The easy and perhaps not inaccurate view is to see things through the simplest lens:
- The offense was solid and improved so Jake Spavital is a priority staff member to retain
- The Defense struggled two seasons in a row so it is time to replace Peter Sirmon
You can apply more subjective views on the other positional units and have a similar evaluation, where did difference-making players emerge and statistics seemingly indicate positional success?
Yet, other variables certainly feel relevant to include (this is not exhaustive):
- Recruiting. how have the players they have evaluated and landed performed? Are they viewed as a net positive in overall recruiting for the program?
- For the coordinators, do they hire and retain quality assistants?
- What's the relationship like between these coaches and the players?
- Is the relationship between the assistants positive and productive?
- Is the coach dealing with personal issues that are serious enough to be impacting the coach and the rest of the team?
Because no one is close enough to all the specific details, it comes down to trusting the Head Coach and the overall results he produces.
It’s hard to describe the Bears' on-the-field performance as being anything other than mediocre There have also been what feels like obvious mistakes made in the make-up of the staff. Among those are the decision to hire Angus McClure as the OL coach and the compounded mistake of retaining him for a second season. Additionally, it's hard not to question the decision to go with two Defensive Back coaches and not have a full-time Special Teams coach. Cal's performance in the defensive backfield has fallen off a cliff since that decision has been made including this year where they had five players who have been honors winners. And Special teams have been well "special" in all the wrong ways.
We talk a lot about Cal making a REAL commitment to winning in Football and the critical importance that there is fulsome alignment between the Chancellor, the AD, and the Head Coach in this regard. Wilcox, himself has pounded the table with the imperative of having this commitment rooted throughout the University. What is likely not asked as often as it could be is whether the Head Coach himself truly making that commitment.
Have staff decisions been made around winning with high standards and accountability for every member of the staff? Or have other concerns and values - treating assistants with respect, loyalty, etc taken precedence??
Among the specific questions that can help evaluate whether the Head Coach is truly committed include: Has the Head Coach pushed the administration to make sure the support staff around them are high quality and supportive of the vision and culture of the program? How quickly are needed changes to the staff made? Are other factors that while important and worthy of consideration obviating the big picture of performance? E.g. Since the Head Coach isn't a great recruiter we need to emphasize assistant recruiting prowess ahead of their track record and ability to teach players.
It is incredibly difficult to be a successful college football coach. It's even more difficult at Cal right now, given the school's conscious decision over the past 15 years to ignore the importance of football, its corresponding failure to invest in the sport and the the lack of administrative support to football in almost every respect.
In part because of that, the head Football coach at Cal must be ruthlessly focused on constantly improving every aspect of the football program to get it to a place where it can win 8+ games year in and year out. And we as fans and donors have to hold them accountable when it's clear that they are solving for things other than that goal. Don't get me wrong, I'm not talking about ignoring academics and character, IMO, those are table stakes at Cal. Yet, they aren't a sufficiency.
Jake Spavital is a good offensive mind and the offensive improvement for the Bears in 2023 was meaningful, but based on everything that we know, he had to leave. The question is what happens now? Does Wilcox find a way to improve the offensive staff?
Tim Plough's departure is disappointing yet it's important to wait and see what occurs not only in hiring a new OC and TE coach but throughout the entire staff. Given the lack of success on the field, this can no longer be about blind trust. Wilcox needs to demonstrate both in his choices and the accompanying narrative that his decisions were made based on a focus on winning first. And that accountability and performance matter more than any other factor.
This is a critical offseason for Cal's Athletic Department and the Football program in particular. Among the key areas of focus is how Justin Wilcox approaches the makeup of his coaching staff for 2024.
