Tosh Lupoi, a former California defensive lineman and assistant coach known for his dynamic recruiting ability and who has enjoyed extensive success both in college and the NFL, has been named the new Travers Family Head Football Coach, Cal football general manager Ron Rivera announced Thursday.
Lupoi comes home to Berkeley to become the 35th head coach in program history after spending the past four seasons as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Oregon. He also won a pair of national championships during a five-year stint at Alabama, where he served as outside linebackers coach and defensive coordinator. Lupoi has additionally spent time on the coaching staff at the University of Washington and in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns, Atlanta Falcons and Jacksonville Jaguars.
Lupoi was a defensive lineman for the Golden Bears from 2000-05 and earned Pac-10 All-Academic honors as a senior. He went on to coach Cal's defensive line from 2008-11, making him the youngest full-time coach in California football history when he joined the staff at age 26 in 2008. Lupoi proved to be a strong recruiter and talent developer, helping the Bears bring in two highly touted recruiting classes and producing two first-round NFL Draft picks on the defensive line.
"We couldn't be more thrilled to welcome Tosh and his family back home to Berkeley as our head football coach," Rivera said. "Tosh is a true Golden Bear, and he understands and embraces the challenges and privileges of being a Cal student-athlete. His strong character, tireless work ethic, coaching acumen and recruiting talents all make him the perfect fit to lead us into the next great chapter of Cal football."
Lupoi has directed one of the top defenses in the country during his time at Oregon. The Ducks finished the 2025 regular season ranked third nationally in total defense (251.6 YPG), passing defense (144.3 YPG) and passing yards allowed (1,732), while ranking eighth in scoring defense (14.8 PPG) and 20th in rushing defense (107.25 YPG). On Tuesday, he was named a semifinalist for the Broyles Award - given to the nation's top assistant coach - for the second consecutive season.
"After extensive conversations with Tosh, and consultation with many other people, I'm convinced he has the skillset, experience and personal qualities needed to build a best-in-class football program at UC Berkeley - one that operates in a manner consistent with our university's values and unwavering commitment to excellence," UC Berkeley Chancellor Rich Lyons said. "Tosh knows firsthand, and embraces the importance of, our culture that supports outstanding experiences for our student-athletes in the classroom, in competition and in our community. I look forward to partnering with Ron and Tosh as they and the team chart a new course and this new future for Cal football."
At Alabama, Lupoi worked under legendary head coach Nick Saban and spent two seasons as co-defensive coordinator and his final year as the team's sole defensive coordinator. He coached the outside linebackers during his entire time with the Tide while helping Alabama reach four straight national championship games. In Lupoi's one season as the Tide's sole defensive coordinator, Alabama finished 12th nationally in scoring defense (17.8 PPG) and 16th in total defense (319.5 YPG). Lupoi helped develop All-Americans Quinnen Williams and Dieonte Thompson, with Williams winning the Outland Trophy as the nation's best interior lineman. Both were selected in the 2019 NFL Draft, with Williams going third overall to the New York Jets and Thompson chosen in the fifth round by the Arizona Cardinals.
"I'm deeply grateful for the opportunity to come home," Lupoi said. "Cal is a special place that shaped me, and it's an incredible honor to return to Berkeley and lead this football program. I'm energized by the challenge ahead and excited to unite our players, alumni, and supporters. We will build a tough, disciplined, and relentlessly competitive team that represents Cal with pride, while always committing to academic excellence. I can't wait to get to work and compete every single day for this program and this community. It's time!"
While in the NFL, Lupoi worked with multiple All-Pros and Pro Bowlers while elevating the defensive line play in each of his three stops. In Jacksonville, he worked with Dawuane Smoot, who put together a career year with 7.5 sacks and 12.0 tackles for loss for Jacksonville. Prior to his one-year stint with the Jaguars, Lupoi served as the defensive line coach and run game coordinator in Atlanta. During his time with the Falcons, Atlanta allowed the sixth-fewest rushing yards in the NFL (1,677) and tied for seventh-fewest first downs on the ground (97). In his first NFL stop in Cleveland, Lupoi helped develop All-Pro Myles Garrett into a defensive force during his lone season with the Browns. Garrett racked up 10.0 sacks and 11.0 tackles for loss while playing in 10 games during the 2019 season.
Lupoi accepted his first coaching job outside of Berkeley with the University of Washington, where he served as the defensive line coach and defensive run game coordinator in 2012 and 2013. The Huskies went 16-10 during his two seasons, making the 2012 Las Vegas Bowl and the 2013 Fight Hunger Bowl.
Prior to his arrival, Washington's scoring defense ranked 108th in the country and its total defense was ranked 106th. In his first season, the Huskies improved to 31st in the nation in total defense (357.4 YPG) and 39th in scoring defense (24.2 PPG). Lupoi also helped Washington land its highest-ranked recruiting class in a decade with the No. 18 class in the nation, according to 247Sports.
During his first coaching job with the Bears, Lupoi proved to be a strong recruiter and talent developer, helping bring in two highly touted recruiting classes and producing two first-round NFL Draft picks on the defensive line in Cameron Jordan and Tyson Alualu. The Bears led the Pac-12 in total defense twice during his tenure at Cal and Lupoi helped the Bears sign the No. 11 class in the nation in 2011, according to Rivals. Lupoi was named the 2010 Rivals Recruiter of the Year while helping the Bears reel in the nation's 14th-best recruiting class. Cal played in three bowl games during his time on the coaching staff.
As a player, Lupoi was a defensive lineman for the Bears from 2000-05. He led the Bears' defensive line in tackles in 2003 and earned Pac-10 All-Academic recognition in 2005. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in American studies in 2005 and completed coursework toward a master's in education.
