Cal Football

Bear Insider Video: Musgrave Talks Recruiting, Return to College Game

By Jim McGill

March 4, 2020

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After three-year offensive coordinator Beau Baldwin departed to take the head coaching position at Cal Poly, the Bears nabbed longtime NFL veteran OC Bill Musgrave to fill the role and hopefully take the Bears’ offense to a new level in 2020 with a roster full of returning offensive starters to work with.

Musgrave most recently coached at the collegiate level with Virginia nearly two decades ago but after a year off from the NFL, the veteran coordinator is more than ready for a return to his roots in the Pac-12 after playing collegiately at Oregon.

“I liked everything about my time at Virginia,” said Musgrave. “I’d love to be a high school coach one day. I enjoyed being in the NFL over the years but I definitely enjoyed my time at Virginia.

“The teaching component of coaching is something I really enjoy. I like to see how guys learn and help them develop. It has been a number of years since Virginia so I’m brushing up on a bunch of things, rules and things like that.”

Could Musgrave see himself coaching at the collegiate level long term?

“Most defininitely,” said Musgrave. “I’m just looking forward to working longterm. Year by year right now but I’m definitely looking forward to the 2020 season.”

There was a strong natural rapport with Musgrave, Wilcox and staff, with Musgrave playing a big role in the new coaching additions on the offensive side of the ball.

“I felt like it was a good fit,” said Musgrave. “We’ve since hired (RB Coach) Aristotle (Thompson) and (OL Coach) Angus (McClure), who coach the O-line and running backs respectively.”

Musgrave is stepping into a strong situation on offense, with starters returning at each position along with growing depth. He hopes to use his creativity and years of experience to fully-utilize all the weapons at hand.

“I love the way the offense finished, especially in the bowl game against Illinois,” said Musgrave. “We’re hoping to build on that and utilize all these players we have, whether it be wide receivers, tight ends, running backs. Seems like we have a really good nucleus.”

The Bears added 24 new signees in the 2020 class, including 13 on the offensive side of the ball. Has Musgrave brushed up on some of the new talent?

“Yeah, a little bit, trying to catch up on them,” said Musgrave. “We have a number of them (8) on campus as mid-years, so we’re already trying to engage with them. We’re excited to have them. We feel like they’re going to be able to contribute immediately.”

On the recruiting side of the ledger, offensive and defensive coordinators haven’t traditionally played a big role in recruiting efforts but Musgrave is looking forward with being in the mix in the recruiting and evaluation part of the game.

“I’m involved,” said Musgrave. “I’ve got my areas that are assigned to me and I’ll be cross-checking all the offensive players, focused on the QB’s. Really looking forward to that process and I’ve enjoyed last couple weeks.”

Coming to Cal, Musgrave is comfortable with what he and the staff have to sell to recruits and families as they continue to increase their talent base.

“I think the location’s terrific, being here in Berkeley and the Bay Area,” said Musgrave. “And of course, the education is second to none. In California, the football program has tremendous prestige and tradition. It’s a unique place that has a lot going for it.

“It’s very easy to walk into a school or walk into a home and sell what we represent.”