Cal Brings Aboard Former BSU and UCD Coordinator Tim Plough as New TE Coach

BERKELEY – Travers Family Head Football Coach Justin Wilcox announced Monday that Mike Bloesch (offensive line coach/run game coordinator) and Tim Plough (tight ends coach) have agreed to join the Cal staff.

"We are excited to add a pair of excellent coaches and recruiters to our staff," Wilcox said. "Both have strong credentials and skill sets that are going to be tremendous assets to our program and help us win football games.”

Plough has coached previously at Boise State (2021-22), his alma mater UC Davis (2008-12, 2017-20) and Northern Arizona (2013-16) with his experience including 11 campaigns as an offensive coordinator.

During his second stint at UC Davis, Plough mentored two of the top players in school history in wide receiver Keelan Doss and quarterback Jake Maier with the duo picking up back-to-back Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2017 (Doss) and 2018 (Maier). Doss was also a finalist for the 2017 Walter Payton Award given annually to the best FCS player in the nation, while Maier led the 2018 Aggies to a Division I era record for victories with a 10-3 record, as well as a share of the Big Sky title and the school's first FCS playoff appearance.

"I am thrilled to add a coach with Tim's credentials and experience coordinating an offense to our staff," Wilcox said. "He is an innovative and versatile coach who has produced strong offenses and is well-respected in the coaching profession."

"It's exciting to join this staff and the football program at Cal," Plough said. "We have great potential to be a championship program, and I'm looking forward to doing everything I can to help us maximize our potential and take advantage of the opportunities in front of us. There are excellent players on our roster, and I can't wait to get to work with them and bring more talent in to join them."

Boise State – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks (2021-22)
– Part of the coaching staff that recruited the Mountain West’s second-ranked recruiting class and the highest-ranked group in school history in 2021
– Offense led MWC and ranked seventh nationally in red zone offense in 2021 by scoring on 92.5% of their trips to the red zone while also checking in among the top three teams in the Mountain West and upper half of the NCAA in fumbles lost (5, No. 2T MWC, No. 20T NCAA), fewest penalties (60, No. 3 MWC, No. 17 NCAA), fewest penalties per game (5.00, No. 3 MWC, No. 22 NCAA), turnover margin (0.58, No. 3 MWC, No. 22 NCAA), third down conversions (44.2%, No. 3 MWC, No. 28 NCAA) and completion percentage (62.1%, No. 3 MWC, No. 57 NCAA)
– First-team All-MWC wide receiver Khalil Shakir registered career highs of 77 receptions, 1117 yards receiving (No. 3 MWC, No. 24 NCAA) and seven touchdowns in 2021 with his per-game marks in receiving yards (93.1, No. 4 MWC, No. 22 NCAA) and receptions (6.4, No. 5 MWC, No. 22 NCAA) also among conference and national bests
– Coached three offensive linemen who earned All-MWC honors in 2021 with John Ojukwu a first-teamer while Ben Dooley and Jake Stetz picked up second-team recognition, while mentoring quarterback Hank Bachmeier to career-high numbers in completions (252), passing yards (3079, No. 4 MWC, No. 24 NCAA), touchdowns (20) and passing yards per game (256.6, No. 4 MWC, No. 24 NCAA), while his 62.8% completion percentage was also third in the MWC and 23rd nationally
 
UC Davis – Associate Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks (2019-2020); Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks (2017-18, 2010-12); Quarterbacks (2009); Student Assistant (2008)
– Ranked third in the Big Sky and sixth nationally in 2019 in passing offense (309.2), as well as among conference and/or national FCS leaders in sacks allowed (1.17, No. 2 Big Sky, No. 15 FCS), completion percentage (64.9%, No. 2 Big Sky, No. 9 NCAA), tackles for loss allowed (5.25, No. 4 Big Sky, No. 25 FCS) and total offense (No. 22 NCAA, 433.0)
– Helped squad to Division I era records for overall (10) and conference (7) victories as well as a share of the Big Sky title, a 10-3 record and the school’s first FCS playoff appearance in 2018, where the Aggies won in the Round of 16 to reach the quarterfinals, by ranking among national FCS leaders in passing offense (322.8, No. 3), total offense (488.9, No. 7) and scoring offense (39.7, No. 8)
– Coached a pair of dynamic offensive players in back-to-back Big Sky Offensive Players of the Year wide receiver Keelan Doss (2017) and quarterback Jake Maier (2018) with both on the Walter Payton Award Watch List in 2018 to mark the first time in school history multiple Aggies were on the list with Doss a finalist in 2017 and Maier in 2018
– Offense produced more total yards (16884) than any other team in FBS or FCS during three-year period from 2017-19
– Mentored Doss in his final two campaigns of a four-year career in which he finished with 321 receptions for 4069 yards and 28 touchdowns
– Coached Maier during all three of his campaigns in which he completed 992-of-1495 passes for 11163 yards (No. 8 in Big Sky history) with 88 touchdowns throws to become the school’s career record holder for completions, passing attempts and passing yards, while ranking second in touchdown passes
– Became the youngest offensive coordinator in the nation (FBS and FCS) at the time at the age of 25 in 2010
– Received a 35 Under 35 award from the American Football Coaches Association in 2019
– Team did not play in the fall of 2020 due to COVID
 
Northern Arizona – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks (2015-16); Wide Receivers (2013-14)
– A finalist for AFCA Assistant Coach of the Year honors when the Lumberjacks finished among the top 10 nationally in the FCS in fewest sacks allowed (0.73, No. 5), passing offense (318.8, No. 7) and total offense (475.5, No. 9)
– Promoted to offensive coordinator in 2015 and directed an offense for a 7-4 squad that led the FCS in passing efficiency (180.18) while ranking among national FCS leaders in scoring offense (39.3, No. 7) and passing offense (303.2, No. 8)
– Coached a pair of 2015 FCS All-Americans and first-team All-Big Sky selections in quarterback Case Cookus and wide receiver Emmanuel Butler with Cookus adding STATS FCS Freshman of the Year honors with both (Cookus, 2015, Butler, 2016) also finalists for the Walter Payton Award and Cookus ending his career ranked fourth all-time in the Big Sky in passing yards (12082)
– Other first-team All-Big Sky players coached included running back Casey Jahn (2015), fullback Nick Butler (2014), tight end RJ Rickert (2013) and running back Zach Bauman (2013)
– Team posted a 28-17 record during his four-year tenure including a 9-3 mark in 2013
 
PLAYING CAREER
UC Davis, Quarterback (2003-07)
– Took over the team’s starting quarterback role as a 2007 senior and was a four-year letterwinner after redshirting as a true freshman in 2003
– On team for historic 2005 upset at Stanford
 
Ramona High School, Ramona, CA, Quarterback (2000-03)
– Two-sport standout who earned All-Valley League honors in both his senior 2002 football and 2003 baseball campaigns who also earned second-team All-San Diego State distinction in football and first-team All-State honors in baseball as a senior
– Earned second-team All-San Diego Section distinction in football as a 2002 senior while setting school career records for completions (312) and passing yards (5005)
– Elected into the Hall of Fame for the San Diego Chapter of the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame in 2003 for his distinguished high school football and academic career
 
OTHER
– Wife, Christine, is a Bay Area native
– Wife’s brother, Scott; grandfather, Dan; and great grandfather, Rollin, are all Cal graduates
 
YEAR-BY-YEAR COACHING POSITIONS
Season: Team – Position (Postseason, Notes)
2023: California – Tight Ends
2022: Boise State – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
2021: Boise State – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
2020: UC Davis – Associate Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks (No Fall 2020 Season Due To COVID)
2019: UC Davis – Associate Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
2018: UC Davis – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks (FCS Quarterfinals)
2017: UC Davis – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
2016: Northern Arizona – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
2015: Northern Arizona – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
2014: Northern Arizona – Wide Receivers
2013: Northern Arizona – Wide Receivers (FCS Playoffs First Round)
2012: UC Davis – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
2011: UC Davis – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
2010: UC Davis – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
2009: UC Davis – Quarterbacks
2008: UC Davis – Student Assistant
 
FILE
Pronunciation: PLOW
Birthdate: June 24, 1985
Hometown: San Diego, CA
High School: Ramona HS
College: UC Davis, 2008, Bachelor’s, History; Ohio, 2012, Master’s, Coaching Education
Family: Wife – Christine; Sons – Jackson, Camden, Bodie

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