How important is today's game for deciding whether Rolovich should be our next HC? What would need to happen on the field and in the locker room to tilt the scales in his favor?
Rolovich for HC?
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Last: 4 mo ago by GoCal80
A good showing in the game, a win, I guess, great practices this week. Great esprit de corps.
More important than these seven days, though, would be what Ron Rivera thinks of him throughout 2025. This is why it's so good to have him as GM: He knows football and he has certainly been doing a deep dive on potential candidates.
Rolo remains a longshot, of course. If the next HC wanted him as offensive coordinator, that might be good, but it's not ours to say.
More important than these seven days, though, would be what Ron Rivera thinks of him throughout 2025. This is why it's so good to have him as GM: He knows football and he has certainly been doing a deep dive on potential candidates.
Rolo remains a longshot, of course. If the next HC wanted him as offensive coordinator, that might be good, but it's not ours to say.
Nothing on field or in the locker room.adujan said:
How important is today's game for deciding whether Rolovich should be our next HC? What would need to happen on the field and in the locker room to tilt the scales in his favor?
If donors said they aren't interested in being on the "big program" side of the next realignment, he has a shot.
Especially with Furd's hire having basically no chance of forcing a conference to drag us along with them.
adujan said:
How important is today's game for deciding whether Rolovich should be our next HC? What would need to happen on the field and in the locker room to tilt the scales in his favor?
Eh, I think there is too much baggage....
Remember, Rivera and Rolovich will have to be on the same page and work together closely. And I don't see that happening.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/03/sports/coronavirus-college-athletes-opt-out.html
If he wins, maybe he could stay as an offensive analyst. (Frank Reich is staying with Stanford after beating Cal.)
okaydo said:adujan said:
How important is today's game for deciding whether Rolovich should be our next HC? What would need to happen on the field and in the locker room to tilt the scales in his favor?
Eh, I think there is too much baggage....
Remember, Rivera and Rolovich will have to be on the same page and work together closely. And I don't see that happening.
A non-issue in 2025, and Rivera has to be on the same page as Rolo, not you. They have been co-workers for an entire season already.
Cal88 said:okaydo said:adujan said:
How important is today's game for deciding whether Rolovich should be our next HC? What would need to happen on the field and in the locker room to tilt the scales in his favor?
Eh, I think there is too much baggage....
Remember, Rivera and Rolovich will have to be on the same page and work together closely. And I don't see that happening.
A non-issue in 2025, and Rivera has to be on the same page as Rolo, not you. They have been co-workers for an entire season already.
Yeah. The percentage of people who still care is already very small and grows even smaller by the day.
Cal88 said:okaydo said:adujan said:
How important is today's game for deciding whether Rolovich should be our next HC? What would need to happen on the field and in the locker room to tilt the scales in his favor?
Eh, I think there is too much baggage....
Remember, Rivera and Rolovich will have to be on the same page and work together closely. And I don't see that happening.
A non-issue in 2025, and Rivera has to be on the same page as Rolo, not you. They have been co-workers for an entire season already.
What I'm trying to say that the article linked above and his engagement with conspiracy theories could be a problem in the future.
Heck, Justin Wilcox might be the same way. Perhaps every head coach is the same way. But Rolovich was public about it.
I probably wouldn't bet the future of Cal Athletics on a guy just because he has one good game and the 2019 season at Hawaii.
okaydo said:Cal88 said:okaydo said:adujan said:
How important is today's game for deciding whether Rolovich should be our next HC? What would need to happen on the field and in the locker room to tilt the scales in his favor?
Eh, I think there is too much baggage....
Remember, Rivera and Rolovich will have to be on the same page and work together closely. And I don't see that happening.
A non-issue in 2025, and Rivera has to be on the same page as Rolo, not you. They have been co-workers for an entire season already.
What I'm trying to say that the article linked above and his engagement with conspiracy theories could be a problem in the future.
Heck, Justin Wilcox might be the same way. Perhaps every head coach is the same way. But Rolovich was public about it.
What conspiracy theories did he engage with? The article doesn't reference any.
And for the record, Rolo would not be my first choice for head coach, but he'd be a decent fall back option if Cal can't reach agreement with other options.
BearGoggles said:okaydo said:Cal88 said:okaydo said:adujan said:
How important is today's game for deciding whether Rolovich should be our next HC? What would need to happen on the field and in the locker room to tilt the scales in his favor?
Eh, I think there is too much baggage....
Remember, Rivera and Rolovich will have to be on the same page and work together closely. And I don't see that happening.
A non-issue in 2025, and Rivera has to be on the same page as Rolo, not you. They have been co-workers for an entire season already.
What I'm trying to say that the article linked above and his engagement with conspiracy theories could be a problem in the future.
Heck, Justin Wilcox might be the same way. Perhaps every head coach is the same way. But Rolovich was public about it.
What conspiracy theories did he engage with? The article doesn't reference any.
And for the record, Rolo would not be my first choice for head coach, but he'd be a decent fall back option if Cal can't reach agreement with other options.
https://sports.yahoo.com/immunologist-now-fired-wsu-coach-nick-rolovich-asked-me-if-bill-gates-was-involved-in-covid-19-vaccine-125222760.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAC-YswWRFE4ViEWQPVT1sAVL_ASXLkWG9ttor1-4hlkBGsWULh9IcMoo28WKtl6gk5i_G-R1BnRKAw3psbH5hChbECF9qKDZlEEYAC1MN4b3kRgBVjWboJs-fz_G48qWs0e5011LYwqBLw031YUoWCnIDZIjgvnfdSjdY_Ytk7Pn
BearGoggles said:okaydo said:Cal88 said:okaydo said:adujan said:
How important is today's game for deciding whether Rolovich should be our next HC? What would need to happen on the field and in the locker room to tilt the scales in his favor?
Eh, I think there is too much baggage....
Remember, Rivera and Rolovich will have to be on the same page and work together closely. And I don't see that happening.
A non-issue in 2025, and Rivera has to be on the same page as Rolo, not you. They have been co-workers for an entire season already.
What I'm trying to say that the article linked above and his engagement with conspiracy theories could be a problem in the future.
Heck, Justin Wilcox might be the same way. Perhaps every head coach is the same way. But Rolovich was public about it.
What conspiracy theories did he engage with? The article doesn't reference any.
And for the record, Rolo would not be my first choice for head coach, but he'd be a decent fall back option if Cal can't reach agreement with other options.
What he said was as "the article above AND his engagement with conspiracy theories." The article surrounds his treatment of Cassidy Woods and his kicking him off the team for his political views (players rights, African American players in particular, and Black Lives Matter) and Kassidy's subsequent lawsuit against him for racial discrimination and violating his First Amendment rights.
Frankly, Kassidy Woods is exactly the type of smart, politically active athlete that is Cal's comparative advantage. Any coach at Cal needs to not just tolerate a highly rated Cal student athlete who is active in social justice, he needs to actively recruit 4 an 5 star athletes who are active in social justice and sell Cal's unparalleled history in social justice activism. That is how Cal landed McDonald's All Americans like Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Jaylen Brown in basketball from Atlanta over ever other program in the country.
Now, maybe Rolovich understands that now, he does give a lot of lip service to caring about the players, but it would have been more convincing if he had apologized and reached some kind of agreement with Woods.
okaydo said:Cal88 said:okaydo said:adujan said:
How important is today's game for deciding whether Rolovich should be our next HC? What would need to happen on the field and in the locker room to tilt the scales in his favor?
Eh, I think there is too much baggage....
Remember, Rivera and Rolovich will have to be on the same page and work together closely. And I don't see that happening.
A non-issue in 2025, and Rivera has to be on the same page as Rolo, not you. They have been co-workers for an entire season already.
What I'm trying to say that the article linked above and his engagement with conspiracy theories could be a problem in the future.
Heck, Justin Wilcox might be the same way. Perhaps every head coach is the same way. But Rolovich was public about it.
38-35 against 6-1 SMU is not a conspiracy.
Do I think he should be HC at Cal? Probably not.
Do I hope it raises his profile to be HC somewhere else? Definitely.
Do I think the next HC should strongly consider retaining him in the next regime? Yes.
Do I hope it raises his profile to be HC somewhere else? Definitely.
Do I think the next HC should strongly consider retaining him in the next regime? Yes.
Cal88 said:okaydo said:Cal88 said:okaydo said:adujan said:
How important is today's game for deciding whether Rolovich should be our next HC? What would need to happen on the field and in the locker room to tilt the scales in his favor?
Eh, I think there is too much baggage....
Remember, Rivera and Rolovich will have to be on the same page and work together closely. And I don't see that happening.
A non-issue in 2025, and Rivera has to be on the same page as Rolo, not you. They have been co-workers for an entire season already.
What I'm trying to say that the article linked above and his engagement with conspiracy theories could be a problem in the future.
Heck, Justin Wilcox might be the same way. Perhaps every head coach is the same way. But Rolovich was public about it.
38-35 against 6-1 SMU is not a conspiracy.
Look, believe it or not, I like Rolo. I don't foflow him on Twitter. But I've seen a loit of his tweets interacting with the Calgorithm (including the one below while he was preparing for this week's game). But I'm not sure I'd like to see him as head coach right now. I'd like him to stay as OC.
As wonderful as tonight's win is, Cal should not make a head coach decision based on it. That would be as wrong as it would have been to extend Wilcox based on our win at Louisville. The importance of the win is to demonstrate to prospective coaches that Cal is not a graveyard; there is talent and will to win here.
But Rolovich now is in a stronger position for consideration.
Quote:
What I'm trying to say that the article linked above and his engagement with conspiracy theories could be a problem in the future.
Cal is the "Marketplace of Ideas." We've had professors who've held controversial views. As long as he doesn't attempt to force those views on players ("force" as opposed to "express") and understands that that those views will be subject to rigorous critical rebuttal, let him coach.
Oh, yeah, and I posted this video on my YouTube channel on August 12, 2016.
SoFlaBear said:Quote:
What I'm trying to say that the article linked above and his engagement with conspiracy theories could be a problem in the future.
Cal is the "Marketplace of Ideas." We've had professors who've held controversial views. As long as he doesn't attempt to force those views on players ("force" as opposed to "express") and understands that that those views will be subject to rigorous critical rebuttal, let him coach.
He kicked Kassidy Woods off the team for his political views (COVID is real and dangerous, pro NIL, pro Black Lives Matter) Not only took away his scholarship and meal plan, but kicked him off team communications and told the team to shun him. Go see an interview with Kassidy, he is a smart, likable kid, a protypical Cal student athlete in that regard.
Rolovich is a likable guy. I like him, He seems to care about the kids (other than the example above). He is goofy. He has a sense of humor. He is not well educated and has some uninformed opinions. If the next coach hires him as OC and he just focuses on that, great. However he is just not the guy to be the face of Cal football. He also needs oversight.
calumnus said:SoFlaBear said:Quote:
What I'm trying to say that the article linked above and his engagement with conspiracy theories could be a problem in the future.
Cal is the "Marketplace of Ideas." We've had professors who've held controversial views. As long as he doesn't attempt to force those views on players ("force" as opposed to "express") and understands that that those views will be subject to rigorous critical rebuttal, let him coach.
He kicked Kassidy Woods off the team for his political views (COVID is real and dangerous, pro NIL, pro Black Lives Matter) Not only took away his scholarship and meal plan, but kicked him off team communications and told the team to shun him. Go see an interview with Kassidy, he is a smart, likable kid, a protypical Cal student athlete in that regard.
Rolovich is a likable guy. I like him, He seems to care about the kids (other than the example above). He is goofy. He has a sense of humor. He is not well educated and has some uninformed opinions. If the next coach hires him as OC and he just focuses on that, great. However he is just not the guy to be the face of Cal football. He also needs oversight.
Assuming everything you say is true, unless it happened this past week, it's on Wilcox. Oversight of assistants is 100% the responsibility of the HC. The story you tell there conveys that Wilcox had either granted his assistants too much control or that he had not laid down boundaries of what constituted proper grounds for dismissal from the team.
Reading some game stats vs team profiles. SMU is +12 in turnovers we had zero tonight, finished +1 against them. SMU touts a great athletic front 4 and back end, we gave up zero sacks and scored 4 passing TDs, ran for over 110 yards and were 37/40 run/pass. Really balanced with no TEs healthy. Reasonable 7 penalties for 72 vs their 9 for 94. They scored 1 pt abov their avg with six of our defensive starters out. Run D was bad but not enough to lose. We lead, we lose the lead, we come back and retake the lead. We hold. We win. Just wow.
Rolo you Bears…!
Has a nice ring to it.
Has a nice ring to it.
Rolovich reportedly talked to the Beavers but didn't advance deep into the hiring process.
— Jon Wilner (@wilnerhotline) November 30, 2025
(Decent chance we look back on that in 3-4 years as a giant mistake by OSU) https://t.co/fL5uWI4woQ
There's nothing quite like that first time you go into Memorial all by yourself. It's hard to beat Coach Nick Rolovich's Bear Territory moment! He's a perfect fit for Berkeley! Watch our episode with him here: https://t.co/Ar3yxvGAiP
— Tell The Whole Damn World! (@Win4Cal) August 11, 2025
Share us with ALL your Cal friends:… pic.twitter.com/AyaKXvZm9H
SoFlaBear said:calumnus said:SoFlaBear said:Quote:
What I'm trying to say that the article linked above and his engagement with conspiracy theories could be a problem in the future.
Cal is the "Marketplace of Ideas." We've had professors who've held controversial views. As long as he doesn't attempt to force those views on players ("force" as opposed to "express") and understands that that those views will be subject to rigorous critical rebuttal, let him coach.
He kicked Kassidy Woods off the team for his political views (COVID is real and dangerous, pro NIL, pro Black Lives Matter) Not only took away his scholarship and meal plan, but kicked him off team communications and told the team to shun him. Go see an interview with Kassidy, he is a smart, likable kid, a protypical Cal student athlete in that regard.
Rolovich is a likable guy. I like him, He seems to care about the kids (other than the example above). He is goofy. He has a sense of humor. He is not well educated and has some uninformed opinions. If the next coach hires him as OC and he just focuses on that, great. However he is just not the guy to be the face of Cal football. He also needs oversight.
Assuming everything you say is true, unless it happened this past week, it's on Wilcox. Oversight of assistants is 100% the responsibility of the HC. The story you tell there conveys that Wilcox had either granted his assistants too much control or that he had not laid down boundaries of what constituted proper grounds for dismissal from the team.
No, it happened when Rolovich was HC at WSU.
Woods recorded the phone call. He had the emails. Woods sued Rolovich and WSU as a result. Rolovich was fired primarily for his vaccine refusal but the lawsuit from one of his players contributed.
Then Rolovich sued the university for $25 million himself for wrongful termination. And no other program has touched him as a result until Wilcox brought him in this year.
What I was saying is Cassidy Woods could have easily been a Cal student athlete in his intelligence and desire to be more on campus and in the world than just an athlete. Cal needs to be seen the single best place for athletes like him. It is our comparative advantage, but only if we have coaches that recruit on that basis, not kick players off the team for it.
If Rolovich gets that now, then great. I still think others could better recruit nationally to Cal. If Rolovich as OC is the new HC's choice and that keeps Sagapolutele in the fold, great. As I said, I like the guy and I like our connections yo Hawaii, but we need. Lot more than that to compete for the ACC title next year.
okaydo said:BearGoggles said:okaydo said:Cal88 said:okaydo said:adujan said:
How important is today's game for deciding whether Rolovich should be our next HC? What would need to happen on the field and in the locker room to tilt the scales in his favor?
Eh, I think there is too much baggage....
Remember, Rivera and Rolovich will have to be on the same page and work together closely. And I don't see that happening.
A non-issue in 2025, and Rivera has to be on the same page as Rolo, not you. They have been co-workers for an entire season already.
What I'm trying to say that the article linked above and his engagement with conspiracy theories could be a problem in the future.
Heck, Justin Wilcox might be the same way. Perhaps every head coach is the same way. But Rolovich was public about it.
What conspiracy theories did he engage with? The article doesn't reference any.
And for the record, Rolo would not be my first choice for head coach, but he'd be a decent fall back option if Cal can't reach agreement with other options.
https://sports.yahoo.com/immunologist-now-fired-wsu-coach-nick-rolovich-asked-me-if-bill-gates-was-involved-in-covid-19-vaccine-125222760.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAC-YswWRFE4ViEWQPVT1sAVL_ASXLkWG9ttor1-4hlkBGsWULh9IcMoo28WKtl6gk5i_G-R1BnRKAw3psbH5hChbECF9qKDZlEEYAC1MN4b3kRgBVjWboJs-fz_G48qWs0e5011LYwqBLw031YUoWCnIDZIjgvnfdSjdY_Ytk7Pn
I have no problem with a person being skeptical and asking professionals questions about an emerging pandemic and the surrounding (mis)information - that is actually what all of us should have been doing more of during the pandemic. If questioning authority/prevailing thought (something Berkeley is very much known for) is regarded by some as "engaging with conspiracy theories" then so be it.
People seem to forget there was a tremendous amount of misinformation spread by those in authority regarding COVID, including the false claim that the vax prevented a person from getting covid again/spreading the virus and the false claim that there were no side effects.
Here is the actual article where the WSU virologist Guy Palmer is quoted extensively. I think its fair to say some of Palmer's claims don't hold up particularly well ("the COVID vaccines are among the most studied and scrutinized in human history").
https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/32459767/inside-nick-rolovich-downfall-washington-state-covid-19-vaccine
There is no evidence Rolo is outside the mainstream on most issues, or for that matter with respect to COVID given what we know today (i.e., many concerns about the vax were shown to be true). This is only a "problem in the future" (your words) for people who view this in a political lens.
The Woods situation was pretty complicated and ultimately, Woods was upset that he could not opt out of the season (due to health/sickle cell concerns) and remain with the team for activities. Rolo did express a seemingly off base concern that the player might be sitting out for political, rather than health reasons.
https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/29592558/washington-state-ad-says-kassidy-woods-removal-team-activities-not-linked-pac-12-unity-group
As we saw tonight, Rolo is a good coach and has the trust of his players. If he's not at Cal, he'll land somewhere else.
calumnus said:SoFlaBear said:calumnus said:SoFlaBear said:Quote:
What I'm trying to say that the article linked above and his engagement with conspiracy theories could be a problem in the future.
Cal is the "Marketplace of Ideas." We've had professors who've held controversial views. As long as he doesn't attempt to force those views on players ("force" as opposed to "express") and understands that that those views will be subject to rigorous critical rebuttal, let him coach.
He kicked Kassidy Woods off the team for his political views (COVID is real and dangerous, pro NIL, pro Black Lives Matter) Not only took away his scholarship and meal plan, but kicked him off team communications and told the team to shun him. Go see an interview with Kassidy, he is a smart, likable kid, a protypical Cal student athlete in that regard.
Rolovich is a likable guy. I like him, He seems to care about the kids (other than the example above). He is goofy. He has a sense of humor. He is not well educated and has some uninformed opinions. If the next coach hires him as OC and he just focuses on that, great. However he is just not the guy to be the face of Cal football. He also needs oversight.
Assuming everything you say is true, unless it happened this past week, it's on Wilcox. Oversight of assistants is 100% the responsibility of the HC. The story you tell there conveys that Wilcox had either granted his assistants too much control or that he had not laid down boundaries of what constituted proper grounds for dismissal from the team.
No, it happened when Rolovich was HC at WSU.
Woods recorded the phone call. He had the emails. Woods sued Rolovich and WSU as a result. Rolovich was fired primarily for his vaccine refusal but the lawsuit from one of his players contributed.
Then Rolovich sued the university for $25 million himself for wrongful termination. And no other program has touched him as a result until Wilcox brought him in this year.
What I was saying is Cassidy Woods could have easily been a Cal student athlete in his intelligence and desire to be more on campus and in the world than just an athlete. Cal needs to be seen the single best place for athletes like him. It is our comparative advantage, but only if we have coaches that recruit on that basis, not kick players off the team for it.
Woods dismissed his lawsuit because he could not prove that he was kicked off the team due for his political beliefs. In fact, the AD who fired Rolo specifically explained that Woods was not kicked off the team for that reason. Woods had a pretty unreasonable expectation that he could opt out but remain engaged in team activities (at a time when all teams were operating in a bubble with only essential personnel).
"Rolovich in a statement Monday night said he wanted to pinpoint the reasoning behind Woods' decision to opt out.
"I wanted to clarify with Kassidy that his decision was based on health and safety and reaffirm our policy related to COVID-19 and the assurance of his scholarship," Rolovich's statement reads in part.
"Without knowing the concerns of the group, I regret that my words cautioning Kassidy have become construed as opposition. I'm proud of our players and all the Pac-12 student-athletes for using their platform, especially for matters they are passionate about. WSU football student-athletes who have expressed support for the #WeAreUnited group will continue to be welcome to all team-related activities, unless they choose to opt out for health and safety reasons."
Rolovich also noted that his conversation with Woods took place before the Pac-12 players' group released its statement and demands on Sunday. Woods said he and a teammate first began discussing the group with Rolovich several weeks ago.
"Our coach put it in the team group chat, and was just like, 'Any other players want to talk about this? Let me know,'" Woods said. "He seemed like he was pretty OK with it. We just told him how many people we talked to on the team who are potentially going to opt out and athletes from across the Pac-12 were going to opt out due to health concerns. Because there had been no set-in-stone protocol, measurements, to ensure our safety while we're playing. [The conversation] was two or three weeks ago. He had some knowledge of it. He just didn't know if we were part of [the movement] or not at that time."
Chun said Rolovich was trying to be proactive with the players while not knowing the full details of the campaign.
"Rolo is not the coach that's going to bury his head in the sand and wait," Chun said. "He's trying to have honest conversations with his guys. No one had any idea what their concerns or demands were until Sunday."
https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/29592558/washington-state-ad-says-kassidy-woods-removal-team-activities-not-linked-pac-12-unity-group
BearGoggles said:okaydo said:BearGoggles said:okaydo said:Cal88 said:okaydo said:adujan said:
How important is today's game for deciding whether Rolovich should be our next HC? What would need to happen on the field and in the locker room to tilt the scales in his favor?
Eh, I think there is too much baggage....
Remember, Rivera and Rolovich will have to be on the same page and work together closely. And I don't see that happening.
A non-issue in 2025, and Rivera has to be on the same page as Rolo, not you. They have been co-workers for an entire season already.
What I'm trying to say that the article linked above and his engagement with conspiracy theories could be a problem in the future.
Heck, Justin Wilcox might be the same way. Perhaps every head coach is the same way. But Rolovich was public about it.
What conspiracy theories did he engage with? The article doesn't reference any.
And for the record, Rolo would not be my first choice for head coach, but he'd be a decent fall back option if Cal can't reach agreement with other options.
https://sports.yahoo.com/immunologist-now-fired-wsu-coach-nick-rolovich-asked-me-if-bill-gates-was-involved-in-covid-19-vaccine-125222760.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAC-YswWRFE4ViEWQPVT1sAVL_ASXLkWG9ttor1-4hlkBGsWULh9IcMoo28WKtl6gk5i_G-R1BnRKAw3psbH5hChbECF9qKDZlEEYAC1MN4b3kRgBVjWboJs-fz_G48qWs0e5011LYwqBLw031YUoWCnIDZIjgvnfdSjdY_Ytk7Pn
I have no problem with a person being skeptical and asking professionals questions about an emerging pandemic and the surrounding (mis)information - that is actually what all of us should have been doing more of during the pandemic. If questioning authority/prevailing thought (something Berkeley is very much known for) is regarded by some as "engaging with conspiracy theories" then so be it.
People seem to forget there was a tremendous amount of misinformation spread by those in authority regarding COVID, including the false claim that the vax prevented a person from getting covid again/spreading the virus and the false claim that there were no side effects.
Here is the actual article where the WSU virologist Guy Palmer is quoted extensively. I think its fair to say some of Palmer's claims don't hold up particularly well ("the COVID vaccines are among the most studied and scrutinized in human history").
https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/32459767/inside-nick-rolovich-downfall-washington-state-covid-19-vaccine
There is no evidence Rolo is outside the mainstream on most issues, or for that matter with respect to COVID given what we know today (i.e., many concerns about the vax were shown to be true). This is only a "problem in the future" (your words) for people who view this in a political lens.
The Woods situation was pretty complicated and ultimately, Woods was upset that he could not opt out of the season (due to health/sickle cell concerns) and remain with the team for activities. Rolo did express a seemingly off base concern that the player might be sitting out for political, rather than health reasons.
https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/29592558/washington-state-ad-says-kassidy-woods-removal-team-activities-not-linked-pac-12-unity-group
As we saw tonight, Rolo is a good coach and has the trust of his players. If he's not at Cal, he'll land somewhere else.
The second article shows you how Chun, WSU's AD, was doing damage control for Rolo who clearly said on the taped converse thst he had no issue with sitting out for COVID but he instead had an issue, and dismissed him from the team, for being part of the Unity movement. It was a big part of the reason Chun fired Rolovich: he saw him as a liability and a dimb a**. The vaccine issue was part of state policy and was the proximate reason for firing him, but if Chun and WSU really wanted Rolovich, they would have tried to figure out a way to keep him.
And normally having sued your last employer for $25 million is a concern for your next employer. Especially if the exact same things are even more likely to happen in Berkeley than in Pullman.
Anyway, I like Rolo, I think he is a good guy and a lot of what he did was just due to ignorance and a bit of stupidity, not malice. I would not be upset if he is the HC or OC next year if that means Sagapolutele stays. I just think we can't sweep what happened at WSU under the rug.
Moreover, I want a HC who can sell Cal as a center of scientific learning and social justice to the top recruits that care about these things and fit our academic profile.
calumnus said:BearGoggles said:okaydo said:BearGoggles said:okaydo said:Cal88 said:okaydo said:adujan said:
How important is today's game for deciding whether Rolovich should be our next HC? What would need to happen on the field and in the locker room to tilt the scales in his favor?
Eh, I think there is too much baggage....
Remember, Rivera and Rolovich will have to be on the same page and work together closely. And I don't see that happening.
A non-issue in 2025, and Rivera has to be on the same page as Rolo, not you. They have been co-workers for an entire season already.
What I'm trying to say that the article linked above and his engagement with conspiracy theories could be a problem in the future.
Heck, Justin Wilcox might be the same way. Perhaps every head coach is the same way. But Rolovich was public about it.
What conspiracy theories did he engage with? The article doesn't reference any.
And for the record, Rolo would not be my first choice for head coach, but he'd be a decent fall back option if Cal can't reach agreement with other options.
https://sports.yahoo.com/immunologist-now-fired-wsu-coach-nick-rolovich-asked-me-if-bill-gates-was-involved-in-covid-19-vaccine-125222760.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAC-YswWRFE4ViEWQPVT1sAVL_ASXLkWG9ttor1-4hlkBGsWULh9IcMoo28WKtl6gk5i_G-R1BnRKAw3psbH5hChbECF9qKDZlEEYAC1MN4b3kRgBVjWboJs-fz_G48qWs0e5011LYwqBLw031YUoWCnIDZIjgvnfdSjdY_Ytk7Pn
I have no problem with a person being skeptical and asking professionals questions about an emerging pandemic and the surrounding (mis)information - that is actually what all of us should have been doing more of during the pandemic. If questioning authority/prevailing thought (something Berkeley is very much known for) is regarded by some as "engaging with conspiracy theories" then so be it.
People seem to forget there was a tremendous amount of misinformation spread by those in authority regarding COVID, including the false claim that the vax prevented a person from getting covid again/spreading the virus and the false claim that there were no side effects.
Here is the actual article where the WSU virologist Guy Palmer is quoted extensively. I think its fair to say some of Palmer's claims don't hold up particularly well ("the COVID vaccines are among the most studied and scrutinized in human history").
https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/32459767/inside-nick-rolovich-downfall-washington-state-covid-19-vaccine
There is no evidence Rolo is outside the mainstream on most issues, or for that matter with respect to COVID given what we know today (i.e., many concerns about the vax were shown to be true). This is only a "problem in the future" (your words) for people who view this in a political lens.
The Woods situation was pretty complicated and ultimately, Woods was upset that he could not opt out of the season (due to health/sickle cell concerns) and remain with the team for activities. Rolo did express a seemingly off base concern that the player might be sitting out for political, rather than health reasons.
https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/29592558/washington-state-ad-says-kassidy-woods-removal-team-activities-not-linked-pac-12-unity-group
As we saw tonight, Rolo is a good coach and has the trust of his players. If he's not at Cal, he'll land somewhere else.
The second article shows you how Chun, WSU's AD, was doing damage control for Rolo who clearly said on the taped converse thst he had no issue with sitting out for COVID but he instead had an issue, and dismissed him from the team, for being part of the Unity movement. It was a big part of the reason Chun fired Rolovich: he saw him as a liability and a dimb a**. The vaccine issue was part of state policy and was the proximate reason for firing him, but if Chun and WSU really wanted Rolovich, they would have tried to figure out a way to keep him.
And normally having sued your last employer for $25 million is a concern for your next employer. Especially if the exact same things are even more likely to happen in Berkeley than in Pullman.
Anyway, I like Rolo, I think he is a good guy and a lot of what he did was just due to ignorance and a bit of stupidity, not malice. I would not be upset if he is the HC or OC next year if that means Sagapolutele stays. I just think we can't sweep what happened at WSU under the rug.
Moreover, I want a HC who can sell Cal as a center of scientific learning and social justice to the top recruits that care about these things and fit our academic profile.
Please link the transcript of the taped conversation. Thanks.
oski003 said:calumnus said:BearGoggles said:okaydo said:BearGoggles said:okaydo said:Cal88 said:okaydo said:adujan said:
How important is today's game for deciding whether Rolovich should be our next HC? What would need to happen on the field and in the locker room to tilt the scales in his favor?
Eh, I think there is too much baggage....
Remember, Rivera and Rolovich will have to be on the same page and work together closely. And I don't see that happening.
A non-issue in 2025, and Rivera has to be on the same page as Rolo, not you. They have been co-workers for an entire season already.
What I'm trying to say that the article linked above and his engagement with conspiracy theories could be a problem in the future.
Heck, Justin Wilcox might be the same way. Perhaps every head coach is the same way. But Rolovich was public about it.
What conspiracy theories did he engage with? The article doesn't reference any.
And for the record, Rolo would not be my first choice for head coach, but he'd be a decent fall back option if Cal can't reach agreement with other options.
https://sports.yahoo.com/immunologist-now-fired-wsu-coach-nick-rolovich-asked-me-if-bill-gates-was-involved-in-covid-19-vaccine-125222760.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAC-YswWRFE4ViEWQPVT1sAVL_ASXLkWG9ttor1-4hlkBGsWULh9IcMoo28WKtl6gk5i_G-R1BnRKAw3psbH5hChbECF9qKDZlEEYAC1MN4b3kRgBVjWboJs-fz_G48qWs0e5011LYwqBLw031YUoWCnIDZIjgvnfdSjdY_Ytk7Pn
I have no problem with a person being skeptical and asking professionals questions about an emerging pandemic and the surrounding (mis)information - that is actually what all of us should have been doing more of during the pandemic. If questioning authority/prevailing thought (something Berkeley is very much known for) is regarded by some as "engaging with conspiracy theories" then so be it.
People seem to forget there was a tremendous amount of misinformation spread by those in authority regarding COVID, including the false claim that the vax prevented a person from getting covid again/spreading the virus and the false claim that there were no side effects.
Here is the actual article where the WSU virologist Guy Palmer is quoted extensively. I think its fair to say some of Palmer's claims don't hold up particularly well ("the COVID vaccines are among the most studied and scrutinized in human history").
https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/32459767/inside-nick-rolovich-downfall-washington-state-covid-19-vaccine
There is no evidence Rolo is outside the mainstream on most issues, or for that matter with respect to COVID given what we know today (i.e., many concerns about the vax were shown to be true). This is only a "problem in the future" (your words) for people who view this in a political lens.
The Woods situation was pretty complicated and ultimately, Woods was upset that he could not opt out of the season (due to health/sickle cell concerns) and remain with the team for activities. Rolo did express a seemingly off base concern that the player might be sitting out for political, rather than health reasons.
https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/29592558/washington-state-ad-says-kassidy-woods-removal-team-activities-not-linked-pac-12-unity-group
As we saw tonight, Rolo is a good coach and has the trust of his players. If he's not at Cal, he'll land somewhere else.
The second article shows you how Chun, WSU's AD, was doing damage control for Rolo who clearly said on the taped converse thst he had no issue with sitting out for COVID but he instead had an issue, and dismissed him from the team, for being part of the Unity movement. It was a big part of the reason Chun fired Rolovich: he saw him as a liability and a dimb a**. The vaccine issue was part of state policy and was the proximate reason for firing him, but if Chun and WSU really wanted Rolovich, they would have tried to figure out a way to keep him.
And normally having sued your last employer for $25 million is a concern for your next employer. Especially if the exact same things are even more likely to happen in Berkeley than in Pullman.
Anyway, I like Rolo, I think he is a good guy and a lot of what he did was just due to ignorance and a bit of stupidity, not malice. I would not be upset if he is the HC or OC next year if that means Sagapolutele stays. I just think we can't sweep what happened at WSU under the rug.
Moreover, I want a HC who can sell Cal as a center of scientific learning and social justice to the top recruits that care about these things and fit our academic profile.
Please link the transcript of the taped conversation. Thanks.
It is part of the complaint:
https://interactive.krem.com/pdf/KassidyWoods.pdf
First thing Chang said before doing the scrum: “Did Rolo win?” Seemed genuinely stoked for his former #HawaiiFB teammate when he was told Cal beat SMU. https://t.co/12osJK0SgL
— Christian Shimabuku (@c_shimabuku) November 30, 2025
Arguably the two most impactful biomedical advances in the last few decades, CRISPR genome editing and cancer immunotherapy, were developed at Cal. I'm not sure that someone with Rolo's anti-science views on vaccines is the kind of representative we should have for the face of the Cal football program.
I'm hoping Rivera might use his NFL connections to find an NFL assistant coach ready to be Cal's next head football coach. It's kind of surprising to me that Cal has never had a Black head football coach. Maybe it's time?
I'm hoping Rivera might use his NFL connections to find an NFL assistant coach ready to be Cal's next head football coach. It's kind of surprising to me that Cal has never had a Black head football coach. Maybe it's time?
GoCal80 said:
Arguably the two most impactful biomedical advances in the last few decades, CRISPR genome editing and cancer immunotherapy, were developed at Cal. I'm not sure that someone with Rolo's anti-science views on vaccines is the kind of representative we should have for the face of the Cal football program.
I'm hoping Rivera might use his NFL connections to find an NFL assistant coach ready to be Cal's next head football coach. It's kind of surprising to me that Cal has never had a Black head football coach. Maybe it's time?
Are there any Black candidates for the job besides DJax?
I would personally prefer Desean, or Rolo for that matter, over Tosh.
GoCal80 said:
Arguably the two most impactful biomedical advances in the last few decades, CRISPR genome editing and cancer immunotherapy, were developed at Cal. I'm not sure that someone with Rolo's anti-science views on vaccines is the kind of representative we should have for the face of the Cal football program.
I'm hoping Rivera might use his NFL connections to find an NFL assistant coach ready to be Cal's next head football coach. It's kind of surprising to me that Cal has never had a Black head football coach. Maybe it's time?
Rolo doesn't have anti-science views on vaccines. He just didn't want to take the experimental covid mrna vaccine.
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