Justin Wilcox is staying put at Cal. After reportedly previously turning down an opportunity to take over at his alma mater, Oregon, earlier in the offseason the Bears head coach has finally inked a contact extension that will keep him in charge of Cal's program through the 2027 season.

The deal will also increase the salary pool for Cal's assistant coaches according to the terms of the contract extension.

"Justin Wilcox is a football coach who shares our values and vision, and we want to ensure that he is the leader of our program for the long term," Cal athletic director Jim Knowlton said in a statement released by the program. "He is a great fit for Cal Athletics and our university, with a philosophy that places an emphasis on developing young men on the field, in the classroom and as people.

"I am confident our fans and alumni share my enthusiasm for the direction of our program, and the level of success we have seen to date has set a foundation for sustained excellence in the future."

Wilcox has guided the Bears to a 26-28 record over his five seasons leading the team, but he led the team to back-to-back winning seasons in 2018 and 2019. It was the first such instance in a decade.

He has helped Cal reach a bowl game twice during his stint as head coach.

"I appreciate the opportunity to be the head football coach at Cal and am excited about the future of our program," Wilcox said. "I have thoroughly enjoyed every minute I have spent with the extraordinary young men who have been in our program. We are in a great position and strongly aligned with our university thanks to the leadership of Chancellor Carol Christ and Jim Knowlton.

"I thank both of them for their continued trust and confidence in me to lead a football program that will make the entire Cal community proud. We have very high expectations. I think we've earned the right to expect more, and that's exactly what we're going to do."

The Bears finished the 2021 season with a 5-7 record and finished fourth in the Pac-12 Conference's North Division. However, the school feels it is investing in the progress it believes Wilcox will make over the next several seasons in Berkeley.

"Since the beginning of his tenure, I have been impressed by Justin Wilcox's leadership, and his commitment to enabling our student-athletes to take full advantage of the academic and athletic opportunities we offer," Christ said. "He is, in my opinion, the quintessential Berkeley coach who understands the university's values, as well as the value his program brings to the campus as a rallying point for Cal's global community. College football is a highly competitive environment, and the investment represented in Justin's new contract is commensurate with all that I know he will contribute to our university in the years ahead."

The revised deal for Wilcox will add two more years to his existing contract that had been set to expire after the 2025 season. At this time the details of the contract extension remain unknown.

The Bears have made strides to improve the roster this offseason by adding players via the transfer portal including Purdue quarterback Jack Plummer, Washington linebacker Jackson Sirmon and Utah defensive lineman Xavier Carlton.