Why They Coach: Cal Offensive Coordinator Bill Musgrave
With football in a nebulous position and the recruiting process in a relative holding pattern, we at Golden Bear Report are looking to do interviews wherever we can. This week, we got Cal offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave on the phone, talking about his relationship with Justin Wilcox and how he evaluates quarterbacks
Previous Installments: Justin Wilcox, Part One | Justin Wilcox, Part Two | Charlie Ragle, Part One | Charlie Ragle, Part Two | Peter Sirmon, Part One | Peter Sirmon, Part Two | Aristotle Thompson, Part One | Aristotle Thompson, Part Two | Angus McClure, Part One | Angus McClure, Part Two | Tim DeRuyter, Part One | Tim DeRuyter, Part Two | Andrew Browning, Part One | Andrew Browning, Part Two | Burl Toler, Part One | Burl Toler, Part Two
TT: What sports did you play growing up?
BM: Really enjoyed tennis as a kid, basketball, started playing tackle football in fifth grade, I was on the Vikings, wore number 30, had a great time in fifth and sixth grade, that was my first tackle football experience. Baseball was big where I grew up, in western Colorado, home of the JuCo World Series for the last 60 years in Grand Junction, and little league baseball, I really was fortunate to participate in a bunch of them.
TT: I’m always curious with quarterbacks, when did you know you wanted to play quarterback?
BM: I think some of us fellas evolve into playing quarterback even when we’re in the backyard, playing backyard football or when we started playing catch with our dads, just shooting baskets, throwing darts, pitching horseshoes, playing catch, it just becomes a way of life.
TT: You brought up the baseball bit and in practice, I’ve seen you wear the baseball glove while running through drills, is that partially inspired by that (upbringing)?
BM: (Laughs) That’s great, that started when I was the quarterbacks coach for Matt Ryan in Atlanta, we were trying to get more out of our individual drills where they weren’t so half speed, those drills should be game speed, and Matt, I wanted to him to feel like he could throw full speed to me even though I may not be able to catch like Tony Gonzalez or Roddy White, I wanted him to throw to me like I was those guys so we could get maximum value out of an individual period. That glove is a tremendous crutch for me where I can use it as a blocker and catch some full speed passes no matter how far I am from a QB and he can feel like he can get the most out of a drill.
TT: From your time playing multiple sports as a kid, to Oregon, then through the pros, who would you say influenced you the most as to how you coach now?
BM: I’d say I learned so much as a player. At Oregon, Bob Toledo was my position coach my first three years, then once I got into the NFL I was so fortunate to be coached by Mike Shanahan for three out of my four years with the 49ers. My initial year I was there with Mike Holmgren, then being able to follow coach Shanahan and Gary Kubiak to Denver for a couple years, talk about being in the right place at the right time.
TT: You had coached in college prior to this year, at Virginia in 2001 and 2002, what led you to come back to the college game, and what have been some of the differences for you between college and the NFL so far?
BM: I’ve enjoyed every place that I’ve worked whether I’ve been a player or coach, I really enjoyed the experience, I learned so much at Virginia, it was just a natural transition for me when I had the opportunity to be on Justin Wilcox’s staff, I just jumped at the chance. The level of coaching, that doesn’t figure into the criteria for me. I enjoy the teaching component, I enjoy competition and coaching in general. I know I’ve been affected by so many tremendous teachers and coaches in my lifetime, it’s great to be on the other end of that equation and give back.
TT: How did you initially connect with Justin Wilcox?
BM: Knew him when he was going to school in Junction City, Oregon, his dad was around the program when I got there in 1986, met his dad and his older brother, knew them well from us being in the Eugene area. From 1986 through 1990, we became close, and as Justin has embarked on his coaching career, I’ve followed it, I’ve really been proud of what he’s accomplished.
I’ve been in touch with Justin year in and year out, since he started coaching in Berkeley (in 2003). I remember when he would come and recruit when he was at Boise State, when he was down in Georgia, stay with us and our family in Atlanta when I was coaching with the Falcons, then he was in Tennessee for a time, and we were living it Atlanta, so he was close, we were at the game where Tennessee played Oregon, I think it was the game where LaMichael James reversed field, we’ve been in touch year in and you out.
TT: When do you know you wanted to transition into coaching?
BM: I don’t remember the specific point, but I know that’s been present in my mind. I’ve enjoyed athletics my entire life and never could see myself doing anything in life that didn’t involve athletics.
TT: You transitioned into coaching in the NFL pretty immediately after playing in the NFL, how was that experience?
BM: That was unique, it was exciting for me because I wanted to hit the ground running and get to work, learn my trade, learn my craft, any experience was valuable whether I was 30 or 52 years old. I was excited to start working my way up.
TT: You’ve been the offensive coordinator for a lot of defensive minded coaches, what’s it like being in that role?
BM: It’s a great opportunity to be on the staff of a lot of these gentlemen, the smart guys are on defense, those are where all the brilliant geniuses (are), they really know football better than any of us, so it’s really a challenge to go up against those defensive coordinators, whether it be Monte Kiffin, Wade Phillips, Dick Lebeau, Dom Capers like I’ve been able to go against for years and those guys know more football than I will ever know.
It’s not only exciting to go up against those guys, but also work for real prominent defensive coaches, where it be Jack del Rio, or George Siefert, Leslie Frazier, or Ray Rhodes, it’s a great learning experience I think.
TT: With being back in the college game, you’ve had to jump back into recruiting, which is a different world in 2020 than it was when you were at Virginia in 2002, how has getting back into the swing of things been?
BM: I enjoyed the recruiting component when I was at Virginia and I have enjoyed it since I was hired here in January at California, I enjoyed visiting with the young men, learning what makes them tick, seeing if perhaps California or Virginia would be a good fit for them and really being objective in the evaluation process, that’s something I really embrace.
TT: I know when we’ve talked to coach Wilcox in the past about QB recruiting, he’s talked about looking for the ‘plus one’ or the one thing a kid excels at, what do you look for in evaluating quarterbacks?
BM: I think that’s right, we want to look for a dominant trait and traits that fit our team. They need to be team oriented people and be able to be authentic, guys that we would welcome into our environment, into our arena, into our locker room, of course to be able to thrive in Berkeley.
It’s a unique skillset that a young man must have both on the field and off the field to be considered.
In football, quarterbacks come in all sizes with all types of skillsets, many ways to skin the cat when you play quarterback. If you want to be effective, you have to throw the football, you’ve got to be accurate. If you’re more reliant on your legs, you have to be explosive to get out of trouble or make people miss, create explosive plays with your legs if you’re not a real passer. That’s what’s great about the sport of football, there’s no one way to do it, there’s no cookie cutter type quarterback. I really enjoy the variety.
TT: And you have that variety with your current group with different sizes, how has it been working with that group so far?
BM: It’s been great, fortunately we got four practices in, back there in March before things got shut down, it was a great first impression that all of them made, can’t wait to get back on the field with them this summer and continue the process.
TT: Why Cal for you?
BM: I think, as I talked about before, it was a great opportunity to work for Justin Wilcox and his staff, Marques and Burl are amazing coaches, and Aristotle and Angus coming on board with me, I’m fired up about being on the offensive staff, it has been terrific thus far and I know it’s going to get better