Cal has found its new defensive leader - and he brings with him a résumé that’s turning heads on both the college and pro levels.
Head coach Tosh Lupoi announced the hiring of Michael Hutchings as the Golden Bears’ new defensive coordinator, adding a fast-rising coach with NFL credentials and a proven track record of elevating defenses.
Hutchings arrives in Berkeley after three seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, where he most recently served as safeties coach. In that role, he helped build one of the NFL’s most opportunistic secondaries, a unit that didn’t just make plays - it dictated games.
Let’s start with the numbers. Through 16 games this season, the Vikings rank fifth in the league in total defense, giving up just 292.7 yards per game.
Against the pass, they’ve been even better - third-best in the NFL, allowing only 168.8 yards per contest. And when it comes to points allowed, they’re sitting in the top 10, giving up just 20.8 points per game, with some teams still yet to play their 16th game.
But the 2024 season is where Hutchings’ impact truly jumped off the stat sheet. That Vikings defense helped power a 14-3 regular-season finish - the second-best mark in franchise history - and a trip to the playoffs.
The safeties, under Hutchings’ watch, were central to that success. Minnesota led the league in interceptions (24), passes defended (95), 4th-down defense (37.1% conversion rate), and interceptions per attempt (3.8%).
They also tied for the NFL lead in total takeaways with 33.
Consistency? The Vikings forced a turnover in every single regular-season game in 2024 - a franchise record - and were the only team in the NFL to do so. Their 24 picks were five more than any other team managed.
Among the standouts were former Cal Bear and Viking Cam Bynum, along with veteran All-Pro Harrison Smith. Both finished the 2024 campaign with three interceptions, tying for the team lead.
Hutchings’ fingerprints were all over the Vikings’ defensive turnaround. When he joined the staff in 2023 as assistant defensive backs coach, Minnesota jumped from 31st in total defense the year prior to 16th. That season, the Vikings led the league with 21 takeaways, 14 of which came from the secondary.
Bynum, in particular, blossomed under Hutchings. In 2023, the safety posted career highs across the board - 137 tackles (most by any defensive back in the NFL that year), nine passes defended, three forced fumbles, and two interceptions. His emergence as a do-it-all defender was a direct reflection of the kind of player development Hutchings brings to the table.
Before his time in the NFL, Hutchings built his coaching chops in the college ranks. In 2022, he coached outside linebackers at Western Kentucky, helping guide the Hilltoppers to a 9-5 season.
Prior to that, he served as a defensive analyst at Oregon in 2021, working under Mario Cristobal. But it all started at his alma mater, USC, where he began his coaching career in 2018.
At USC, Hutchings helped oversee a defensive turnaround between 2019 and 2020. The Trojans cut down their total yards allowed per game from 408.7 to 369.7, and their passing defense improved significantly as well - from 246.2 to 216.3 yards per game.
He also played a role in developing some serious talent. Safety Talanoa Hufanga became a consensus All-American and Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year under Hutchings’ guidance. Defensive lineman Marlon Tuipulotu earned All-Pac-12 first team honors in 2020.
And let’s not forget - Hutchings was a player before he was a coach. A four-year linebacker at USC from 2013 to 2016, he made 15 starts and racked up 118 tackles, including eight for loss, three sacks, two passes defensed, and an interception. He knows what it takes to lead a defense from the inside out.
Now, he brings that knowledge, experience, and energy to Cal. For a program looking to re-establish its defensive identity under Lupoi, Hutchings offers a compelling blend of NFL-caliber coaching and Pac-12 familiarity. The Bears are betting on a coach who’s already shown he can elevate a unit - and do it fast.