Cal Football: Marques Tuiasosopo Leaving to Become Offensive Coordinator at Rice

One-time star quarterback at Washington spent four seasons at Cal

Marques Tuiasosopo, who has served four seasons on Justin Wilcox’s staff at Cal and most recently as tight ends coach, reportedly will leave to become offensive coordinator at Rice.

Football Scoop was first to report the news.

Tuiasosopo, who will turn 42 next month, joins the staff of Rice head coach Mike Bloomgren, beginning his fourth season after seven years as an offensive assistant at Stanford.

Rice is 7-23 the past three years under Bloomgren, and has not had a winning season since 2014.

Tuiasosopo will replace Jerry Mack, who is joining coach Josh Heupel’s staff at Tennessee.

Football Scoop twitter, with interesting comment from former Cal quarterback Ross Bowers

There isn’t a better Coach out there. Tui saved my career and helped me become the best Me I could be. Forever grateful for my dawg! Just became a Rice fan 🤙🏻

— Ross Bowers (@_RossBowers) February 14, 2021

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A star quarterback at Washington, Tuiasosopo went to play parts of six seasons with the Oakland Raiders.

He was quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator at Cal in 2017 and ’18 before moving over to coach tight ends in 2019 and last fall.

Tuiasosopo worked as passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach at UCLA in 2016 after two seasons as associate head coach and tight ends coach at USC. He spent 2013 at Washington, where he was quarterbacks coach and designated as interim head coach for the Fight Hunger Bowl, which the Huskies won.

The son of former 49ers defensive line great Manu Tuiasosopo, Marques is the third member of Wilcox’s staff to exit this offseason. Co-defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter left to become defensive coordinator at Oregon and strength coach Torre Becton moved on for the same position at Texas.

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Cover photo Marques Tuiasosopo by Al Sermeno, KLC fotos 

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