Why did Joe Mixon decide to not attend Cal?

For those wondering why Mixon didn't come to Cal...

By Avinash Kunnath@avinashkunnath Feb 4, 2014, 7:00pm PST

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Complete CGB National Signing Day recruiting coverage

Must Reads

Complete CGB National Signing Day coverage

(This will probably be our very last Joe Mixon story, but it's worth mentioning.)

So you usually hear all the reasons that a recruit will decide to go to this school or that school, but it's not as often that you hear a recruit go out of his way to say all the reasons he's NOT going to your school. It just usually doesn't happen. There's not much benefit to doing so.

Well, Joe Mixon decided to do just that. The Oklahoma-bound running back decided to make it clear why he wasn't staying home and at Cal. From Sports Illustrated's National Signing Day Preview:

Joe Mixon used to envision playing for Cal. After all, the top-rated all-purpose running back lives in Oakley, Calif., less than an hour from Berkeley. But that was before the Golden Bears fired Jeff Tedford and replaced him with Sonny Dykes, who went 1-11 last season. On Wednesday, the mercurial Mixon is expected to sign with Oklahoma after committing to the Sooners during last month's U.S. Army All-American Bowl. He changed his mind about the Golden Bears after being told by Dykes that he wasn't going to change their pass-happy attack. "That offense that they're running, it's not going to work," Mixon says. "It was a turnoff. I don't see why they're not going to try something new."

I mean, that's fine and all. Recruits aren't going to like certain offenses, stars are going to want certain systems, someone will commit with live animals on ESPNU tomorrow, etc.

Let's just get a few things out of the way for those who are nodding their heads at Coach Mixon.

The Bear Raid is not a "pass-heavy" attack. This offense is not designed to be at its best if Jared Goff is throwing the football 70 times. The Louisiana Tech offense was designed to operate at 50% run, 50% pass, and so is this one. Because the run game was anemic last year, the Bears had to pass more. This will not likely be the case in years to come.
No coach should change their offense to suit what one talented recruit wants. That is the beginning of the end for a head coach (see Jeff Tedford's final few years at Cal).
Last year they ran more than they passed, but historically Oklahoma is a pass-first team. They do just fine.
Cal has two great running backs in this class in Vic Enwere and Tre Watson who will love to prove Mixon wrong.

That's all. See you tomorrow for Signing Day!

UPDATE: Here's what Mixon had to say.

To All The Cal People Never Said "That the offense Was A Turnoff All I Said Just Wasn't The Right Fit That's All. Just to get it right.#Cal
— ⚡PRIMETIME!!!⚡ (@Joe_MainMixon) February 5, 2014