Cal has fired head coach Justin Wilcox

The Cal Golden Bears are making a change at the top of their program after nine seasons.

The Golden Bears are firing head coach Justin Wilcox, according to multiple reports. The move comes one day after Cal’s ugly 31-10 loss to rival Stanford.

Wilcox was wrapping up his ninth season as Golden Bears head coach. The team got off to a 4-1 start this season and has already clinched bowl eligibility, but a 3-4 record in ACC play combined with a lack of recent success appears to have sealed Wilcox’s fate. Cal has not had a winning season under Wilcox since 2019, when they went 8-5.

Justin Wilcox was on the rise before disappointing run with Cal 

It was not that long ago that Wilcox was in high demand as a head coach and was viewed as one of the brightest up-and-coming minds in college football. He even reportedly was offered the Oregon job in 2021 that ultimately went to Dan Lanning.

Wilcox is still highly regarded for his coaching ability, and it should be noted that he had the likes of Fernando Mendoza at Cal before he transferred and became hugely successful at Indiana. However, after a 48-55 record over nine years, the Golden Bears felt that change was needed.