5 Potential Replacements for Justin Wilcox in Cal: Who Could be the Next Golden Bears Head Coach
By Owain Jones
California fired coach Justin Wilcox on Sunday after nine seasons leading the program. The change comes after the Golden Bears’ crushing 31-10 defeat to rivals Stanford, with GM Ron Rivera opting to part ways with their head coach despite the school owing Wilcox over $10 million in buyout money.
The change is being made as Cal is bowl eligible for the third consecutive season, but the Golden Bears are now in a new era in the ACC and have pledged to invest in their athletic department in the new NIL era of college football. Wilcox finished his tenure with a 48-55 overall record, making him the sixth-winningest coach in program history.
But the subsequent head-coaching hire will be critical for the West Coast program. Here are the five most rumored and standout candidates to take over at Berkeley:
1. Tosh Lupoi - Oregon Defensive Coordinator
Oregon defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi is a prime candidate to return to Cal, his alma mater, according to multiple reports, including ESPN. Lupoi’s career began at California as a defensive line coach from 2008 through 2011, and he has accumulated a wealth of experience working at powerhouse college programs and as a defensive line coach at several NFL franchises, building a reputation as an electrifying defensive playcaller.
The Cal alum brings invaluable institutional knowledge as a former Golden Bear defensive lineman, along with elite-level coaching experience, making him the early frontrunner. The defensive-minded coach has assembled a remarkable résumé across the college ranks at Cal, Washington, Alabama, and Oregon, as well as in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns, Atlanta Falcons, and Jacksonville Jaguars. At Alabama, Lupoi helped the Crimson Tide win two national championships and coordinated defenses that ranked No. 1 in scoring defense in both 2016 and 2017.
Lupoi’s ability to recruit at the highest level and his ties to the West Coast make him an ideal fit for a program that is desperate to keep elite California talent in Berkeley. At Oregon, his defenses have ranked in the top 25 in both scoring and total defense in each of the last two seasons.
2. Sean Lewis - San Diego State Head Coach
If Cal wants to hire an offensive mind with deep ties to the state of California, then turning to Sean Lewis makes tremendous sense. The San Diego State head coach has gone unbeaten at home in 2025 and throttled the Bears 34-0 in September.
The former Kent State head coach has a reputation for engineering explosive offenses, and was 31 when hired by the Golden Flashes, the youngest FBS coach by a large margin in 2017. Lewis went 24-31 at Kent State (2018-22), including a program-defining first-ever bowl victory in the 2019 Frisco Bowl.
Despite his keen offensive mind, Lewis has shown his team can win in several different ways in San Diego during the second year of his second stint as a head coach. The Aztecs have recorded three shutouts and five other games in which they allowed 10 points or fewer so far this season, and Lewis is a proven recruiter within the state. After a 3-9 debut season in 2024, Lewis has orchestrated a remarkable turnaround, leading San Diego State to a 9-2 record and to the top of the Mountain West standings in the Aztecs’ final season in the conference.
3. Jim Mora - UConn Head Coach
Jim Mora is expected to be a hot commodity this coaching cycle and has already been strongly linked as a candidate for the Stanford head coaching job. And if Cal wants to make a splash, Mora brings the name recognition to energize donors and the fan base.
The UConn head coach has ties to the state, having served as the San Francisco 49ers’ defensive coordinator and as head coach at UCLA, showcasing proven head-coaching experience at both the college and professional levels. The experienced operator also served as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks in the NFL, compiling a 31-33 record across four seasons.
Mora has transformed the Huskies from a perennial losing team into a legitimate winning force since taking over in 2022, and UConn is 8-3 so far in 2025, including an undefeated home record for the first time since 2010, meaning the Huskies are bowl-bound for the third time in four years under his tenure. He checks a lot of boxes as a former head coach with experience and the proven ability to make a struggling team competitive.
4. Tim Plough - UC Davis Head Coach
After the success of Curt Cignetti in Bloomington, many teams are expected to follow the ‘Indiana’ model in their head coaching searches, exploring the potential of coaches who have dominated at the FCS level and can replicate that success at the Power Four level. For Cal, that could be Tim Plough.
The current UC Davis head coach has ties to the program, having previously been the team’s tight ends coach in 2023 before returning to the Aggies to take on the head coaching role at his alma mater.
The former quarterback is widely viewed as an up-and-comer in the coaching ranks at just 40 years old. He became the youngest offensive coordinator in FCS Division I history at 25 in 2010 and has showcased a pass-first attack and a winning culture, garnering him attention from the FBS level. There is no doubt it would be a gamble for Cal to hire a coach from the FCS level.
But the promising head coach led his team to an unprecedented No. 5 finish in 2024, and his reputation grows year over year. Still, it could represent a golden opportunity for the Bears to hire a young coach with an upward trajectory as he transitions to the higher level.
5. Bryan Harsin - Cal Offensive Coordinator
Bryan Harsin crashed and burned at Auburn but has rebuilt his reputation as a dynamic offensive mind, returning to the sport as Cal’s offensive coordinator in 2025. Harsin was fired by Auburn in October 2022 with a 9-12 record after less than two tumultuous seasons. Furthermore, Harsin has done a stellar job of making the Cal offense credible, despite multiple high-profile players entering the transfer portal in the summer, including running back Jadyn Ott and quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
The development of true freshman quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele has been crucial for the Bears in 2025, and retaining his services for 2026 will be critical for Cal. The star quarterback has hinted he wants to stay in Berkeley next season, but the best way to do so may be to promote Harsin permanently to the top position.
And the current OC comes with substantial experience, having coached Auburn, Boise State, and Arkansas State. Harsin didn’t have a losing record until he landed in Auburn, having seven winning seasons with the Broncos and a 69-19 record in Boise between 2014 and 2020. At Boise State, Harsin won three Mountain West Conference championships, led the Broncos to five 10-win seasons, and won the 2014 Fiesta Bowl.
OWAIN JONES
college football & NFL DRAFT ANALYST
OWAIN jones COVERS EVERYTHING college football & NFL DRAFT. COMING WITH PLENTY OF EXPERIENCE, OWAIN was PREVIOUSLY a writer for pfsn and WAS THE NFL DRAFT EDITOR AT NINETY-NINE YARDS WHERE HE CREATED DRAFT TALK, YOU CAN FOLLOW HIM ON TWITTER @OwainJonesCFB_