12 Coaching Candidates to Replace Justin Wilcox at California

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California fired coach Justin Wilcox on Sunday. His dismissal was a day after the Golden Bears lost 31-10 to rival Stanford, which dropped the team’s record to 6-5 this season. Wilcox finished his tenure in Berkeley with a 48-55 record and guided the program to four bowl trips in that span. Although Wilcox brought a stable floor to the program, California never won more than eight games in a season under his watch and failed to post a winning season in conference play.

Priority No. 1 for the next California coach is keeping quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele on the roster after a standout true freshman debut this fall. Although this job has its share of challenges with resources, having a home in the ACC after the Pac-12 collapsed is a plus, and general manager Ron Rivera has brought stability at the top.

Offensive assistant Nick Rolovich is expected to work as the team’s interim head coach for the final game of the season against SMU this Saturday.

Who could replace Wilcox at California? Here are a few names to watch in the search:

Candidates to Replace Justin Wilcox as California head coach

Jason Eck, Head Coach, New Mexico
After going 26-13 as the head coach at Idaho (2022-24), Eck has emerged as one of the top hires from the ‘25 cycle at New Mexico. Eck – a former Wisconsin offensive lineman – has guided the Lobos to an 8-3 record with a chance to make the Mountain West title game. Eck was a long-time assistant before landing the top spot at Idaho and has already showcased his ability to turn around programs in a short period of time at two different jobs.

Pat Fitzgerald, Former Northwestern Head Coach
With Fitzgerald and Northwestern settling a lawsuit related to his dismissal at the school prior to the 2023 season, it’s safe to assume he will pop up in the rumor mill for openings this year. During his tenure with the Wildcats, Fitzgerald went 110-101 and guided the program to 10 bowl appearances. Northwestern also had three double-digit win seasons under his direction. Could Fitzgerald resurface on the sidelines on the West Coast in Berkeley?

Ryan Grubb, Offensive Coordinator, Alabama
Grubb doesn’t have any head-coaching experience, but he’s regarded as one of the top offensive coordinators in college football. After a one-year stint in the NFL with the Seahawks in 2024, Grubb reunited with Kalen DeBoer in Tuscaloosa this season. That duo was responsible for a Washington attack that led the way to a national title appearance in ‘23.

Sean Lewis, Head Coach, San Diego State
Lewis is expected to be on the radar for the UCLA opening and could pop up in this search as well. He’s 12-11 in two years at San Diego State, guiding the program to a 9-2 record with a chance to play for the Mountain West title this year. Prior to leading the Aztecs, Lewis went 24-31 at Kent State and guided the program to two bowl appearances.

Tosh Lupoi, Defensive Coordinator, Oregon
Lupoi should be one of the top names to replace Wilcox. The California native played in Berkeley from 2000-05 and later coached at his alma mater as an assistant from 2008-11. In addition to that stint with the Golden Bears, Lupoi has worked at Washington, Alabama, Oregon and in the NFL with the Browns, Falcons, and Jaguars. He has no previous experience as a head coach, however.

D’Anton Lynn, Defensive Coordinator, USC
Could Rivera look to an old Pac-12 rival for the team’s next coach? Although USC’s defense still has room to improve, Lynn has this group trending in the right direction by holding conference opponents to 24 points a contest. The Texas native has no experience as a head coach but has worked in the NFL with the Jets, Bills, Chargers, Texans, and Ravens and worked as a defensive play-caller at two different college stops (UCLA and USC).

Jeff Monken, Head Coach, Army
Monken doesn’t have much coaching experience on the West Coast, but he’s got a track record of success and knows how to maximize roster talent and resources. The Illinois native is 87-62 at Army and has guided the program to six bowl appearances. Prior to West Point, Monken went 38-16 at Georgia Southern.

Jim Mora, Head Coach, UConn
Mora – a native of California – previously went 46-30 as the head coach at UCLA (2012-17) and is 27-23 through four years at UConn. The Huskies have posted back-to-back nine-win campaigns and are slated to make their third bowl trip in four years under Mora’s watch.

Dan Mullen, Head Coach, UNLV
Could Mullen show some interest in another opening at the power conference level? He’s 9-2 in his first season at UNLV and previously went 34-15 at Florida (2018-21) and 69-46 at Mississippi State (2009-17). Mullen is regarded as one of the top offensive minds in college football.

Nick Rolovich, Interim Head Coach, California
Rolovich is slated to work as California’s interim coach for the final game of ‘25. Could he make a case for the full-time role? He went 5-6 at Washington State from 2020-21 before his dismissal but went 28-27 at Hawaii from 2016-19. The California native has a track record of success on offense, which will certainly be appealing with Sagapolutele’s potential.

Will Stein, Offensive Coordinator, Oregon
Stein doesn’t have any experience as a head coach, but he’s considered one of the rising stars in the coordinator ranks. The Ducks rank second in the Big Ten in scoring (39.3 points a game) and are fourth nationally in yards per play (7.2). Before arriving in Eugene (2023), Stein worked as the play-caller at UTSA for one season (‘22).

Brent Vigen, Head Coach, Montana State
Vigen is one of the top coaches at the FCS level, guiding Montana State to a 57-12 record since ‘21. The Bobcats recorded a top-10 finish every year under Vigen’s watch and played for the FCS Championship in ‘24. Prior to taking over at Montana State, Vigen worked as an offensive assistant at North Dakota State and Wyoming.

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Nov 24, 2025, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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12 Coaching Candidates to Replace Justin Wilcox at California

Candidates to Replace Justin Wilcox as California head coach

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