There is a lot of figuring out still left to do for Justin Wilcox heading into the winter months. He does know that he wants someone new running the Cal offense.
Tuesday, the eighth-year Bears coach announced that the program would go in a new direction at the offensive coordinator position and open a "national search" for a replacement for current offensive coordinator Mike Bloesch.
Details about what comes next have not been readily available, and Wilcox continued to keep things open ended when he spoke with reporters Wednesday about the decision.
He is portraying the situation to be more of a restructuring than a complete revamping of how the offensive staff will look.
"We got some really, really good football coaches, and we don't have any roles identified yet on how those adjustments are going to be made," Wilcox said. "There are going to be some adjustments. How many? I can't tell you right now, but this is the same group a year ago that had the conference's leading rusher. And, so I got a lot of belief in a number of those guys on on offense.
"I just think there's a opportunity for us to grow. And as I mentioned, nobody's been let go. We're just going to make a few adjustments."
Bloesch is in his second year at Cal but had a revolving door along the offensive line this year as he split his duties guiding the offense as a whole while also maintaining his role leading the group up front.
The offensive line made plenty of progress in 2023 in its first year under Bloesch but has regressed in some ways this year, particularly in Cal's ability to run the ball. Bloesch has had to utilize several different starting lineups throughout the season along the offensive line and was forced to turn to a second-year player, Frederick Williams III, ahead of when he was planned to see the field because of all the challenges up front.
"We have really good football coaches on our offensive staff," Wilcox said. "We're looking to supplement what we're doing on offense. There are some very difficult circumstances on that side of the ball this year, with some moving parts at O line, for example, some injuries to key players."
The offense has had to play most of the season without its top two weapons at receiver healthy as well after both Tobias Merriweather and Kyion Grayes were hurt late in training camp and missed the first half of the schedule.
Though he did not specify whether or not Bloesch will simply go back to focusing solely on the offensive line, keeping him on staff and adding a new coordinator from outside the program would mean even more shuffling among the staff to remain under the NCAA limit for allowable assistant coach numbers.
NCAA rules that went into effect this season allow for analysts to be more hands on than in the past, and it Wilcox indicated that could be how the Bears keep the staff intact while also adding another piece.
"With the way that the college football is changing, and the rules have changed on who can coach and who can't and countable recruiters and who's not countable, there's just a lot more flexibility than there used to be," he said. "So, like I said, we have some dang good coaches. There were some very difficult circumstances that they were in this year at times, and it's also an opportunity for us to grow and get better with the new rules and coaching and who's available to coach and not coach.
"So I don't have a timetable there, and when I do know more, we'll make an announcement. But, those guys are good coaches, really good people. And I envision a lot of those guys being with us. I just don't know how it's all gonna shake out right now."
There is the matter of one more game still left on the schedule for the Bears. Cal will play in a bowl game that has not been announced yet, and for now Wilcox is still deciding who will call the offensive plays in that game and how bowl prep will go for the team.
"There's a lot to be determined on how this is going to end up," the Cal head coach said. "Again, nobody's been fired, nobody's been let go. We have good coaches on our staff. We're looking to supplement and grow on offense and everywhere — on defense. Right now, I couldn't tell you exactly how this is all going to shake out in the coming days and and weeks."
