Cal has come pretty close to round out many of its biggest coaching hires. Tim DeRuyter is reportedly close to being the next defensive coordinator for the Golden Bears, and we should expect an announcement in the next few days
Today, Cal made two more additions to their coaching staff. One is quarterbacks coach Marques Tuiasosopo.
Welcome to Bear Territory Coach Tuiasosopo.#GoBears pic.twitter.com/JUkrPM7ybX
— Cal Football (@CalFootball) January 23, 2017
Here is the official release from CalBears.com:
"It is important that the coaches on our staff have strong connections on the West Coast and Marques certainly has been a fixture in the football world on this side of the country for a long time," Wilcox said. "The connections he has made over the years along with his familiarity with the Pac-12 will pay tremendous dividends for us in recruiting. Also, having been a former player he understands the game from the players' perspective quite well and is enthusiastic on imparting the knowledge he has gained as both a player and young assistant coach to our players."
"I'm really excited to be joining the Cal football family and to be coaching with Justin Wilcox again," Tuiasosopo said. "Justin is a great coach and an even better person. I look forward to working with the new coaching staff that is being put together at Cal and tapping into the program's rich football history, building off that and bringing championship football back to this great University."
On the defensive side of the football, it was Gerald Alexander who was named the secondary coach of the Bears.
Welcome to Bear Territory Coach Alexander.#GoBears pic.twitter.com/idDhSqVD7P
— Cal Football (@CalFootball) January 23, 2017
Here is the official release from CalBears.com:
"Gerald has a tremendous understanding of the game and is rapidly developing into a top-notch coach and recruiter," Wilcox said. "I knew he would be a special coach one day when I was coaching him at Boise State. It was very evident that he has all of the qualities it takes to be a great coach, and I knew he had that all important 'it' factor. We are looking forward to Gerald bringing that to Cal and working effectively with our football student-athletes. He will combine the expertise he has gained coaching and playing the game with the enthusiasm he has shown teaching it."
"I'm excited to be joining the great coaching staff that is being put in place at Cal and am thrilled to be doing it at a place with such great tradition and history," Alexander said. "I am grateful for the tremendous opportunity and will do everything I can to help us be a successful football program. A lot of the information I've gained as both a player and early on in my coaching career have prepared me for this opportunity, and I'm eager to begin getting that knowledge to the players in our program."
For those counting, here is what the Cal coaching staff currently looks like.
- Offensive coordinator Beau Baldwin
- Quarterbacks coach/passing game coordinator Marques Tuiasosopo
- Offensive line coach Steve Greatwood
- Wide receivers coach Nicholas Edwards
- Defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter
- Defensive backs coach Gerald Alexander
These slots are still unfilled (and maybe one of these positions ends up getting combined with DC).
- Running backs coach (possibly run game coordinator?)
- Linebackers coach (Wilcox’s speciality is linebackers though; is it possible that Wilcox will just stick it out as his own man?)
- Defensive line coach
- Special teams/tight ends coach (in general these slots tend to be combined)