With a winning season in the bag and a berth in the Cheez-It Bowl upcoming, Cal head coach Justin Wilcox has had his contract extended through 2023, with "increased compensation, as well as a larger assistant coach salary pool designed to aid with recruitment and retention of the football staff."
Per Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle, Wilcox is set to see a boost in salary, from being the lowest paid Power 5 coach at an average of $1.9 million a year to an average of $3.25 million. Per Jon Willner of the San Jose Mercury News, the pool for assistant salaries will go up by $600,000.
"Justin is a great representative of our University, and he is building a football program centered around character, purpose and developing the entire student-athlete," Director of Athletics Jim Knowlton said in the Cal release. "We are seeing tremendous momentum and increased support and engagement among our faculty, alumni, students and fans. With the trajectory of the program, we believe it is important to show a continuing and strengthened commitment to Justin and his staff by providing additional resources. The results of his two years have generated incredible excitement, and we are enthusiastic about the future."
Wilcox's new deal puts him right around the middle of the highest paid coaches in the conference and the country, slotting him right below UCLA's Chip Kelly. Wilcox has led Cal to a 12-12 record in his two years, with wins over ranked Washington and Washington State teams, as well as breaking Cal's Pac-12 road losing streak and beating USC for the first time since 2003.
"I want to thank Chancellor Christ and Jim Knowlton for their trust and confidence in me, as well as in our staff, to lead our team," Wilcox said in the release. "They share our collective vision for Cal football, and together we are building a program that makes our university and greater Golden Bear community proud on and off the field. I am thrilled to be the head football coach at Cal and have the opportunity to work with quality student-athletes every day. I am excited about our future in Berkeley."
What this Means:
There's stability in Berkeley for the near future, as the Bears are showing a newfound willingness to pay their assistants, a problem under previous head coaches. It also shows a willingness to invest in the program, something that hasn't really been a part of Cal's football history.
It also confirms that Wilcox is here for the long haul, something shown last year when he turned down the opportunity to interview for the Oregon job. The program still has ways to go, but this shows a want to finish the job in Berkeley
