jackson returned repeatedly to one theme. His players needed love, structure, honesty, and belief. These young men believe and trust in us, he said. They are willing to run through a brick wall for us. That level of buy in does not happen by accident. It happens when players know their coach sees them, respects them, and pushes them toward something greater than football.

Cal needs that. It needs a unifier and a motivator. It needs a face of the program who can recruit the Bay Area, energize the fan base, and bring back the swagger of the Marshawn Lynch, Aaron Rodgers, and DeSean Jackson era. It needs someone the players will follow and the alumni will rally behind.

---

We could do a lot worse than Desean.

---

Everybody's dream job is their dream job until a better job comes along. If Cal offers Desean, he will take the job because Cal is the best job he is going to get this year because there is no one else where hiring Desean will drive the same excitement as it would at Cal. He is a risk and probably not one worth it (yet) for anyone else.

Tosh will take a Cal offer if it is his best offer. There may or may not be competition for him. Anyone who thinks he is going to come to Cal because it is his "dream job" if he gets an offer from a top program paying him more money is kidding themselves.

In much the same fashion, the window for Desean at Cal is probably now. If he doesn't get it now, he will probably either be too sought after or have shown not to be that great when the next hiring cycle comes along. Because if he is offered by a top program in 5 years, paying him more money, he isn't coming either.

---

So, similar to Dennis Gates: "he's not qualified" then again "he's not qualified" then "he's out of our league."

calumnus said:

---

BearlyCareAnymore said:

---

Cal88 said:

---

HungryCalBear said:

---

Hypothetical question: Tosh vs Desean - who would you choose?

---

Cal would be the dream job for Desean, while Tosh has had a track record of a mercenary mindset, viewing coaching as a business. That's one knock against Tosh, but the reason I don't want Tosh is that I don't think he is good enough in the bread and butter aspects of the job to lead Cal.

Desean has done a tremendous job in his first assignment as a head coach, turning a 1-11 program into an 8-4 winner.

Good article from the Sporting News about DJ and the Cal opening:

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-football/news/desean-jackson-signals-where-he-stands-aaron-rodgers-marshawn-lynch-cal-and-future-coaching-opportunities/1f3205df308b63f8581dcc64

Excerpts:

Quote:

---

Cal does not just need a new football coach. It needs a spark. It needs a direction. It needs a program builder who can reconnect the team to its alumni, reset the culture, and give the Bears an identity in a rebuilt ACC. DeSean Jackson checks every one of those boxes and brings something Cal has not had in years. Undeniable belief.

What Jackson did at Delaware State was not a rebuild. It was a resurrection. In one year he took a 1-11 program and turned it into an 8-4 team that played for the MEAC championship. The Hornets posted the largest win improvement in all of FCS football, and Jackson has been named an Eddie Robinson Award finalist. That honor goes to the national FCS Coach of the Year. It is national validation that his rise is real.

More importantly, he changed the program's heartbeat. Jackson explained on the MEAC coaches call that his philosophy begins with people, not plays. Be where your feet are, he told reporters. It is the same message he gives his players. We cannot get caught up in the chaos of the noise.

When he was asked about his coaching aspirations, Jackson did not dodge the question. He gave one of the clearest windows into who he is and how he sees his future.

...But nothing defines him more than the way he pours into his players. Jackson returned repeatedly to one theme. His players needed love, structure, honesty, and belief. These young men believe and trust in us, he said. They are willing to run through a brick wall for us. That level of buy in does not happen by accident. It happens when players know their coach sees them, respects them, and pushes them toward something greater than football.

Cal needs that. It needs a unifier and a motivator. It needs a face of the program who can recruit the Bay Area, energize the fan base, and bring back the swagger of the Marshawn Lynch, Aaron Rodgers, and DeSean Jackson era. It needs someone the players will follow and the alumni will rally behind.

---

We could do a lot worse than Desean.

---

Everybody's dream job is their dream job until a better job comes along. If Cal offers Desean, he will take the job because Cal is the best job he is going to get this year because there is no one else where hiring Desean will drive the same excitement as it would at Cal. He is a risk and probably not one worth it (yet) for anyone else.

Tosh will take a Cal offer if it is his best offer. There may or may not be competition for him. Anyone who thinks he is going to come to Cal because it is his "dream job" if he gets an offer from a top program paying him more money is kidding themselves.

In much the same fashion, the window for Desean at Cal is probably now. If he doesn't get it now, he will probably either be too sought after or have shown not to be that great when the next hiring cycle comes along. Because if he is offered by a top program in 5 years, paying him more money, he isn't coming either.

---

So, similar to Dennis Gates: "he's not qualified" then again "he's not qualified" then "he's out of our league."

---

Sad thing is, Dennis was more than qualified. He'd been with UNR and then Florida state under Leonard Hamilton. I think he was in Tallahassee for 7-8 years. Then he' got the Cleveland state Head job.

Desean has one year at a very small job. Big gamble.

What is our identity? Serious question?
In my 40 years of following Cal football religiously from on campus and afar…

The coaches who had success <cough> Snyder and Tedford had a few common denominators.
They preached team effort in every facet of the game; they knew how to teach kids who are used to losing how to win; and they recruited locally…

Desean checks all 3 of those boxes and he is an alum as an added bonus.
And for those saying he is too green…
I say he's been coaching now for 4 or 5 years.
His dad is a legendary coach.
His brother is a coach as well.
He's been playing or coaching football at a size disadvantage his entire life and has thrived.
We would be foolish to omit Desean from consideration. He always repped us at the pro level. I saw him in a letterman jacket a few weeks ago getting interviewed. He shows up for spring games. And he has owned his mistakes which is a priceless attribute when coaching young men.

annarborbear said:

---

I would go with Tosh with one caveat - I would want him to be able to name at least two assistants from whom he has a commitment to come here with him. I would want him to be able to show that he can make some quality hires.

---

It's not unusual for coaching candidates to throw out names they have close contact with, or they know will follow them.

Alkiadt said:

---

calumnus said:

---

BearlyCareAnymore said:

---

Cal88 said:

---

HungryCalBear said:

---

Hypothetical question: Tosh vs Desean - who would you choose?

---

Cal would be the dream job for Desean, while Tosh has had a track record of a mercenary mindset, viewing coaching as a business. That's one knock against Tosh, but the reason I don't want Tosh is that I don't think he is good enough in the bread and butter aspects of the job to lead Cal.

Desean has done a tremendous job in his first assignment as a head coach, turning a 1-11 program into an 8-4 winner.

Good article from the Sporting News about DJ and the Cal opening:

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-football/news/desean-jackson-signals-where-he-stands-aaron-rodgers-marshawn-lynch-cal-and-future-coaching-opportunities/1f3205df308b63f8581dcc64

Excerpts:

Quote:

---

Cal does not just need a new football coach. It needs a spark. It needs a direction. It needs a program builder who can reconnect the team to its alumni, reset the culture, and give the Bears an identity in a rebuilt ACC. DeSean Jackson checks every one of those boxes and brings something Cal has not had in years. Undeniable belief.

What Jackson did at Delaware State was not a rebuild. It was a resurrection. In one year he took a 1-11 program and turned it into an 8-4 team that played for the MEAC championship. The Hornets posted the largest win improvement in all of FCS football, and Jackson has been named an Eddie Robinson Award finalist. That honor goes to the national FCS Coach of the Year. It is national validation that his rise is real.

More importantly, he changed the program's heartbeat. Jackson explained on the MEAC coaches call that his philosophy begins with people, not plays. Be where your feet are, he told reporters. It is the same message he gives his players. We cannot get caught up in the chaos of the noise.

When he was asked about his coaching aspirations, Jackson did not dodge the question. He gave one of the clearest windows into who he is and how he sees his future.

...But nothing defines him more than the way he pours into his players. Jackson returned repeatedly to one theme. His players needed love, structure, honesty, and belief. These young men believe and trust in us, he said. They are willing to run through a brick wall for us. That level of buy in does not happen by accident. It happens when players know their coach sees them, respects them, and pushes them toward something greater than football.

Cal needs that. It needs a unifier and a motivator. It needs a face of the program who can recruit the Bay Area, energize the fan base, and bring back the swagger of the Marshawn Lynch, Aaron Rodgers, and DeSean Jackson era. It needs someone the players will follow and the alumni will rally behind.

---

We could do a lot worse than Desean.

---

Everybody's dream job is their dream job until a better job comes along. If Cal offers Desean, he will take the job because Cal is the best job he is going to get this year because there is no one else where hiring Desean will drive the same excitement as it would at Cal. He is a risk and probably not one worth it (yet) for anyone else.

Tosh will take a Cal offer if it is his best offer. There may or may not be competition for him. Anyone who thinks he is going to come to Cal because it is his "dream job" if he gets an offer from a top program paying him more money is kidding themselves.

In much the same fashion, the window for Desean at Cal is probably now. If he doesn't get it now, he will probably either be too sought after or have shown not to be that great when the next hiring cycle comes along. Because if he is offered by a top program in 5 years, paying him more money, he isn't coming either.

---

So, similar to Dennis Gates: "he's not qualified" then again "he's not qualified" then "he's out of our league."

---

Sad thing is, Dennis was more than qualified. He'd been with UNR and then Florida state under Leonard Hamilton. I think he was in Tallahassee for 7-8 years. Then he' got the Cleveland state Head job.

Desean has one year at a very small job. Big gamble.

---

Agreed, but much less so if Rivera is the GM and his mentor.

Harbaugh was only at San Diego 2 years before Stanford hired him.

mbBear said:

---

annarborbear said:

---

I would go with Tosh with one caveat - I would want him to be able to name at least two assistants from whom he has a commitment to come here with him. I would want him to be able to show that he can make some quality hires.

---

It's not unusual for coaching candidates to throw out names they have close contact with, or they know will follow them.

---

Exactly. I'm sure Wilcox told Sark he would bring hs buddies Sirmon and Tosh.

CNHTH said:

---

What is our identity? Serious question?
In my 40 years of following Cal football religiously from on campus and afar…

The coaches who had success <cough> Snyder and Tedford had a few common denominators.
They preached team effort in every facet of the game; they knew how to teach kids who are used to losing how to win; and they recruited locally…

Desean checks all 3 of those boxes and he is an alum as an added bonus.
And for those saying he is too green…
I say he's been coaching now for 4 or 5 years.
His dad is a legendary coach.
His brother is a coach as well.
He's been playing or coaching football at a size disadvantage his entire life and has thrived.
We would be foolish to omit Desean from consideration. He always repped us at the pro level. I saw him in a letterman jacket a few weeks ago getting interviewed. He shows up for spring games. And he has owned his mistakes which is a priceless attribute when coaching young men.

---

Not sure I see where DeSean has been coaching for 4 or 5 years... don't hate the idea of him, but as others have said, it's a bigger swing..

Absolutely must be an offensive minded coach

mbBear said:

---

CNHTH said:

---

What is our identity? Serious question?
In my 40 years of following Cal football religiously from on campus and afar…

The coaches who had success <cough> Snyder and Tedford had a few common denominators.
They preached team effort in every facet of the game; they knew how to teach kids who are used to losing how to win; and they recruited locally…

Desean checks all 3 of those boxes and he is an alum as an added bonus.
And for those saying he is too green…
I say he's been coaching now for 4 or 5 years.
His dad is a legendary coach.
His brother is a coach as well.
He's been playing or coaching football at a size disadvantage his entire life and has thrived.
We would be foolish to omit Desean from consideration. He always repped us at the pro level. I saw him in a letterman jacket a few weeks ago getting interviewed. He shows up for spring games. And he has owned his mistakes which is a priceless attribute when coaching young men.

---

Not sure I see where DeSean has been coaching for 4 or 5 years... don't hate the idea of him, but as others have said, it's a bigger swing..

---

Harbaugh was only at San Diego for two years before Stanford hired him and that turned out to be a great hire for them.

I think DeSean is FAR less risky if Rivera stays on as the GM and his mentor. Helping to manage the football operations.

3 teams coaches in the lower division I'd be looking at is Montana State, North Dakota and South Dakota State, actually all of Montana, North and South Dakota schools are actually really strong in that division. They all have significant differences stylistically too. The question marks with those schools is can they recruit at the next level.
Let Desean coach a few more years and then grab him. Either that or bring him in as an assistant with the goal of moving him up to OC or something. Though that can be risky as you usually want your HC to have autonomy on who he hires.

calumnus said:

---

mbBear said:

---

CNHTH said:

---

What is our identity? Serious question?
In my 40 years of following Cal football religiously from on campus and afar…

The coaches who had success <cough> Snyder and Tedford had a few common denominators.
They preached team effort in every facet of the game; they knew how to teach kids who are used to losing how to win; and they recruited locally…

Desean checks all 3 of those boxes and he is an alum as an added bonus.
And for those saying he is too green…
I say he's been coaching now for 4 or 5 years.
His dad is a legendary coach.
His brother is a coach as well.
He's been playing or coaching football at a size disadvantage his entire life and has thrived.
We would be foolish to omit Desean from consideration. He always repped us at the pro level. I saw him in a letterman jacket a few weeks ago getting interviewed. He shows up for spring games. And he has owned his mistakes which is a priceless attribute when coaching young men.

---

Not sure I see where DeSean has been coaching for 4 or 5 years... don't hate the idea of him, but as others have said, it's a bigger swing..

---

Harbaugh was only at San Diego for two years before Stanford hired him and that turned out to be a great hire for them.

I think DeSean is FAR less risky if Rivera stays on as the GM and his mentor. Helping to manage the football operations.

---

Had DeSean at our charity event his rookie year in Philly.. he and his mother could not have been nicer. So, rooting for him personally (taking his antisemitic episode with a huge grain of salt.)
Harbaugh was hired after some work with W. Kentucky and a season with the Raiders. But I understand your point.

Jason Garrett = StanFurd

calumnus said:

---

Alkiadt said:

---

calumnus said:

---

BearlyCareAnymore said:

---

Cal88 said:

---

HungryCalBear said:

---

Hypothetical question: Tosh vs Desean - who would you choose?

---

Cal would be the dream job for Desean, while Tosh has had a track record of a mercenary mindset, viewing coaching as a business. That's one knock against Tosh, but the reason I don't want Tosh is that I don't think he is good enough in the bread and butter aspects of the job to lead Cal.

Desean has done a tremendous job in his first assignment as a head coach, turning a 1-11 program into an 8-4 winner.

Good article from the Sporting News about DJ and the Cal opening:

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-football/news/desean-jackson-signals-where-he-stands-aaron-rodgers-marshawn-lynch-cal-and-future-coaching-opportunities/1f3205df308b63f8581dcc64

Excerpts:

Quote:

---

Cal does not just need a new football coach. It needs a spark. It needs a direction. It needs a program builder who can reconnect the team to its alumni, reset the culture, and give the Bears an identity in a rebuilt ACC. DeSean Jackson checks every one of those boxes and brings something Cal has not had in years. Undeniable belief.

What Jackson did at Delaware State was not a rebuild. It was a resurrection. In one year he took a 1-11 program and turned it into an 8-4 team that played for the MEAC championship. The Hornets posted the largest win improvement in all of FCS football, and Jackson has been named an Eddie Robinson Award finalist. That honor goes to the national FCS Coach of the Year. It is national validation that his rise is real.

More importantly, he changed the program's heartbeat. Jackson explained on the MEAC coaches call that his philosophy begins with people, not plays. Be where your feet are, he told reporters. It is the same message he gives his players. We cannot get caught up in the chaos of the noise.

When he was asked about his coaching aspirations, Jackson did not dodge the question. He gave one of the clearest windows into who he is and how he sees his future.

...But nothing defines him more than the way he pours into his players. Jackson returned repeatedly to one theme. His players needed love, structure, honesty, and belief. These young men believe and trust in us, he said. They are willing to run through a brick wall for us. That level of buy in does not happen by accident. It happens when players know their coach sees them, respects them, and pushes them toward something greater than football.

Cal needs that. It needs a unifier and a motivator. It needs a face of the program who can recruit the Bay Area, energize the fan base, and bring back the swagger of the Marshawn Lynch, Aaron Rodgers, and DeSean Jackson era. It needs someone the players will follow and the alumni will rally behind.

---

We could do a lot worse than Desean.

---

Everybody's dream job is their dream job until a better job comes along. If Cal offers Desean, he will take the job because Cal is the best job he is going to get this year because there is no one else where hiring Desean will drive the same excitement as it would at Cal. He is a risk and probably not one worth it (yet) for anyone else.

Tosh will take a Cal offer if it is his best offer. There may or may not be competition for him. Anyone who thinks he is going to come to Cal because it is his "dream job" if he gets an offer from a top program paying him more money is kidding themselves.

In much the same fashion, the window for Desean at Cal is probably now. If he doesn't get it now, he will probably either be too sought after or have shown not to be that great when the next hiring cycle comes along. Because if he is offered by a top program in 5 years, paying him more money, he isn't coming either.

---

So, similar to Dennis Gates: "he's not qualified" then again "he's not qualified" then "he's out of our league."

---

Sad thing is, Dennis was more than qualified. He'd been with UNR and then Florida state under Leonard Hamilton. I think he was in Tallahassee for 7-8 years. Then he' got the Cleveland state Head job.

Desean has one year at a very small job. Big gamble.

---

Agreed, but much less so if Rivera is the GM and his mentor.

Harbaugh was only at San Diego 2 years before Stanford hired him.

---

Also, Desean has had 14 years as a player in the NFL with 7 different teams, that's a lot of high level football and a lot of different playbooks. He's only 3 years removed from the NFL, and a good mix of youth and experience at 38.

He's also an alum who knows the area well and with deep ties to ground zero of recruiting, SoCal. He also seems to be the hungriest of all current candidates I've seen so far, and also is the one candidate who can best relate with players, a key aspect to the current success he is experiencing.

Yes. The key here would be that RR could be mentoring him and managing a lot of the high level stuff for the first few years if DJax coached at Cal. We need to do something really different at Cal to get us back on board, at least if we wish to maintain the program as a P5 participant. Otherwise, just go Ivy-League.

Ryan Grubb is an interesting idea.

MinotStateBeav said:

---

3 teams coaches in the lower division I'd be looking at is Montana State, North Dakota and South Dakota State, actually all of Montana, North and South Dakota schools are actually really strong in that division. They all have significant differences stylistically too. The question marks with those schools is can they recruit at the next level.
Let Desean coach a few more years and then grab him. Either that or bring him in as an assistant with the goal of moving him up to OC or something. Though that can be risky as you usually want your HC to have autonomy on who he hires.

---

That could be the plan if Rivera takes the job. If they hire Tosh he could be at Cal 4 or 5 years even if he is as bad as Holmoe or Wilcox. Desean, if he is good, will be "out of our league" by then.

🐻 The Cal Job Report Card + Candidate Hot Board

You can make bowl games, but money is a big problem. And can anyone keep JKS around?

Tosh Lupoi, Jim Mora, Sean Lewis and other names to watch: https://t.co/rTMf0NMJ0W pic.twitter.com/31cUYtREYU

— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) November 24, 2025

mbBear said:

---

CNHTH said:

---

What is our identity? Serious question?
In my 40 years of following Cal football religiously from on campus and afar…

The coaches who had success <cough> Snyder and Tedford had a few common denominators.
They preached team effort in every facet of the game; they knew how to teach kids who are used to losing how to win; and they recruited locally…

Desean checks all 3 of those boxes and he is an alum as an added bonus.
And for those saying he is too green…
I say he's been coaching now for 4 or 5 years.
His dad is a legendary coach.
His brother is a coach as well.
He's been playing or coaching football at a size disadvantage his entire life and has thrived.
We would be foolish to omit Desean from consideration. He always repped us at the pro level. I saw him in a letterman jacket a few weeks ago getting interviewed. He shows up for spring games. And he has owned his mistakes which is a priceless attribute when coaching young men.

---

Not sure I see where DeSean has been coaching for 4 or 5 years... don't hate the idea of him, but as others have said, it's a bigger swing..

---

2 years of coaching after retiring in 2023. Last year as OC of Wilson HS in Long Beach, then this year as HC at HBU Delaware State where he has been transformational.

The key is Rivera as GM. If they talk and think it will work with Ron being heavily involved in football operations then I am all for it. It is Rivera's call, but I do like the idea of bringing in someone who will create some excitement and is from the offensive side of the ball, especially with Rivera as GM.

Cal88 said:

---

HungryCalBear said:

---

Hypothetical question: Tosh vs Desean - who would you choose?

---

Cal would be the dream job for Desean, while Tosh has had a track record of a mercenary mindset, viewing coaching as a business. That's one knock against Tosh, but the reason I don't want Tosh is that I don't think he is good enough in the bread and butter aspects of the job to lead Cal.

Desean has done a tremendous job in his first assignment as a head coach, turning a 1-11 program into an 8-4 winner.

Good article from the Sporting News about DJ and the Cal opening:

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-football/news/desean-jackson-signals-where-he-stands-aaron-rodgers-marshawn-lynch-cal-and-future-coaching-opportunities/1f3205df308b63f8581dcc64

Excerpts:

Quote:

---

Cal does not just need a new football coach. It needs a spark. It needs a direction. It needs a program builder who can reconnect the team to its alumni, reset the culture, and give the Bears an identity in a rebuilt ACC. DeSean Jackson checks every one of those boxes and brings something Cal has not had in years. Undeniable belief.

What Jackson did at Delaware State was not a rebuild. It was a resurrection. In one year he took a 1-11 program and turned it into an 8-4 team that played for the MEAC championship. The Hornets posted the largest win improvement in all of FCS football, and Jackson has been named an Eddie Robinson Award finalist. That honor goes to the national FCS Coach of the Year. It is national validation that his rise is real.

More importantly, he changed the program's heartbeat. Jackson explained on the MEAC coaches call that his philosophy begins with people, not plays. Be where your feet are, he told reporters. It is the same message he gives his players. We cannot get caught up in the chaos of the noise.

When he was asked about his coaching aspirations, Jackson did not dodge the question. He gave one of the clearest windows into who he is and how he sees his future.

...But nothing defines him more than the way he pours into his players. Jackson returned repeatedly to one theme. His players needed love, structure, honesty, and belief. These young men believe and trust in us, he said. They are willing to run through a brick wall for us. That level of buy in does not happen by accident. It happens when players know their coach sees them, respects them, and pushes them toward something greater than football.

Cal needs that. It needs a unifier and a motivator. It needs a face of the program who can recruit the Bay Area, energize the fan base, and bring back the swagger of the Marshawn Lynch, Aaron Rodgers, and DeSean Jackson era. It needs someone the players will follow and the alumni will rally behind.

---

We could do a lot worse than Desean.

---

Reads A LOT like the Joe Kapp story, doesn't it? And it worked for Kapp's first season because he surrounded himself with good X and O guys. As I recall, he lost several to the short-lived Oakland Invaders, didn't replace them with the same expertise, and that started the downward spiral. I moved up near Seattle at that point and could only follow the carnage from a distance. So, maybe if Desean could surround himself with the right staff and hold on to them, and if he worked well with Ron, it could work. It's a swing for the fences, that's for sure.

Cal88 said:

---

calumnus said:

---

Alkiadt said:

---

calumnus said:

---

BearlyCareAnymore said:

---

Cal88 said:

---

HungryCalBear said:

---

Hypothetical question: Tosh vs Desean - who would you choose?

---

Cal would be the dream job for Desean, while Tosh has had a track record of a mercenary mindset, viewing coaching as a business. That's one knock against Tosh, but the reason I don't want Tosh is that I don't think he is good enough in the bread and butter aspects of the job to lead Cal.

Desean has done a tremendous job in his first assignment as a head coach, turning a 1-11 program into an 8-4 winner.

Good article from the Sporting News about DJ and the Cal opening:

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-football/news/desean-jackson-signals-where-he-stands-aaron-rodgers-marshawn-lynch-cal-and-future-coaching-opportunities/1f3205df308b63f8581dcc64

Excerpts:

Quote:

---

Cal does not just need a new football coach. It needs a spark. It needs a direction. It needs a program builder who can reconnect the team to its alumni, reset the culture, and give the Bears an identity in a rebuilt ACC. DeSean Jackson checks every one of those boxes and brings something Cal has not had in years. Undeniable belief.

What Jackson did at Delaware State was not a rebuild. It was a resurrection. In one year he took a 1-11 program and turned it into an 8-4 team that played for the MEAC championship. The Hornets posted the largest win improvement in all of FCS football, and Jackson has been named an Eddie Robinson Award finalist. That honor goes to the national FCS Coach of the Year. It is national validation that his rise is real.

More importantly, he changed the program's heartbeat. Jackson explained on the MEAC coaches call that his philosophy begins with people, not plays. Be where your feet are, he told reporters. It is the same message he gives his players. We cannot get caught up in the chaos of the noise.

When he was asked about his coaching aspirations, Jackson did not dodge the question. He gave one of the clearest windows into who he is and how he sees his future.

...But nothing defines him more than the way he pours into his players. Jackson returned repeatedly to one theme. His players needed love, structure, honesty, and belief. These young men believe and trust in us, he said. They are willing to run through a brick wall for us. That level of buy in does not happen by accident. It happens when players know their coach sees them, respects them, and pushes them toward something greater than football.

Cal needs that. It needs a unifier and a motivator. It needs a face of the program who can recruit the Bay Area, energize the fan base, and bring back the swagger of the Marshawn Lynch, Aaron Rodgers, and DeSean Jackson era. It needs someone the players will follow and the alumni will rally behind.

---

We could do a lot worse than Desean.

---

Everybody's dream job is their dream job until a better job comes along. If Cal offers Desean, he will take the job because Cal is the best job he is going to get this year because there is no one else where hiring Desean will drive the same excitement as it would at Cal. He is a risk and probably not one worth it (yet) for anyone else.

Tosh will take a Cal offer if it is his best offer. There may or may not be competition for him. Anyone who thinks he is going to come to Cal because it is his "dream job" if he gets an offer from a top program paying him more money is kidding themselves.

In much the same fashion, the window for Desean at Cal is probably now. If he doesn't get it now, he will probably either be too sought after or have shown not to be that great when the next hiring cycle comes along. Because if he is offered by a top program in 5 years, paying him more money, he isn't coming either.

---

So, similar to Dennis Gates: "he's not qualified" then again "he's not qualified" then "he's out of our league."

---

Sad thing is, Dennis was more than qualified. He'd been with UNR and then Florida state under Leonard Hamilton. I think he was in Tallahassee for 7-8 years. Then he' got the Cleveland state Head job.

Desean has one year at a very small job. Big gamble.

---

Agreed, but much less so if Rivera is the GM and his mentor.

Harbaugh was only at San Diego 2 years before Stanford hired him.

---

Also, Desean has had 14 years as a player in the NFL with 7 different teams, that's a lot of high level football and a lot of different playbooks. He's only 3 years removed from the NFL, and a good mix of youth and experience at 38.

He's also an alum who knows the area well and with deep ties to ground zero of recruiting, SoCal. He also seems to be the hungriest of all current candidates I've seen so far, and also is the one candidate who can best relate with players, a key aspect to the current success he is experiencing.

---

Hungrier than Chip Kelly?

ducktilldeath said:

---

Cal88 said:

---

calumnus said:

---

Alkiadt said:

---

calumnus said:

---

BearlyCareAnymore said:

---

Cal88 said:

---

HungryCalBear said:

---

Hypothetical question: Tosh vs Desean - who would you choose?

---

Cal would be the dream job for Desean, while Tosh has had a track record of a mercenary mindset, viewing coaching as a business. That's one knock against Tosh, but the reason I don't want Tosh is that I don't think he is good enough in the bread and butter aspects of the job to lead Cal.

Desean has done a tremendous job in his first assignment as a head coach, turning a 1-11 program into an 8-4 winner.

Good article from the Sporting News about DJ and the Cal opening:

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-football/news/desean-jackson-signals-where-he-stands-aaron-rodgers-marshawn-lynch-cal-and-future-coaching-opportunities/1f3205df308b63f8581dcc64

Excerpts:

Quote:

---

Cal does not just need a new football coach. It needs a spark. It needs a direction. It needs a program builder who can reconnect the team to its alumni, reset the culture, and give the Bears an identity in a rebuilt ACC. DeSean Jackson checks every one of those boxes and brings something Cal has not had in years. Undeniable belief.

What Jackson did at Delaware State was not a rebuild. It was a resurrection. In one year he took a 1-11 program and turned it into an 8-4 team that played for the MEAC championship. The Hornets posted the largest win improvement in all of FCS football, and Jackson has been named an Eddie Robinson Award finalist. That honor goes to the national FCS Coach of the Year. It is national validation that his rise is real.

More importantly, he changed the program's heartbeat. Jackson explained on the MEAC coaches call that his philosophy begins with people, not plays. Be where your feet are, he told reporters. It is the same message he gives his players. We cannot get caught up in the chaos of the noise.

When he was asked about his coaching aspirations, Jackson did not dodge the question. He gave one of the clearest windows into who he is and how he sees his future.

...But nothing defines him more than the way he pours into his players. Jackson returned repeatedly to one theme. His players needed love, structure, honesty, and belief. These young men believe and trust in us, he said. They are willing to run through a brick wall for us. That level of buy in does not happen by accident. It happens when players know their coach sees them, respects them, and pushes them toward something greater than football.

Cal needs that. It needs a unifier and a motivator. It needs a face of the program who can recruit the Bay Area, energize the fan base, and bring back the swagger of the Marshawn Lynch, Aaron Rodgers, and DeSean Jackson era. It needs someone the players will follow and the alumni will rally behind.

---

We could do a lot worse than Desean.

---

Everybody's dream job is their dream job until a better job comes along. If Cal offers Desean, he will take the job because Cal is the best job he is going to get this year because there is no one else where hiring Desean will drive the same excitement as it would at Cal. He is a risk and probably not one worth it (yet) for anyone else.

Tosh will take a Cal offer if it is his best offer. There may or may not be competition for him. Anyone who thinks he is going to come to Cal because it is his "dream job" if he gets an offer from a top program paying him more money is kidding themselves.

In much the same fashion, the window for Desean at Cal is probably now. If he doesn't get it now, he will probably either be too sought after or have shown not to be that great when the next hiring cycle comes along. Because if he is offered by a top program in 5 years, paying him more money, he isn't coming either.

---

So, similar to Dennis Gates: "he's not qualified" then again "he's not qualified" then "he's out of our league."

---

Sad thing is, Dennis was more than qualified. He'd been with UNR and then Florida state under Leonard Hamilton. I think he was in Tallahassee for 7-8 years. Then he' got the Cleveland state Head job.

Desean has one year at a very small job. Big gamble.

---

Agreed, but much less so if Rivera is the GM and his mentor.

Harbaugh was only at San Diego 2 years before Stanford hired him.

---

Also, Desean has had 14 years as a player in the NFL with 7 different teams, that's a lot of high level football and a lot of different playbooks. He's only 3 years removed from the NFL, and a good mix of youth and experience at 38.

He's also an alum who knows the area well and with deep ties to ground zero of recruiting, SoCal. He also seems to be the hungriest of all current candidates I've seen so far, and also is the one candidate who can best relate with players, a key aspect to the current success he is experiencing.

---

Hungrier than Chip Kelly?

---

Chip Kelly does have a big appetite for large paychecks (his Raiders deal was 3 years for $18 million)

ducktilldeath said:

---

Cal88 said:

---

calumnus said:

---

Alkiadt said:

---

calumnus said:

---

BearlyCareAnymore said:

---

Cal88 said:

---

HungryCalBear said:

---

Hypothetical question: Tosh vs Desean - who would you choose?

---

Cal would be the dream job for Desean, while Tosh has had a track record of a mercenary mindset, viewing coaching as a business. That's one knock against Tosh, but the reason I don't want Tosh is that I don't think he is good enough in the bread and butter aspects of the job to lead Cal.

Desean has done a tremendous job in his first assignment as a head coach, turning a 1-11 program into an 8-4 winner.

Good article from the Sporting News about DJ and the Cal opening:

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-football/news/desean-jackson-signals-where-he-stands-aaron-rodgers-marshawn-lynch-cal-and-future-coaching-opportunities/1f3205df308b63f8581dcc64

Excerpts:

Quote:

---

Cal does not just need a new football coach. It needs a spark. It needs a direction. It needs a program builder who can reconnect the team to its alumni, reset the culture, and give the Bears an identity in a rebuilt ACC. DeSean Jackson checks every one of those boxes and brings something Cal has not had in years. Undeniable belief.

What Jackson did at Delaware State was not a rebuild. It was a resurrection. In one year he took a 1-11 program and turned it into an 8-4 team that played for the MEAC championship. The Hornets posted the largest win improvement in all of FCS football, and Jackson has been named an Eddie Robinson Award finalist. That honor goes to the national FCS Coach of the Year. It is national validation that his rise is real.

More importantly, he changed the program's heartbeat. Jackson explained on the MEAC coaches call that his philosophy begins with people, not plays. Be where your feet are, he told reporters. It is the same message he gives his players. We cannot get caught up in the chaos of the noise.

When he was asked about his coaching aspirations, Jackson did not dodge the question. He gave one of the clearest windows into who he is and how he sees his future.

...But nothing defines him more than the way he pours into his players. Jackson returned repeatedly to one theme. His players needed love, structure, honesty, and belief. These young men believe and trust in us, he said. They are willing to run through a brick wall for us. That level of buy in does not happen by accident. It happens when players know their coach sees them, respects them, and pushes them toward something greater than football.

Cal needs that. It needs a unifier and a motivator. It needs a face of the program who can recruit the Bay Area, energize the fan base, and bring back the swagger of the Marshawn Lynch, Aaron Rodgers, and DeSean Jackson era. It needs someone the players will follow and the alumni will rally behind.

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We could do a lot worse than Desean.

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Everybody's dream job is their dream job until a better job comes along. If Cal offers Desean, he will take the job because Cal is the best job he is going to get this year because there is no one else where hiring Desean will drive the same excitement as it would at Cal. He is a risk and probably not one worth it (yet) for anyone else.

Tosh will take a Cal offer if it is his best offer. There may or may not be competition for him. Anyone who thinks he is going to come to Cal because it is his "dream job" if he gets an offer from a top program paying him more money is kidding themselves.

In much the same fashion, the window for Desean at Cal is probably now. If he doesn't get it now, he will probably either be too sought after or have shown not to be that great when the next hiring cycle comes along. Because if he is offered by a top program in 5 years, paying him more money, he isn't coming either.

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So, similar to Dennis Gates: "he's not qualified" then again "he's not qualified" then "he's out of our league."

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Sad thing is, Dennis was more than qualified. He'd been with UNR and then Florida state under Leonard Hamilton. I think he was in Tallahassee for 7-8 years. Then he' got the Cleveland state Head job.

Desean has one year at a very small job. Big gamble.

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Agreed, but much less so if Rivera is the GM and his mentor.

Harbaugh was only at San Diego 2 years before Stanford hired him.

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Also, Desean has had 14 years as a player in the NFL with 7 different teams, that's a lot of high level football and a lot of different playbooks. He's only 3 years removed from the NFL, and a good mix of youth and experience at 38.

He's also an alum who knows the area well and with deep ties to ground zero of recruiting, SoCal. He also seems to be the hungriest of all current candidates I've seen so far, and also is the one candidate who can best relate with players, a key aspect to the current success he is experiencing.

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Hungrier than Chip Kelly?

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Chip is fat and financially happy. He's not hungry at all.

HearstMining said:

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Cal88 said:

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HungryCalBear said:

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Hypothetical question: Tosh vs Desean - who would you choose?

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Cal would be the dream job for Desean, while Tosh has had a track record of a mercenary mindset, viewing coaching as a business. That's one knock against Tosh, but the reason I don't want Tosh is that I don't think he is good enough in the bread and butter aspects of the job to lead Cal.

Desean has done a tremendous job in his first assignment as a head coach, turning a 1-11 program into an 8-4 winner.

Good article from the Sporting News about DJ and the Cal opening:

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-football/news/desean-jackson-signals-where-he-stands-aaron-rodgers-marshawn-lynch-cal-and-future-coaching-opportunities/1f3205df308b63f8581dcc64

Excerpts:

Quote:

---

Cal does not just need a new football coach. It needs a spark. It needs a direction. It needs a program builder who can reconnect the team to its alumni, reset the culture, and give the Bears an identity in a rebuilt ACC. DeSean Jackson checks every one of those boxes and brings something Cal has not had in years. Undeniable belief.

What Jackson did at Delaware State was not a rebuild. It was a resurrection. In one year he took a 1-11 program and turned it into an 8-4 team that played for the MEAC championship. The Hornets posted the largest win improvement in all of FCS football, and Jackson has been named an Eddie Robinson Award finalist. That honor goes to the national FCS Coach of the Year. It is national validation that his rise is real.

More importantly, he changed the program's heartbeat. Jackson explained on the MEAC coaches call that his philosophy begins with people, not plays. Be where your feet are, he told reporters. It is the same message he gives his players. We cannot get caught up in the chaos of the noise.

When he was asked about his coaching aspirations, Jackson did not dodge the question. He gave one of the clearest windows into who he is and how he sees his future.

...But nothing defines him more than the way he pours into his players. Jackson returned repeatedly to one theme. His players needed love, structure, honesty, and belief. These young men believe and trust in us, he said. They are willing to run through a brick wall for us. That level of buy in does not happen by accident. It happens when players know their coach sees them, respects them, and pushes them toward something greater than football.

Cal needs that. It needs a unifier and a motivator. It needs a face of the program who can recruit the Bay Area, energize the fan base, and bring back the swagger of the Marshawn Lynch, Aaron Rodgers, and DeSean Jackson era. It needs someone the players will follow and the alumni will rally behind.

---

We could do a lot worse than Desean.

---

Reads A LOT like the Joe Kapp story, doesn't it? And it worked for Kapp's first season because he surrounded himself with good X and O guys. As I recall, he lost several to the short-lived Oakland Invaders, didn't replace them with the same expertise, and that started the downward spiral. I moved up near Seattle at that point and could only follow the carnage from a distance. So, maybe if Desean could surround himself with the right staff and hold on to them, and if he worked well with Ron, it could work. It's a swing for the fences, that's for sure.

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The key is that Ron Rivera would be the GM and coming in Desean would be agreeing to Rivera being completely involved in football operations and mentoring him or Rivera doesn't hire him. Desean is smart and would take that opportunity in a heartbeat.

Too soon for DeSean. Needs experience; he is paying his dues. Five years from now, hmmmmm.

calumnus said:

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HearstMining said:

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Cal88 said:

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HungryCalBear said:

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Hypothetical question: Tosh vs Desean - who would you choose?

---

Cal would be the dream job for Desean, while Tosh has had a track record of a mercenary mindset, viewing coaching as a business. That's one knock against Tosh, but the reason I don't want Tosh is that I don't think he is good enough in the bread and butter aspects of the job to lead Cal.

Desean has done a tremendous job in his first assignment as a head coach, turning a 1-11 program into an 8-4 winner.

Good article from the Sporting News about DJ and the Cal opening:

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-football/news/desean-jackson-signals-where-he-stands-aaron-rodgers-marshawn-lynch-cal-and-future-coaching-opportunities/1f3205df308b63f8581dcc64

Excerpts:

Quote:

---

Cal does not just need a new football coach. It needs a spark. It needs a direction. It needs a program builder who can reconnect the team to its alumni, reset the culture, and give the Bears an identity in a rebuilt ACC. DeSean Jackson checks every one of those boxes and brings something Cal has not had in years. Undeniable belief.

What Jackson did at Delaware State was not a rebuild. It was a resurrection. In one year he took a 1-11 program and turned it into an 8-4 team that played for the MEAC championship. The Hornets posted the largest win improvement in all of FCS football, and Jackson has been named an Eddie Robinson Award finalist. That honor goes to the national FCS Coach of the Year. It is national validation that his rise is real.

More importantly, he changed the program's heartbeat. Jackson explained on the MEAC coaches call that his philosophy begins with people, not plays. Be where your feet are, he told reporters. It is the same message he gives his players. We cannot get caught up in the chaos of the noise.

When he was asked about his coaching aspirations, Jackson did not dodge the question. He gave one of the clearest windows into who he is and how he sees his future.

...But nothing defines him more than the way he pours into his players. Jackson returned repeatedly to one theme. His players needed love, structure, honesty, and belief. These young men believe and trust in us, he said. They are willing to run through a brick wall for us. That level of buy in does not happen by accident. It happens when players know their coach sees them, respects them, and pushes them toward something greater than football.

Cal needs that. It needs a unifier and a motivator. It needs a face of the program who can recruit the Bay Area, energize the fan base, and bring back the swagger of the Marshawn Lynch, Aaron Rodgers, and DeSean Jackson era. It needs someone the players will follow and the alumni will rally behind.

---

We could do a lot worse than Desean.

---

Reads A LOT like the Joe Kapp story, doesn't it? And it worked for Kapp's first season because he surrounded himself with good X and O guys. As I recall, he lost several to the short-lived Oakland Invaders, didn't replace them with the same expertise, and that started the downward spiral. I moved up near Seattle at that point and could only follow the carnage from a distance. So, maybe if Desean could surround himself with the right staff and hold on to them, and if he worked well with Ron, it could work. It's a swing for the fences, that's for sure.

---

The key is that Ron Rivera would be the GM and coming in Desean would be agreeing to Rivera being completely involved in football operations and mentoring him or Rivera doesn't hire him. Desean is smart and would take that opportunity in a heartbeat.

---

Give it up.
Desean isn't in the mix. He isn't going to be anything more than a courtesy interview.

Strykur said:

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annarborbear said:

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BearlyCareAnymore said:

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annarborbear said:

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I would go with Tosh with one caveat - I would want him to be able to name at least two assistants from whom he has a commitment to come here with him. I would want him to be able to show that he can make some quality hires.

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Honestly, I don't know why so many of you can't keep your powder dry for even 24 hours. We don't even know who is in the running yet.

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Everyone is expressing an opinion. It is called a fan board. And we all pay to be here.

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Well, not everybody

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We're all Cal football fans . . . we definitely all pay dearly to be here. Just not always with money

okaydo said:

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🐻 The Cal Job Report Card + Candidate Hot Board

You can make bowl games, but money is a big problem. And can anyone keep JKS around?

Tosh Lupoi, Jim Mora, Sean Lewis and other names to watch: https://t.co/rTMf0NMJ0W pic.twitter.com/31cUYtREYU

— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) November 24, 2025

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He doesn't know what he doesn't know

Goobear said:

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okaydo said:

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🐻 The Cal Job Report Card + Candidate Hot Board

You can make bowl games, but money is a big problem. And can anyone keep JKS around?

Tosh Lupoi, Jim Mora, Sean Lewis and other names to watch: https://t.co/rTMf0NMJ0W pic.twitter.com/31cUYtREYU

— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) November 24, 2025

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He doesn't know what he doesn't know

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Yeah, total BS.