Cal Football: Cal DB Coach Gerald Alexander Takes Job with Miami Dolphins

This is a significant loss; Justin Wilcox needs to find a replacement

Gerald Alexander, who was given much of the credi for developing Cal's outstanding seconday, has left Cal to become the defensive backs coach for the Miami Dolphins, according to multiple reports Friday.

#Cal Defensive backs coach Gerald Alexander is the new Defensive backs coach for the Miami Dolphins.

He’s instrumental in making the Cal secondary one of the best in college football. Excellent hire. Young, up and coming coach regarded as a “great defensive mind”.

— George Wrighster III (@georgewrighster) January 24, 2020

Alexander, who spent two seasons as the Bears' secondary coach, posted Twitter message Friday, thanking Cal for hiring him.

pic.twitter.com/jehGOPBabT

— Gerald Alexander (@GAlexander21) January 24, 2020

In the Miami Herald report on the hiring of Alexander, it noted that "Alexander was a journeyman safety who spent parts of the 2011 season with the Dolphins, appearing two games."

It means head coach Justin Wilcox will have another assistant coach to hire. He has already hired three new assistant coahes, but those three were all on the offensive side: Offenseive coordinator Bill Musgrave, offensive line coach Angus McClure and running backs coach Aristotle Thompson.

The loss of Alexander may be the most significant loss to the coaching staff, though.

(Click here for a story and video by our Jeff Faraudo about the impact Alexander had on Cal's seconday.)

He helped develop safeties Ashtyn Davis and Jaylinn Hawkins as well as cornerbacks Camryn Bynum and Elijah Hicks. 

Davis, who arrived as a walk-on to the Cal football program, was a second-team all-conference selection this past season, and is expected to be taken in the upcoming NFL Draft. 

Hawkins will play in NFLPA Collegiate Bowl and also has a shot at getting drafted this year.

Bynum was a second-team all-Pac-12 selection this past year, and he considered entering the NFL Draft each of the past two seasons, but he has decided to return to Cal for his final season of college eligibility.