Cal promotes Mike Saffell to tight ends coach

Mike Saffell is Cal’s new tight ends coach, the program announced via press release Saturday. Saffell replaces former tight ends coach Tim Plough, who will make the move to UC Davis to become the Aggies’ head coach after the Bears’ bowl game Dec. 16. In an internal move, the program promotes a former player and someone who has spent three years on the sidelines as a member of the staff with the Bears.

“Mike Saffell has been a tremendous asset to Cal football ever since he arrived as a player in 2017,” said Cal football head coach Justin Wilcox in the press release. “Mike knows the program better than anyone and is universally respected.”

Saffell played for Cal between 2017 and 2020 as an offensive lineman, and has been on the team’s coaching staff since then; he first served as a student coach in 2021, then as a graduate assistant for the offensive line for the past two years.

Wilcox added that over Saffell’s seven years with the program in various roles, he has proven that he is “absolutely dedicated to doing everything he can” to help the team win.

Saffell will continue to work closely with newly appointed offensive coordinator Mike Bloesch — who served as the Bears’ offensive line coach this season — after Bloesch was promoted to offensive coordinator Dec. 2 following Jake Spavital’s departure to Baylor.

Spavital also served as the Bears’ quarterbacks coach, so Wilcox confirmed last week that Plough will stay on to coach the Bears’ quarterbacks through their Independence Bowl matchup against Texas Tech.

During his time as a player with the Bears, Saffell appeared in 28 games and started 23. He medically retired with one season remaining in his collegiate career, so spent just three years on the roster. During his playing career, Saffell played in the Bears’ last two bowl games, the 2018 Cheez-It Bowl and the 2019 Redbox Bowl, and will now help the Bears as they seek a first bowl game win in four years.

“I am grateful to coach Wilcox and the other coaches on this staff for showing their confidence in me,” Saffell said in the press release. “Cal is a special place that has given so much to me, and I’m excited to be taking on this new role.”

The Bears are yet to announce a new quarterbacks coach following Spavital’s departure as the offseason coaching carousel continues.