Cal Football Countdown: 67 Days, Worst Case Scenarios, Part 4

The following scenario is speculative. It is in no way something we here at Cal Rivals are wishing for – let us repeat, in no way what we are wishing for -- and is merely a thought exercise into what we think might happen, should this specific scenario happen. (This, of course, is Cal after all.)

Plus, with it being the doldrums of the offseason – fall camp is so close and so far away – and us needing to continue filling out our preseason countdown, this can sometimes take us to weird, unexpected places. So, what happens if:

Gerald Alexander is hired off?

In the 7 or so years I’ve covered the program, there’ve been significantly less than that number of coaches who have brought the kind of personality, swagger, and immediate affability that Alexander does. He’s absolutely perfect for coaching this new generation of kids, which is why it would sting to have him depart for any reason.

When Alexander was hired for Cal, he didn’t have a particularly distinctive track record, but he sure as hell does now – and that’s before the draft picks start coming next year.

Schools will come looking, although I keep holding out hope that with a 4th child on the way, perhaps he might be more interested in remaining put for a bit. (This thought has been floated in social media by his wife a few times, if I recall correctly.)

In any case, let’s say he is hired out.

Compared to DeRuyter, who has several clear replacement options already on the staff, filling Alexander’s spot in the same way would be a bit tougher. There’s a bigger chance they look outside for a new DB coach than they would a new DC, unless they feel that graduate assistant Ryan Conry, who arrived at Berkeley in February after three years at Ohio State, is ready to go. (This would be more akin to Jacob Peeler stepping in for Rob Likens than Andrew Browning for Tuioti; Browning had been a positional coach for five years already.)

The DBs probably wouldn’t straight fall off a cliff without GA, but there would be a tremendous loss there all the same, just because of how quickly he turned the weakest position group this decade into the strongest.

A couple more notes from Trace:

At the moment of writing this, Alexander is the only assistant with a contract with an end-date beyond 2020. He's also gotten bumps up in his paycheck every year, a trend expected to continue thanks to the success he's having with the group.

It wouldn't be a surprise to see Alexander with a co-DC title in the next couple years in Berkeley, similar to what Jimmy Lake has up in Washington. Alexander's ascent does mirror Lake's at Washington, though over a shorter period of time.

Scenario likelihood: Medium

Scenario survivability: Medium-Low