Sterlin Gilbert Named Cal’s Passing Game Coordinator/QB Coach

Travers Family Head Football Coach Justin Wilcox announced Tuesday that Sterlin Gilbert has agreed to become the passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach for the California football team.

Gilbert has led some of the nation's top offenses during a coaching career that has spanned two decades including stints over the last nine seasons as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach on the FBS level at Tulsa (2015), Texas (2016), South Florida (2017-18) and Syracuse (2020-21).

In his single season at Texas in 2016, Gilbert was the architect of a run game that featured first-team All-American, Doak Walker Award and Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year Award winner D'Onta Foreman, who led the nation in rushing yards per game (184.4) and was second in total rushing yards (2,028).

Gilbert moved to South Florida the following campaign and his offense ranked in the top 25 in eight NCAA statistical categories on the way to a 10-2 overall record and a No. 21 ranking in the final AP Top 25. The Bulls broke the school record for total offense (513.0 ypg, No. 6 NCAA) and fewest turnovers (14), among others, while totaling the second-most total yards in school history (6,156).

At Syracuse, his 2021 offense led the ACC and ranked No. 16 nationally in rushing yards per game (213.5) with Sean Tucker ranking fourth in the nation in rushing yards per game (124.7). Tucker's 1,496 total rushing yards broke a 42-year-old single-season school record.

In addition, Gilbert coached NFL quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo for two campaigns as the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Eastern Illinois (2012-13) to highlight his FCS coaching career, was the head coach for one season at McNeese State (2019) and has spent the 2023 campaign as a senior analyst with an Ole Miss team that is currently ranked No. 11 nationally and preparing for a New Year's Six matchup with No. 10 Penn State at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.

In his first 12 campaigns of coaching at the collegiate level, Gilbert's teams have advanced to the postseason eight times.

"Sterlin has a wealth of quality collegiate coaching experience," Wilcox said. "He has consistently produced elite offenses and developed excellent quarterbacks, and we are looking forward to him doing the same for our passing game and quarterback room."

"Coach Wilcox has assembled a tremendous coaching staff and has Cal football headed in the right direction," Gilbert said. "I'm excited to become a member of this staff and looking forward to all of the great things we can accomplish together."

Before joining the collegiate ranks, Gilbert coached at four different high schools in Texas (2003-04 Springtown; 2006-07 Cooper; 2008-10 Lake View; 2011 Temple) and also spent one season as a graduate assistant for offense on the collegiate level at Houston in 2005 when recently elevated Cal offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Mike Bloesch was a player on the Cougars' offensive line. The duo also worked together in 2011 at Temple High School and again in 2015 when Bloesch was on Gilbert's offensive staff at Tulsa in quality control with the tight ends position group.