Cal Football: Justin Wilcox Talks on Benefits of Larger Salary Pool for Bears' Staff

Extra dollars for others are a critical piece of Wilcox's new contract extension.

When special teams coordinator Charlie Ragle left Cal in December to become the head coach at Idaho State, the last member of coach Justin Wilcox’s original 2017 staff was gone.

Wilcox, who is beginning his sixth year as the Bears' coach, says some staff departures are inevitable. But he would prefer not to lose talented staff simply because they can earn more elsewhere.

As recently as 2020, Cal’s staff salary pool was tied for fourth-lowest in the Pac-12 at $3.6 million. The Bears were tied with Washington State, located in Pullman, Washington, where housing prices are barely one-fourth what they are in Berkeley.

The university altered the equation some last month with the announcement that Wilcox had received a contract extension through 2027 and there also would be a undisclosed larger salary pool for others on the staff.

It’s what Wilcox says the program needs in order to take the next step toward competing at a high level. The Bears are 26-28 under Wilcox and played in bowl games after the 2018 and '19 seasons, but were a combined 6-10 the past two years.

“Chemistry is important on a team, it’s important with a coaching staff. Retaining talented people is important,” Wilcox says in the video above. “We’re very thankful that our administration and our chancellor are supporting us and doing it the way we’re doing it.

"They believe in how we’re working with these guys and who we’re bringing in to represent Cal.”

Among those who have departed during Wilcox’s tenure for a variety of reasons:

— Defensive backs coach Gerald Alexander, who oversaw the Bears’ strongest position group for three seasons, left after the 2019 season for a job with the Miami Dolphins.

— Beau Baldwin, the Bears’ offensive coordinator for three seasons, took the head coaching job at Cal Poly,

— Defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter, who built a strong defense before being demoted to co-coordinator under Peter Sirmon before the 2020 season, exited for the same position at Oregon last year.

— Veteran offensive line coach Steve Greatwood, who made his reputation over 32 years at Oregon, retired after the 2019 season.

— Jerry Azzinaro, the Bears’ defensive line coach in 2017, became UCLA’s defensive coordinator a year later. He resigned that position last month after four disappointing seasons.

“If it’s better for them and their families I’m going to support it,” Wilcox said. “What we don’t want to do is lose people laterally. Can we do it every time? I don’t know. My job is to make it a lot harder to leave.”

Tony Tuioti, who coached outside linebackers and the defensive line in two seasons at Berkeley, was hired away as Nebraska’s D-line coach in 2019. He is now at Oregon.

A year ago, after just one season handling Cal’s defensive backs, Marcel Yates departed to coach safeties at Oregon. He was among four staff members who left Berkeley after the 2020 season, joining DeRuyter, tight ends coach Marques Tuiasosopo (Rice) and strength and conditioning coach Torre Becton (to Texas).

(DeRuyter and Yates are now both at Texas Tech following the regime change at Oregon).

Wilcox said the additional salary dollars would also benefit support staff. The Bears lost recruiting coordinator Marshall Cherrington to USC (his alma mater) in 2021, but hired him back recently to serve as director of player personnel.

“All those roles are important,” Wilcox said. The additional salary money, he added, “doesn’t mean we’re going to be able to keep every assistant coach every time, but it gives us a much better chance to retain talented people.”

The new contract also sends a message to recruits that the program has strong backing from the administration that should translate to success on the field, Wilcox says in the video above.

“We think we can accomplish some very lofty goals we’ve set for ourselves. We have the right culture in the locker room and the players are bought in and work extremely well together,” he said. “Now we need to go find those inches that make the difference between winning and losing.

“Every coach, myself, and everybody in the building has got to find a way to be that much better so we can win those games. There are no excuses for myself or the players not to get that done, but it takes a lot of hard work and dedication and commitment.”

Cover photo of Cal coach Justin Wilcox by John Hefti, USA Today

Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo