Ken from Berkeley writes: If you look at the types of student-athletes Sonny Dykes' coaching is attracting to Cal, isn't Cal on a pathway towards having probably the best graduation rate at Cal in decades, if not ever? And I am looking out another three years. Given the absolute and astonishing mess he inherited, isn't that worth Coach of the Year in terms of respectability?
Ted Miller: Ken's letter was about 700 words, so we had to reduce it to his lead question. It also gave me that warm glow that I always get from the complete intellectual investment Cal fans often make in their team, though I promise I'm not intending to provoke the California Golden Blogs to publish a 10,000-word point-counterpoint on what the heck my response here means.
Well, not entirely.
Dykes has done an outstanding job at Cal and he deserves an extension and a raise, and perhaps some kind words from the CGB.
I realize that 5-0 start and national ranking enlarged preseason hopes, and those enlarged hopes got quashed by a resulting four-game losing streak. But let me ask: Old Blues, who wouldn't have taken a 6-4 record heading into the Big Game in August?
I know there's a sense of "We're wasting Jared Goff's career!" But Cal isn't at the point where it's going to win nine or 10 games and compete for a division title. Further, as you noted Ken, Dykes is recruiting within a renewed zeal for Berkeley-like academics within the sports program that wasn't present under Jeff Tedford, and that makes his job more difficult.
If Cal beats Stanford on Saturday, I'd say he deserves some Pac-12 Coach of the Year consideration. But even if it doesn't, his getting the Bears back to the postseason represents him meeting fair and reasonable preseason expectations. That deserves at least a tip of the cap.
Ted Miller: Ken's letter was about 700 words, so we had to reduce it to his lead question. It also gave me that warm glow that I always get from the complete intellectual investment Cal fans often make in their team, though I promise I'm not intending to provoke the California Golden Blogs to publish a 10,000-word point-counterpoint on what the heck my response here means.
Well, not entirely.
Dykes has done an outstanding job at Cal and he deserves an extension and a raise, and perhaps some kind words from the CGB.
I realize that 5-0 start and national ranking enlarged preseason hopes, and those enlarged hopes got quashed by a resulting four-game losing streak. But let me ask: Old Blues, who wouldn't have taken a 6-4 record heading into the Big Game in August?
I know there's a sense of "We're wasting Jared Goff's career!" But Cal isn't at the point where it's going to win nine or 10 games and compete for a division title. Further, as you noted Ken, Dykes is recruiting within a renewed zeal for Berkeley-like academics within the sports program that wasn't present under Jeff Tedford, and that makes his job more difficult.
If Cal beats Stanford on Saturday, I'd say he deserves some Pac-12 Coach of the Year consideration. But even if it doesn't, his getting the Bears back to the postseason represents him meeting fair and reasonable preseason expectations. That deserves at least a tip of the cap.