NEW SEARCH BEGINS FOR REPLACING JUSTIN WILCOX AT CAL FOOTBALL

California Golden Bears general manager Ron Rivera announced yesterday that the university had fired head coach Justin Wilcox. The move ended a nine-year run that included 48 wins, five bowl appearances and a recent stretch anchored by a strong start from freshman quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele.

Rivera thanked Wilcox for his professionalism and work with the program, then made clear the school believed a leadership change was necessary. This was one day after a 31-10 loss to Stanford that snapped a four-game winning streak in our biggest rivalry. The loss to Stanford continued a late-season slide for a team that opened 5-2 before dropping three of four. Cal had already been fighting roster turnover after losing high-profile players last offseason, including quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who is now a Heisman frontrunner at Indiana.

Rivera elevated senior offensive assistant Nick Rolovich as interim head coach. Rolovich previously led Hawaii and Washington State and now steps in as the program prepares for its last regular season game. Rivera also confirmed the school would begin a national search for its next head football coach.