Tosh Lupoi’s first few weeks at Cal have gone from promising to uncomfortable in a hurry.
The former Oregon defensive coordinator left Eugene for his alma mater this offseason with plenty of buzz around the move, and Cal entered the year with real optimism after Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele returned following a breakout freshman season. But five games in, the Golden Bears are sitting at 2-3, and the momentum around the program has all but evaporated.
The low point came against UNLV. Before that game, Lupoi closed his presser with a warning that instantly turned into a headline:
“Buckle your ass up for Saturday.”
Cal did not buckle up. It stumbled into a 24-7 first-half hole, fought back with a strong second-half push, then watched UNLV wake up again in the fourth quarter and hand Lupoi another rough loss in the early days of his tenure.
That was enough for the criticism to start flying in real time.
CBS Sports’ Bud Elliott went straight at the idea of Cal sticking with Lupoi long term, posting that the school “seriously needs to consider making Lupoi a one and done this is a disaster.”
Yahoo Sports’ Nate Tice piled on with a blunt assessment of the product on the field, saying, “they’re a horrible watch every week. Cruel and tragic shenanigans.”
Former NFL scout and Oregon alum Brentley Weissman also questioned whether Lupoi is equipped for the job, writing, “I didn’t have a ton of faith in Tosh being a good head coach. Brings nothing on gameday.
Was never a scheme guy. Great recruiter but clearly in over his head”
Barstool Sports’ Liam Blutman took the same theme even further, saying, “Cal is so so bad. It’s so bad to the point you start wondering about starting all over with a whole new staff in 2027. This is unbelievable”
One of the biggest concerns surrounding Cal isn’t just the record. It’s how the team has looked getting there.
The Bears have drawn repeated criticism for discipline issues, and that point came up again after the UNLV game, when Daniel Poulter noted, “15 for 137 yards. Cal penalties have costed them this game.
I thought when Tosh Lupoi was hired. The one thing you would think is they would be disciplined.”
There’s still a long way to go, and even with the rough start, it’s hard to imagine Cal moving on from an alum after one season. Lupoi’s reputation has long been built on recruiting, and the belief is that the roster should eventually start looking more like his kind of team.
But that also means the pressure is on him to nail his transfer class this offseason. Miss there, and the noise will only get louder.
The path ahead doesn’t offer much relief. Cal’s next three games are against Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, and SMU, a stretch that looks brutal on paper.
Win two of those three and the season can still be salvaged. Lose two or more, and bowl hopes start slipping away fast.
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