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Published Dec 9, 2023

Reports: Cal to hire Ole Miss analyst Sterlin Gilbert as quarterbacks coach

Maria Kholodova

Golden Bear Report Staff Writer

Cal appears to have found its next quarterbacks coach with John Brice of FootballScoop.com and others reporting Saturday that Sterlin Gilbert will step in following the departure of Jake Spavital earlier this month. Spavital guided the Bears as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach this season prior to his recent move to Baylor.

Gilbert spent the past season as an analyst at Ole Miss, but comes to Cal with a deep history of serving as both quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator, most recently as Syracuse’s OC/QB coach. Gilbert spent just two seasons at Syracuse, as he was not retained on staff for the 2022 season following a combined 6-17 record through 2020 and 2021.

In 2019, Gilbert also served as head coach at McNeese State following a five-year span of joint play calling and quarterbacks coach duties at as many schools. His previous stints include stops at Tulsa, Texas and South Florida.

Cal’s newly appointed offensive coordinator Mike Bloesch, who spent this season as the Bears’ run game coordinator and offensive line coach, worked with Gilbert at Tulsa. In 2015, Gilbert was Tulsa’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, while Bloesch served as a quality control coach working with the tight ends before stepping in as the team’s offensive line coach for the next three years. The two also worked together at Temple High School in Texas in 2011.

Gilbert’s biggest success at the FBS level has been coaching USF’s quarterback Quinton Flowers (3,989 total yards, 36 touchdowns) in 2017, however the quality of the Bulls’ offense declined considerably the following year.

In his first collegiate role, Gilbert worked with Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo at Eastern Illinois. During Gilbert's two seasons as offensive coordinator at the FCS program, between 2012 and 2013, the quarterback won the Walter Payton Award and passed for 8,873 yards and 84 touchdowns.

Cal is heading into this offseason with a presumed starter in redshirt freshman Fernando Mendoza, who earned the starting job in Week 6 of this season after opening the season as a backup to Ben Finley and Sam Jackson V. With Finley already in the transfer portal, Cal may be looking to the transfer portal to fill its quarterback room, although the Bears have a three-star high school commit in EJ Caminong set to join the team in 2024.

The program is yet to make an official announcement on Gilbert’s hiring.

Cal announced Saturday morning that graduate assistant Mike Saffell would be promoted to the role of tight ends coach, so Gilbert would complete the staff on the offensive side of the ball.