The Cal football program is on the verge of bringing one of its own back home-this time to lead the team. According to reports, Cal is in negotiations to name Oregon defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi as its next head coach. And if this deal gets finalized, it marks a full-circle moment for a coach whose football journey started in Berkeley and has taken him through some of the biggest stages in college and pro football.
Lupoi, a Walnut Creek native, played defensive line at Cal from 2000 to 2005 before jumping straight into coaching, starting as the Bears’ defensive line coach from 2008 to 2011. Now, nearly 15 years after his first coaching stint in Berkeley, he’s poised to return-not just as a coach, but as the face of the program.
This would be a significant hire for Cal, and a notable loss for Oregon. Lupoi would be the second Ducks coordinator to leave this week, following offensive coordinator Will Stein, who took the head coaching job at Kentucky. That’s a big one-two punch for a Ducks team that’s been among the nation’s elite on both sides of the ball.
Lupoi’s coaching résumé is as layered as it is impressive. After his first run at Cal, he moved on to high-profile college gigs at Washington and Alabama, where he climbed the ranks to become co-defensive coordinator for the Crimson Tide in 2018. That season, Alabama made it to the national championship game, and Lupoi’s defense played a major role in getting them there.
He then took his talents to the NFL, working as a defensive line coach for the Cleveland Browns, Atlanta Falcons, and Jacksonville Jaguars. In 2022, he returned to the college ranks to run the defense at Oregon-and he didn’t just steady the ship, he elevated it.
This season, the Ducks boast the third-ranked defense in the FBS in both total yards allowed and passing yards allowed per game, and they’re eighth nationally in points allowed per game. That’s elite company, and it speaks volumes about Lupoi’s ability to scheme, teach, and get results.
At Cal, Lupoi would be stepping into a program looking for a fresh start. The Bears recently parted ways with Justin Wilcox, who was let go after a loss to Stanford. Wilcox, ironically an Oregon alum, led Cal from 2017 to 2025, finishing with a 48-55 overall record and a 6-5 mark this season.
Lupoi’s return would be more than just a homecoming-it would be a chance to reshape a program that’s been stuck in neutral for much of the past decade. He brings a deep understanding of the Pac-12 landscape (or what remains of it in the shifting college football world), a strong recruiting presence on the West Coast, and a defensive pedigree that’s been tested and proven at every level.
There’s still work to be done before anything becomes official, but if Cal lands Lupoi, they’re getting a coach with deep roots in the program, a sharp defensive mind, and the kind of experience that could spark a new era in Berkeley.