Cal Football: Justin Wilcox Cites 'The Fit' as Key Quality Next Offensive Coordinator Must Bring

Bears also have staff vacancies at O-line and running backs coach

The celebrating wasn't going to last long after Cal's 35-20 win over Illinois in the Redbox Bowl on Monday at Levi's Stadium.

Not for coach Justin Wilcox, anyway.

Wilcox has serious work to do to reassemble a full coaching staff after the departure of three offensive assistants. 

-- Offensive coordinator Beau Baldwin began full-time work as head coach at Cal Poly on Tuesday.

-- Running backs coach Nicholas Edwards is following Baldwin to San Luis Obispo.

-- And veteran offensive line coach Steve Greatwood, 61, announced his retirement after 40 years coaching at the college and NFL level.

Wilcox already has begun sifting through candidates for the OC position, but the process now will accelerate.

Asked after the Redbox Bowl what he's looking for in an offensive coordinator, Wilcox said, "The fit. First as a person, someone who's going to fit in at Cal and coach our guys he right way. 

"Because there's a lot of people who can draw up Xs and Os. . . . It's the right type of coach for our guys and the right system that's got to fit us."

Wilcox said he's identified a lot of good candidates and hopes to make a hire "in the short term."

Whoever lands the job will inherit an experienced offensive roster. The Bears are scheduled to return every player who started against Illinois, and they also get back two offensive linemen -- Will Craig and Gentle Williams -- who were injured and lost for the season almost before the schedule began.

Quarterback Chase Garbers will be the offensive headliner after directing the Bears to victories in their final three games this season. The Bears scored a season-high point total against Illinois and averaged 29 points over those final three games.

Garbers completed 66 percent of his passes for 787 yards with six touchdowns and just one interception in the wins over Stanford, UCLA and Illinois.