California fired coach Justin Wilcox on Sunday after nine seasons leading the program, the school announced on Sunday. CBS Sports first reported the news of Wilcox’s firing earlier in the day. The school owes Wilcox $10,879,167 in buyout money, according to USA Today’s college football coaching salary database.
The Golden Bears are 6-5 this season but just suffered an embarrassing 31-10 loss to rival Stanford in Week 13. Former Washington State coach Nick Rolovich, currently a senior offensive assistant with the Bears, will be the interim coach.
“I want to thank Justin for all of his contributions to our football program, our athletic department and our university,” Cal general manager Ron Rivera said in a statement. “He has always comported himself with class and professionalism. After careful consideration, we believe the time has come for new leadership. We wish Justin the best of luck in his future endeavors.”
It’s been an uneven year overall for Cal. It began the season 3-0 with a lot of momentum thanks to the presence of freshman quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele. Things have been much more uneven since, however. The Bears were blown out 34-0 by San Diego State in nonconference play, and they’re just 3-4 on the season in the ACC.
Wilcox, 49, was once considered one of the top up-and-coming coaches on the West Coast — so much so he was a candidate for Oregon when Mario Cristobal left the program following the 2021 season. It’s been a difficult run for Wilcox in the time since. The Bears haven’t produced a winning season since 2019, and they’re just 22-27 over the last four seasons.
Cal currently has a pair of interim athletic directors. It’s expected that Rivera will have a large say in the upcoming coaching search to replace Wilcox.
