The Shocking Fallout: Who Will Truly Rise From Justin Wilcox’s Unexpected Cal Coaching Exit?

Isn’t it something how quickly the football tides can turn? Just a little over two years ago, California locked Justin Wilcox into a contract that would keep him in Berkeley until 2027 — a deal that suggested long-term stability. Yet here we are, in 2024, with Wilcox abruptly shown the door after a stinging 31-10 loss to rival Stanford, handing the Axe back to the Cardinal and jolting the Bay Area’s college football landscape. Sure, the Bears are still bowl eligible, but this move raises the eyebrow-wrangling question: how much can a coach’s tenure really tell us about success when the scoreboard and locker room dynamics seem at odds? As the Golden Bears search for the right leadership fit amid an intriguing athletic department shuffle and Ron Rivera’s growing influence, the next choice might just shape Cal’s football future in ways no contract extension ever could. Ready to dive into what went sideways for Wilcox and who might step up next? LEARN MORE.

California football once locked Justin Wilcox on a contract extension back in Jan. 2022, good until 2027. But Wilcox won’t even make it to 2026 in Berkeley, as Cal fired him Sunday.

The move arrives after Stanford smacked the rival Golden Bears 31-10 to reclaim the famed Axe. The Cardinal rout not only reclaims Bay Area bragging rights on the college football side, but ended Stanford’s string of losses to Cal and 3-9 seasons.

But back to Wilcox, Cal’s decision arrives with the Bears still bowl eligible for a third straight season. Cal sealed the bowl eligibility by stunning then No. 15 Louisville on Nov. 8.

They still have one regular season contest left with SMU — who needs one victory to clinch a spot in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game.

What went wrong for Justin Wilcox at Cal?

California Golden Bears head coach Justin Wilcox walks on the field during a timeout in the second quarter against the Miami Hurricanes at California Memorial Stadium. — Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Wilcox delivered five bowl seasons in Berkeley. But still delivered underwhelming results in the East Bay of the Golden State.

None of his Bears teams won past eight games in a season and went 1-3 overall in bowl games. He also lost talent to the portal — notably Fernando Mendoza and Jadyn Ott. Their moves got made amid reported tensions between new offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin and his players.

Wilcox pulled off key college football recruiting wins — with Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele becoming a rare five-star addition. Although Cal passed on numerous local talents who qualified academically for the campus but played elsewhere. Fans openly criticized Wilcox and his staff for being more proactive outside of the Golden State recruiting wise versus staying local then branching out.

Cal also had some transfer portal misses. Ohio State transfer Devin Brown never claimed the QB1 duties from the true freshman Sagapolutele. Even Texas Tech cornerback transfer Jordan Sanford lost ground in the secondary.

The best options to replace Wilcox at Cal

The next leader must work with an interesting scenario in the athletic department room. Jay Larson and Jenny Simon-O’Neil serve as co-ADs, but it’s not known if the replacements for Jim Knowlton are interim or permanent. The 2026 head coach also must be on the same page with Ron Rivera, as the Cal legend and former NFL head coach serves as general manager.

Rivera pulled off the decision to can Wilcox after a nine-season run. He’ll wield lots of power here — including attracting some potential league names.

Hence why Steve Wilks rises here. He’s connected to Rivera as his defensive coordinator during the Carolina Panthers’ 2015 NFC title run. Wilks spent one year at Savannah State as head coach in 1999 and owns a 14-25 record as head coach (including CFB). The 56-year-old’s recent work in New York may turn folks away, but the ties to Rivera and past stints out west (including the NFC title with the 2023 San Francisco 49ers) make him appealing here.

Tosh Lupoi of Oregon comes with a defensive coordinator background like Wilcox. Except he’s a past Cal alumnus and Bay Area native. The drawback here is Wilcox came with his own Ducks background — so Rivera and company could try something different. But Lupoi will likely get a push from alums for this opening.

Sean Lewis of San Diego State is a fast riser Cal should look into. The Aztecs are 9-2 overall and staring at a Mountain West Conference title. He also won at Kent State including producing a 7-6 mark after going 2-10 in year one. He runs a high-powered RPO offense Bear fans could feel energized about.

Veteran CFB coaches Cal should look at

If Cal desires a proven head coach, two options surface here.

Jim Mora is one who makes tons of sense. He knows the Pacific and UC academic system as the past UCLA head coach. Now he’s delivered consecutive nine-win seasons for UConn.

Mora proved he can win with limited football resources compared to UCLA. The 64-year-old looks ready for another power conference shot.

The fifth and final contender here is a dark horse, but one who knows the Atlantic Coast Conference well: Bronco Mendenhall at Utah State. He lifted the Aggies to bowl eligibility on Saturday during the comeback win over Fresno State.

He was a one-and-done at New Mexico too by improving the Lobos to 5-7 in 2024. But he led three bowl runs at Virginia including playing for the ACC title in 2019. Perhaps a big job like this one could sway Mendenhall back to the P4 realm.

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