Based on what Mike Williams said in the presser and obvious areas of need.
With Cal interviewing Spavital this morning (and they’ve reportedly talked to Wilcox already), it’s time to look at the areas of importance and what they’re looking for in a new coach. In addition to those three, Chip Kelly is on the shortlist, along with Jimmy Lake and Tee Martin (according to Bruce Feldman). I don’t think Martin is a true candidate, just from an experience and playcalling standpoint (had his playcalling responsibilities taken away), but we’ll entertain the thought. Lake however, is a candidate worth analyzing in these places.
Moving the ticket needle/energizing the fanbase
This is where a hire like Ron Rivera/Chip comes into play, a name that gives you instant credibility with fans/donors/etc. Rivera is especially so in that category, a year removed from a Super Bowl appearance, the Riverboat Ron nickname and someone who aggressively goes for it 4th and short (without pooch punts). Chip would move the needle with his success at Oregon, but some may feel he lost his shine after being fired from two NFL jobs relatively quickly.
The remaining three candidates don’t have the same name brand appeal, but can appeal in different ways to potential ticket buyers. Lake helped to recruit and build up a top 5 secondary in the country. Wilcox brings past Cal experience and recent success at Wisconsin, though I feel his drawing power would be based on who he can get to coach with him to (i.e. Nam’s Wilcox Scenario). Spavital has the energy and youth (would be a HC at the same age that John Madden was hired to coach the Raiders in 1967), but he has the uphill battle of perceived stagnancy to fight after being on Dykes’s staff.
One Chip Kelly story on the subject: “In 2009, Kelly responded to a season ticket holder's letter demanding a refund for his expenses after traveling to see Oregon's 19–8 loss to Boise State, a loss which ended with Ducks running back LeGarrette Blount responding to a Bronco player's taunts by punching him in the face. Kelly replied to the man with a personal check written out for his travel costs (exactly $439); in response, the fan wrote him a thank you note enclosing the original check, which he did not cash and made copies to frame.”
Connecting with current players
Spavital wins this one by a lot. The players all respect him already, he can build on the current relationships he has with them, something that Dykes didn’t do a good job of. Judging by personal interactions with him, he may not be the most “rah-rah” speech kind of guy, but he can motivate well.
Lake has the respect of his players at Washington, and got those guys up to play every game. He has a mountain of experience, but also the energy to keep everyone engaged. Rivera has instant credibility with players with his NFL experience, but also was “Bug’s uncle,” which takes him off the pedestal and makes him more relatable.
Wilcox has the tools to be relatable (and is around the same age as Dabo Swinney was when he was hired at Clemson, if you want to make that comparison) with a number of stops at various big name schools (Tennessee, USC, Wisconsin) that can give him credibility with the players.
Chip is a bit of a question mark in this area.
Recruiting
Spavital would be solid. Lake would be solid. Wilcox would be solid (depending on who he gets around him, i.e. getting Tosh, keeping Spavital, Peeler on board). Rivera and Kelly both have the names that can get recruits interested, even if Kelly is not a big fan of recruiting,
Has to be mentioned that Sapv is helping to keep the recruiting class together at the moment, reaching out to recruits almost immediately with no decommits so far.
Assembling a solid staff and defense
This is the big question for Spavital (and to a lesser extent Wilcox), in who do you get to run the defense. The assumption would be that the offensive staff remains mostly intact if Spav stays, keeping Peeler and Brandon Jones. Who would he get on the defensive side of the ball?
That brings back the Tosh question. He’s apparently one of the top two candidates for the Colorado DC job, along with the Mississippi State co-DC, so there’s a chance Cal won’t be able to get him unless they move quickly in this coaching process. If not him, then someone like Angus McClure has to come up as a name. Spavital had a lot of respect for that UCLA defense going into that game.
With Wilcox, the hope would be to keep Spavital on as OC, keep the offensive staff mostly together, and hire Tosh or someone similar. If Spavital decides he doesn’t want to stay after getting passed up for the head spot, who do you go for? Same goes for hiring Jimmy Lake
I’d be a lot less worried about assembling a staff with Rivera or Kelly
With all this, it depends on if you want a defensive minded HC or not. A part of the problem with Sonny is that there wasn't enough oversight for him on the defensive side of the ball during practice. The next guy has to change that
Gameplanning
This really is more dependent on staff and who gets hired, so hard to tell at this point. All the above choices are solid game planners
Long Term Viability
I’m not sure how much this one matters compared to others, but as far as long term coaches go, Wilcox, Lake, or Spavital would be the three candidates for that, not necessarily in that order. Getting a Harbaugh-esque coach, i.e. someone who can change the culture in a short time then leave the program as a perennial contender, would be a point of focus. I doubt a Rivera or Kelly type hire would be very long, but it might accomplish that point
GIFs
Wilcox
With Cal interviewing Spavital this morning (and they’ve reportedly talked to Wilcox already), it’s time to look at the areas of importance and what they’re looking for in a new coach. In addition to those three, Chip Kelly is on the shortlist, along with Jimmy Lake and Tee Martin (according to Bruce Feldman). I don’t think Martin is a true candidate, just from an experience and playcalling standpoint (had his playcalling responsibilities taken away), but we’ll entertain the thought. Lake however, is a candidate worth analyzing in these places.
Moving the ticket needle/energizing the fanbase
This is where a hire like Ron Rivera/Chip comes into play, a name that gives you instant credibility with fans/donors/etc. Rivera is especially so in that category, a year removed from a Super Bowl appearance, the Riverboat Ron nickname and someone who aggressively goes for it 4th and short (without pooch punts). Chip would move the needle with his success at Oregon, but some may feel he lost his shine after being fired from two NFL jobs relatively quickly.
The remaining three candidates don’t have the same name brand appeal, but can appeal in different ways to potential ticket buyers. Lake helped to recruit and build up a top 5 secondary in the country. Wilcox brings past Cal experience and recent success at Wisconsin, though I feel his drawing power would be based on who he can get to coach with him to (i.e. Nam’s Wilcox Scenario). Spavital has the energy and youth (would be a HC at the same age that John Madden was hired to coach the Raiders in 1967), but he has the uphill battle of perceived stagnancy to fight after being on Dykes’s staff.
One Chip Kelly story on the subject: “In 2009, Kelly responded to a season ticket holder's letter demanding a refund for his expenses after traveling to see Oregon's 19–8 loss to Boise State, a loss which ended with Ducks running back LeGarrette Blount responding to a Bronco player's taunts by punching him in the face. Kelly replied to the man with a personal check written out for his travel costs (exactly $439); in response, the fan wrote him a thank you note enclosing the original check, which he did not cash and made copies to frame.”
Connecting with current players
Spavital wins this one by a lot. The players all respect him already, he can build on the current relationships he has with them, something that Dykes didn’t do a good job of. Judging by personal interactions with him, he may not be the most “rah-rah” speech kind of guy, but he can motivate well.
Lake has the respect of his players at Washington, and got those guys up to play every game. He has a mountain of experience, but also the energy to keep everyone engaged. Rivera has instant credibility with players with his NFL experience, but also was “Bug’s uncle,” which takes him off the pedestal and makes him more relatable.
Wilcox has the tools to be relatable (and is around the same age as Dabo Swinney was when he was hired at Clemson, if you want to make that comparison) with a number of stops at various big name schools (Tennessee, USC, Wisconsin) that can give him credibility with the players.
Chip is a bit of a question mark in this area.
Recruiting
Spavital would be solid. Lake would be solid. Wilcox would be solid (depending on who he gets around him, i.e. getting Tosh, keeping Spavital, Peeler on board). Rivera and Kelly both have the names that can get recruits interested, even if Kelly is not a big fan of recruiting,
Has to be mentioned that Sapv is helping to keep the recruiting class together at the moment, reaching out to recruits almost immediately with no decommits so far.
Assembling a solid staff and defense
This is the big question for Spavital (and to a lesser extent Wilcox), in who do you get to run the defense. The assumption would be that the offensive staff remains mostly intact if Spav stays, keeping Peeler and Brandon Jones. Who would he get on the defensive side of the ball?
That brings back the Tosh question. He’s apparently one of the top two candidates for the Colorado DC job, along with the Mississippi State co-DC, so there’s a chance Cal won’t be able to get him unless they move quickly in this coaching process. If not him, then someone like Angus McClure has to come up as a name. Spavital had a lot of respect for that UCLA defense going into that game.
With Wilcox, the hope would be to keep Spavital on as OC, keep the offensive staff mostly together, and hire Tosh or someone similar. If Spavital decides he doesn’t want to stay after getting passed up for the head spot, who do you go for? Same goes for hiring Jimmy Lake
I’d be a lot less worried about assembling a staff with Rivera or Kelly
With all this, it depends on if you want a defensive minded HC or not. A part of the problem with Sonny is that there wasn't enough oversight for him on the defensive side of the ball during practice. The next guy has to change that
Gameplanning
This really is more dependent on staff and who gets hired, so hard to tell at this point. All the above choices are solid game planners
Long Term Viability
I’m not sure how much this one matters compared to others, but as far as long term coaches go, Wilcox, Lake, or Spavital would be the three candidates for that, not necessarily in that order. Getting a Harbaugh-esque coach, i.e. someone who can change the culture in a short time then leave the program as a perennial contender, would be a point of focus. I doubt a Rivera or Kelly type hire would be very long, but it might accomplish that point
GIFs
Wilcox
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