I put together a bunch of candidates that it seems possible for Cal to go after, from a salary and based on their success in other places. Needs more tweaking, so let me know who else I should look into. They can give raises to just about any of these guys, though cost of living is higher in Berkeley than pretty much all of these places. Might be lower than Seattle
Note: Art Kaufman made 593,000 in 2016 according to USA Today's sports board
Already rumored, serviceable if not too exciting tier
Tim Deruyter
Fired Fresno Coach
Was making: $1,548,480 in 2016
Nor-Cal connections: Some
Preferred Defensive scheme: 3-4
Has defensive coordinator experience from Ohio, Air Force, Nevada, and two years at Texas A&M. Has experience moving defenses from a 4-3 to a 3-4, though that may not be entirely desirable with Cal not having that kind of linebacker depth nor a 3-4 NT. Fresno State tenure fizzled out at the end, with his recruits.
G5 Coordinator Tier
Nate Woody
Defensive Coordinator/Outside Linebackers Coach at Appalachian State
Salary in 2016: $200,000
Woody led a defense that was tops in TD/INT Ratio (.5), 6th in pass efficiency defense, 5th in yards per pass attempt allowed, 8th in redzone defense, and 2nd in interceptions as Appalachian State won the Sun Belt
Prior Experience: Four Years at App State as DC, twelve years at Wofford as DC.
Accolades: Was among 36 nominees for the Broyles award for top assistant coach in the country
Nor-Cal connections: None
Defensive Scheme: 3-4
Tony Pecararo
Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Coach at Southern Mississippi
Salary in 2016: $125,000
In his first season after coming over from Alcorn State, the USM defense was 12th in sack rate, 3rd in first downs allowed per game, 8th in percentage of opponents plays that resulted in a turnover, sack or TFL, and 2nd in opponent's 3rd down conversion percentage (23.94%).
Scheme: 4-3 with a designated rush end.
Nor-Cal Connections: Few to none
Prior experience: Alcorn State DC, North Alabama DC, Florida State defensive quality coach and student assistant
Nick Holt
Interim Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator at Western Kentucky
2016 Salary: $303,000
Defensive Scheme: 4-3
Former Pac-12 Coordinator under Pete Carroll at USC and Sark at UW. Has recruiting ties to the state of CA. Was recruiting coordinator at Arkansas in 2012. Defense ranked 4th in the country in rushing yards allowed, and 5th in yards per carry allowed (3.03). Secondary broke up the 4th most passes per game. Plays with a relatively fast offense at WKU. Defense did get murdered against Baylor in 2011 at UW.
Pac-12 Assistants Tier
Alex Grinch
Defensive Coordinator/Secondary Coach, Wazzu
Salary in 2016: $575,000
Scheme: Flexible, shifts between 3 and 4 down linemen
Rumors of Cal going after Leavitt before he agreed to terms with Oregon don't put going after Grinch out of the realm of possibility. Grinch comes from a school that runs a similar, faster paced Air-Raid Offense, but the biggest difference is that Wazzu's defense got off the field more often, facing ten fewer plays per game (67 on average to 77 for Cal). Good resume, succeeding as DB Coach at Mizzou. Broyles Award Candidate in 2015
Bob Gregory
Assistant Head Coach/Linebackers Coach/Special Teams Coordinator at UW
Salary in 2016: $490,008 base salary
Gregory was Cal's defensive coordinator from 2002-2009
Scheme: 4-3 (at Cal)
Gregory oversaw a solid linebacking group, with Azeem Victor, Joe Mathis, Keishawn Bierria, DJ Beavers and Ben Burr-Kirven all playing well as UW made the playoff. Known commodity. Knows the Pac-12. Coaches linebackers well. Not a bad recruiter, but not going to take the world by storm in that area
Nor-Cal Connections: Some
Jimmy Lake
Co-defensive coordinator/DBs coach for UW
Salary in 2016: $501,504
Scheme: UW runs a 4-3 currently
Success of the UW defense is apparent, especially with talents like Budda Baker, Kevin King, Sidney Jones, and Jojo McIntosh, among others. Can recruit and coach up guys. Jones was either tops or second best corner Cal faced all year, and Lake has been there for 3 out of the 4 years. Could be a similar situation to Spavital, hasn't coordinated a defense on his own. Lake does want to be a head coach in the near future, so a DC job could be the start of a build to it. Has coached under Petersen (and fellow co-DC Kwiatkowski) for five years, may not be amenable to leaving due to loyalty, but he's worth going after
Recruiting Ability (Quote from Budda Baker)
“I tend to know who’s faking it and who’s being real,” said Baker, who starred at Bellevue High School, “and when I met him, I knew it was real.”
Lowlight: Was on the coaching staff of the 2008 0-16 Detroit Lions
Cal Alum Tier
Hardy Nickerson Sr.
Defensive Coordinator
Salary in 2016: $550,000
Scheme: 4-3
Probably as ideal a candidate with Cal ties that you can get (aside from that special somebody who can warm a Tuscaloosa Heart). Hardy Jr. is graduating now, so that takes away one big reason to stay (the other big one is loyalty to Lovie Smith, who did give him his first coordinator job). He can return to an area he had success in, has ties with Bishop O'Dowd from being the coach there for four years, and understands the high schools around the area.
No God, Please No Tier
Brady Hoke
No introduction needed
Former Oregon Defensive Coordinator
Salary in 2016: Too Much
Scheme: Terrible
Headset: Nah
His defenses last season got shredded repeatedly. This isn't happening. Even Cal isn't that dumb. I hope
Out of these guys, I'd ideally go for Lake or Hardy Sr. The cards may not play out that way however.
Again, I think a DC hire may not materialize until after the AFCA (American Football Coaches Association) Convention from January 8-11.
Note: Art Kaufman made 593,000 in 2016 according to USA Today's sports board
Already rumored, serviceable if not too exciting tier
Tim Deruyter
Fired Fresno Coach
Was making: $1,548,480 in 2016
Nor-Cal connections: Some
Preferred Defensive scheme: 3-4
Has defensive coordinator experience from Ohio, Air Force, Nevada, and two years at Texas A&M. Has experience moving defenses from a 4-3 to a 3-4, though that may not be entirely desirable with Cal not having that kind of linebacker depth nor a 3-4 NT. Fresno State tenure fizzled out at the end, with his recruits.
G5 Coordinator Tier
Nate Woody
Defensive Coordinator/Outside Linebackers Coach at Appalachian State
Salary in 2016: $200,000
Woody led a defense that was tops in TD/INT Ratio (.5), 6th in pass efficiency defense, 5th in yards per pass attempt allowed, 8th in redzone defense, and 2nd in interceptions as Appalachian State won the Sun Belt
Prior Experience: Four Years at App State as DC, twelve years at Wofford as DC.
Accolades: Was among 36 nominees for the Broyles award for top assistant coach in the country
Nor-Cal connections: None
Defensive Scheme: 3-4
Tony Pecararo
Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Coach at Southern Mississippi
Salary in 2016: $125,000
In his first season after coming over from Alcorn State, the USM defense was 12th in sack rate, 3rd in first downs allowed per game, 8th in percentage of opponents plays that resulted in a turnover, sack or TFL, and 2nd in opponent's 3rd down conversion percentage (23.94%).
Scheme: 4-3 with a designated rush end.
Nor-Cal Connections: Few to none
Prior experience: Alcorn State DC, North Alabama DC, Florida State defensive quality coach and student assistant
Nick Holt
Interim Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator at Western Kentucky
2016 Salary: $303,000
Defensive Scheme: 4-3
Former Pac-12 Coordinator under Pete Carroll at USC and Sark at UW. Has recruiting ties to the state of CA. Was recruiting coordinator at Arkansas in 2012. Defense ranked 4th in the country in rushing yards allowed, and 5th in yards per carry allowed (3.03). Secondary broke up the 4th most passes per game. Plays with a relatively fast offense at WKU. Defense did get murdered against Baylor in 2011 at UW.
Pac-12 Assistants Tier
Alex Grinch
Defensive Coordinator/Secondary Coach, Wazzu
Salary in 2016: $575,000
Scheme: Flexible, shifts between 3 and 4 down linemen
Rumors of Cal going after Leavitt before he agreed to terms with Oregon don't put going after Grinch out of the realm of possibility. Grinch comes from a school that runs a similar, faster paced Air-Raid Offense, but the biggest difference is that Wazzu's defense got off the field more often, facing ten fewer plays per game (67 on average to 77 for Cal). Good resume, succeeding as DB Coach at Mizzou. Broyles Award Candidate in 2015
Bob Gregory
Assistant Head Coach/Linebackers Coach/Special Teams Coordinator at UW
Salary in 2016: $490,008 base salary
Gregory was Cal's defensive coordinator from 2002-2009
Scheme: 4-3 (at Cal)
Gregory oversaw a solid linebacking group, with Azeem Victor, Joe Mathis, Keishawn Bierria, DJ Beavers and Ben Burr-Kirven all playing well as UW made the playoff. Known commodity. Knows the Pac-12. Coaches linebackers well. Not a bad recruiter, but not going to take the world by storm in that area
Nor-Cal Connections: Some
Jimmy Lake
Co-defensive coordinator/DBs coach for UW
Salary in 2016: $501,504
Scheme: UW runs a 4-3 currently
Success of the UW defense is apparent, especially with talents like Budda Baker, Kevin King, Sidney Jones, and Jojo McIntosh, among others. Can recruit and coach up guys. Jones was either tops or second best corner Cal faced all year, and Lake has been there for 3 out of the 4 years. Could be a similar situation to Spavital, hasn't coordinated a defense on his own. Lake does want to be a head coach in the near future, so a DC job could be the start of a build to it. Has coached under Petersen (and fellow co-DC Kwiatkowski) for five years, may not be amenable to leaving due to loyalty, but he's worth going after
Recruiting Ability (Quote from Budda Baker)
“I tend to know who’s faking it and who’s being real,” said Baker, who starred at Bellevue High School, “and when I met him, I knew it was real.”
Lowlight: Was on the coaching staff of the 2008 0-16 Detroit Lions
Cal Alum Tier
Hardy Nickerson Sr.
Defensive Coordinator
Salary in 2016: $550,000
Scheme: 4-3
Probably as ideal a candidate with Cal ties that you can get (aside from that special somebody who can warm a Tuscaloosa Heart). Hardy Jr. is graduating now, so that takes away one big reason to stay (the other big one is loyalty to Lovie Smith, who did give him his first coordinator job). He can return to an area he had success in, has ties with Bishop O'Dowd from being the coach there for four years, and understands the high schools around the area.
No God, Please No Tier
Brady Hoke
No introduction needed
Former Oregon Defensive Coordinator
Salary in 2016: Too Much
Scheme: Terrible
Headset: Nah
His defenses last season got shredded repeatedly. This isn't happening. Even Cal isn't that dumb. I hope
Out of these guys, I'd ideally go for Lake or Hardy Sr. The cards may not play out that way however.
Again, I think a DC hire may not materialize until after the AFCA (American Football Coaches Association) Convention from January 8-11.
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