I heard the Tosh Lupoi news today, and I was stunned, to say the least.<br /><br />If it makes you all feel better, we just lost our defensive line coach/ace recruiter Lance Thompson to Ala-bummer. It really stinks, but the only thing that you can hope for at this point is that whoever stays with California will have done so because they were committed to The University of California, not to Tosh Lupoi.<br /><br />I don't understand the outrage, to be honest with you all. This is a business; coaches come, coaches go. I hate that it has become such, but that's reality. You all will find someone else who will fill the void and be up to the task of coaching at the University of California at Berkeley. I know how you all feel about Washington, but just wish Tosh well and move on. It's not worth lamenting over.

Let me add that I really feel for you all. As I said, whoever you all lose will have been committed to Tosh, not to California, just as whoever we lose after the Lance Thompson departure will have been committed to him, not to the University of Tennessee. If they leave, do not lament, just wish them well and move on. It's not the end of the world.

Thanks, Dark. I still feel pretty numb, though. I do agree that the guys who stick with their commitments will be making a powerful statement and will retain even more respect from me.

agree with the commitment part, but i will never wish him well. <br /><br />thanks.<br /><br />moving on!

A lot of the outrage is because of who Lupoi was, or at least who we thought he was, and how he went out. Not sure if you know this but he was a player at Cal, then Tedford gave him a shot as a GA and he's worked his way up from there. He's literally never worked anywhere else. Then he just up and blows town without so much as a day's notice. Word is he was with Tedford at Shaq and Armstead's houses <i>yesterday</i>.

<blockquote><div class="name-said">OldBlue1999;679888 said:</div><hr>A lot of the outrage is because of who Lupoi was, or at least who we thought he was, and how he went out. Not sure if you know this but he was a player at Cal, then Tedford gave him a shot as a GA and he's worked his way up from there. He's literally never worked anywhere else. Then he just up and blows town without so much as a day's notice. Word is he was with Tedford at Shaq and Armstead's houses <i>yesterday</i>.<hr></blockquote><br /><br />Both are laughing all the way to the bank!

We're hurt because we bought into what he was selling as well. Here's an excerpt from the ESPN article about him that we loved linking:<br /><br /><i>Primarily, Tosh Lupoi said, he believes in the product he sells. <br />"The kids understand, when they talk to him, how much he cares about this place," said running backs coach Ron Gould, who is in his 15th year at Cal. "Kids want to be around that kind of passion. You look in his eyes, and you see this guy has no quit. Listen to him for 30 seconds, and you feel his heart beat."</i><br /><br />This wasn't a coach we hired out of nowhere to run our d-line until he got a better offer. This was someone we thought would be a part of the future because of his past and would be a huge piece of the Cal puzzle. I know, it must seem overboard to any outsider, but this is Cal. If you haven't noticed, our fanbase takes a lot of things way too personally.<br /><br />This class will be special for a lot of reasons, but foremost in my mind is that they will have weathered this craziness to commit to the University of California. Thanks for your words, I always enjoy reading other fanbases' takes.

I am still disappointed, but, like a lot of Cal fans, I've calmed down quite a bit. Here's the thing, Lupoi recruited these kids for years not just on the basis of his presence, but on what Cal, as a university and a program, can offer them. That hasn't changed. And, if anyone has proven the importance of not choosing a school based on one coach, it's Lupoi. In the end, Cal will still have a Top 25 class that we will be proud of.

<blockquote><div class="name-said">Dark Reverie;679862 said:</div><hr><br /><br />I don't understand the outrage, to be honest with you all. This is a business; coaches come, coaches go. I hate that it has become such, but that's reality. You all will find someone else who will fill the void and be up to the task of coaching at the University of California at Berkeley. I know how you all feel about Washington, but just wish Tosh well and move on. It's not worth lamenting over.<hr></blockquote><br /><br />Well put. Generally speaking coaches are in it as a business. The players for the team. Their business comes later.

<blockquote><div class="name-said">LafayetteBear;679931 said:</div><hr>Dark: I know you mean well, but let's be serious here. When Kiffin and Orgeron left for SC, screwing Tennessee over in the process and adding insult to injury by calling your recruits up and trying to drag them along to SC, was your sentiment to "wish them well and move on?"<br /><br />My guess is that you harbor some animosity towards Kiffin and Orgeron to this day, and I would fully understand that. Do you really expect Cal fans to feel differently about Lupoi? He is no Cal man in my book. Screw him. He'd better enjoy the money (and, apparently, the boat) because a man can sell his good name only once.<hr></blockquote><br /><br />I'll be honest, LB, I was angered by this action. It was classless on their part and those men lost my respect as a result.<br /><br />However, I realized soon after that I couldn't stay angry forever, because Tennessee and our athletic director at the time, Mike Hamilton, were already hard at work searching for a replacement. Another reason I couldn't stay mad forever is because Hamilton hired Derek Dooley three days after the fact, and needless to say, he won me over in his first press conference.<br /><br />I'm sure Jeff Tedford is already hard at work searching for Tosh's replacement. I'm sure when he is revealed, you and many others will lend your support to him as well, as much as you did Tosh Lupoi. I know that you are upset right now, but really, there is no sense being upset forever. Tennessee fans I know are still upset with Kiffin and Co., and perhaps they are justified, but I just don't think it is healthy to dwell on their sins. They are long gone, and Derek Dooley is here with us, rebuilding our program. Perhaps Tosh's successor can help California move forward.

Kiffin didn't go to a direct competitor.

Agreed, LB. I know it's not politically correct in this day and age of the almighty dollar,<br />but integrity and honor should count for something. Lupoi has been promising kids right up to the last minute that he was staying here for the long run. Flash more money in a some men's faces and they will say or do anything to justify what they do. Lupoi lied to our recruits, pure and simple. Now, he apparently is trying his best to sell these same kids on Washington. What do you suppose he is selling? You can bet it isn't honesty and integrity. Lupoi is no longer a Bear to me. He supposedly bled blue and gold.....right, in a pig's eye!

Thanks for the kind words. We need our anger in order to move forward. And forward is where we will move. We will have a replacement and Cal will look to building a great future. The Bear will not quit, the bear will not die. <br /><br />But Benedict Lupaid was a total hometown boy and for him to leave like a ninja is dishonorable. No one expected him to stay here forever but no one also expected that we'd be grabbing our ankles when he did leave.

Thanks Dark, I appreciate it but you have to realize, this guy was a player at Cal and I think he was a Captain at one point, he grew up in the east bay of all places and he had all the talent in the world to work with, he was also the reason why we were able to recruit nationally. I think we as a fan base feel as if Tosh was the guy who loved Cal more than any of us and to see him leave just because of money pisses us off. Also the way he left, right before signing day with THIS class the class that is supposed to be our greatest class of all time. And for him to go to another Pac 12 school SICKENS me. He is public enemy number 1 for a lot of good reasons.

<blockquote><div class="name-said">CalBarn;680151 said:</div><hr>Agreed, LB. I know it's not politically correct in this day and age of the almighty dollar,<br />but <b>integrity and honor should count for something. </b> Lupoi has been promising kids right up to the last minute that he was staying here for the long run. Flash more money in a some men's faces and they will say or do anything to justify what they do. Lupoi lied to our recruits, pure and simple. Now, he apparently is trying his best to sell these same kids on Washington. What do you suppose he is selling? You can bet it isn't honesty and integrity. Lupoi is no longer a Bear to me. He supposedly bled blue and gold.....right, in a pig's eye!<hr></blockquote><br /><br />You are right here. That's why I warmed up to Dooley at Tennessee, because he exhibited these traits from the moment he stepped to the podium. While I do not condone Tosh Lupoi's actions, you must understand that this is a business, and coaching turnover among assistants is frequent and commonplace, as long as the parties involved are truthful and up front.<br /><br />This, too, shall pass.

Remember, gentlemen, California-Berkeley still is and always be California-Berkeley, regardless of who comes to lead your sports teams or administration. California will be California without Tosh Lupoi, just as Tennessee is still and will always be Tennessee without Lane Kiffin and Co. The stadium isn't going anywhere. The buildings on campus will remain. California's defensive linemen will sack more quarterbacks in the future without Lupoi. The traditions will remain, as well.<br /><br />Bottom line, Cal is still Cal.

Thanks, DR. But, keep in mind, this news is not yet even 24 hours old. You can't expect us to act rationally when it hasn't even been a day yet and the damage to our class to be is still unknown.<br /><br />:headbang

Its really the complete and total context. Its not like Cal has had great recruiting years every season Lupoi was in the position. But, this year Cal was on the verge of a top 10 recruiting effort despite a slightly above average season (or whatever words people choose to describe it).<br /> There isn't the confidence that the university will recruit itself, like there would be at Tennessee, and factually, it hasn't. Sure, you have more kids than ever before wanting to grow up to be a Golden Bear, but its nothing like the Orange and White. Will the new facilities and stadium change not only that perception, but the reality-we will see. BUT again, in the context, the recruiting season was shaping up to be a win unlike anything that was during the year, so its dealing with all of that, not that its been "lost" quite yet...