Cal Football

Marcel Yates Named Cal’s Defensive Backs Coach

By Cal Athletics

January 25, 2020

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BERKELEY – Cal head coach Justin Wilcox announced Saturday that Marcel Yates has agreed to become the Golden Bears' defensive backs coach. Yates is a 19-year coaching veteran with previous stints at Arizona, Boise State, Texas A&M and Montana State. Yates has served as a defensive coordinator for eight seasons.

"We are excited to bring someone with Marcel's experience and resume onto our staff as our defensive backs coach," Wilcox said. "The staffs he has coached on have won a lot of games, and Marcel has a tremendous skill set as a coach, teacher and top recruiter."

"The foundation for great success has been put in place over the last three seasons at Cal," Yates said. "The progress Cal has made under coach Wilcox is not surprising. I enjoyed working with him when we were at Boise State and am thankful that I will have the opportunity to do it again in Berkeley. I'm looking forward to joining the excellent culture at Cal."

During Yates' two seasons as the defensive coordinator at Boise State (2014-15), the Broncos' attacking-style defense ranked highly in several notable categories, including being one of two teams nationally to post top-10 finishes for turnovers forced both seasons, collecting 31 in each campaign while ranking tied for fifth in 2015 and tied for ninth in 2014. His 2014 unit also ranked seventh nationally in both tackles for loss (7.8 per game) and sacks (3.4 per game), while the 2015 squad turned in the nation's fifth-best rush defense (108.2 ypg), 12th-best total defense (318.3 ypg) and 18th-best scoring defense (20.2 ppg).

Yates spent a total of 11 seasons over two tenures at Boise State, Prior to his run as defensive coordinator, he coached the team's cornerbacks from 2003-05 before taking over the entire secondary from 2006-11 while adding a passing game coordinator title in 2011. The Broncos had tremendous success during Yates' time in Boise, compiling a 127-18 (.876) overall record including unbeaten seasons in 2006 and 2009, and winning eight conference titles and seven bowl games. Boise State was ranked in the final national polls eight times and as high as No. 4 in 2006.

Yates coached five defensive backs during his final six campaigns at Boise State who were selected in the NFL Draft.

Yates also coached on a pair of winning staffs at Texas A&M. The Aggies won 11 games for the first time since 1998 in the first of his two campaigns in 2012 and finished the season ranked fifth nationally in both the AP Top 25 and USA Today Coaches Poll. Texas A&M then went 9-4 in his second season in 2013 and ranked No. 18 in both final polls.

During his recent stint at Arizona (2016-19), Yates coached three players who earned Freshman All-America honors including Colin Schooler, who was also named the Pac-12's Defensive Freshman of the Year in 2017. Arizona intercepted 19 passes in 2017 to rank tied for seventh nationally and the most for the program since 1985, while forcing 25 turnovers to tie for 23rd in the country.

Yates began his coaching career an assistant secondary coach at Montana State from 2001-02. In his second season, the Bobcats won their first Big Sky Conference Championship and earned their first NCAA Division I-AA Playoff appearance in 18 years.

Yates earned his bachelor's degree in social science from Boise State in 2000. Following his senior season, he was honored with the team's Denny Erickson Award for Valor.

Yates has two children, daughter Kaybrie and son Eric.

Marcel Yates Coaching History
Seasons: Team – Position
2001-02: Montana State – Assistant Secondary Coach
2003-11: Boise State – Cornerbacks (2003-05); Secondary (2006-11); Passing Game Coordinator/Secondary (2011)
2012-13: Texas A&M – Co-Defensive Coordinator
2014-15: Boise State – Defensive Coordinator
2016-19: Arizona – Defensive Coordinator/LB (2016, 18; Defensive Coordinator/CB (2017); Defensive Coordinator/S (2019)

Marcel Yates File
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
College: Boise State, 2000, BS, Social Science
Family: Son – Eric; Daughter – Kaybrie