Cal fires Justin Wilcox, names Nick Rolovich interim after first loss to Stanford since 2020: Sources

The University of California, Berkeley has dismissed head football coach Justin Wilcox after a 31-10 defeat to Stanford, ending his nine-year tenure with a 48-55 record. Despite a recent victory over Louisville ensuring bowl eligibility, the loss to Stanford, highlighted by fumbles and penalties, prompted the change. Offensive analyst Nick Rolovich, previously fired from Washington State for vaccine mandate non-compliance, will serve as interim head coach. Cal's final regular-season game is against SMU, which is competing for a spot in the ACC Championship. The program, under general manager Ron Rivera, aims to regain national competitiveness, a status last seen during Jeff Tedford's era in the 2000s. Potential candidates for the coaching position include Oregon's Tosh Lupoi, UConn's Jim Mora, San Diego State's Sean Lewis, and UC Davis's Tim Plough.