Cal’s season has reached the point where the results are loud enough that even the general manager is speaking bluntly about what’s gone wrong.
Ron Rivera didn’t sugarcoat the situation Thursday on KNBR’s “Murph & Markus Show,” acknowledging that first-year head coach Tosh Lupoi has taken his lumps during a 3-6 start that has now turned into three straight losses.
“Tosh came in as a first-time head coach,” Rivera said. “He did bring a couple of inexperienced coordinators with him. Things didn't work out the way we needed them to work out on offense.”
One of those issues surfaced earlier this season when Lupoi removed offensive coordinator Jordan Somerville from play-calling duties during a loss to UNLV. Somerville had no offensive coordinator experience when Lupoi hired him away from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Rivera said he has tried to help, but he also made clear that the two haven’t always been aligned.
“He has bumped his head a lot,” Rivera added. “We've talked a lot, tried to give him a lot of advice, point him in the right direction.
Some of it, he's been very receptive, and other portions of it, he hasn't. And it's those things that sometimes you've gotta learn for yourself before you think, 'Oh wow, this is it.'
I'd like to continue to stress that this is a guy that's learning, growing.”
With the season moving into its final stretch, Rivera said the expectation now is simple: show progress.
“Now it's time,” the two-time NFL Coach of the Year said. “These last three games, hopefully four, the trajectory has to be going north.
We have to show that we are growing - there has been some growth and development of our players, our team, and the culture is getting stronger. Those are all things that you have to have.”
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Cal's Tosh Lupoi Era Is Already Facing Pressure Fans Feared
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Now the off-field chatter is starting to match the frustration on the field. A reported meeting involving Chancellor Rich Lyons, Lupoi and general manager Ron Rivera has only added to the sense that things are not entirely settled behind the scenes, while the long-term picture at quarterback is also drawing attention as Jaron-Keawe Sagapoluteles future in Berkeley comes into question. [Read more 🡒]
Cals Fast Start Now Faces Its First Real Test Against Houston
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The bigger challenge arrives next, and it is a significant one. Cal is set to face No. 10 Houston in what should be a far better measuring stick for where this group really stands, especially after associate head coach Adam Mazarei guided the team in place of Mark Madsen against Radford. The Bears have looked sharp so far, but the Cougars will quickly show whether that fast start can travel against a top-tier opponent. [Read more 🡒]