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California Golden Bears
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AmericanFootball current event 2023 California Golden Bears
NCAA-CAL-California Golden Bears Navy Blue Logo-white background NCAA-CAL-California Golden Bears Navy Blue Helmet
First season 1886
Head coach Justin Wilcox
3rd year, 12–13 (.480)
Home stadium California Memorial Stadium
Year built 1923, renovated in 2011-12
Stadium capacity 62,717[1]
Stadium surface Momentum Turf
Location Berkeley, California
Conference Pacific-12
All-time history
California Golden Bears Historical Teams
1886 1887 1888 1889
1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899
1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909
1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919
1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929
1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939
1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949
1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959
1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969
1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979
1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
All-time record 669–539–51 (.552)
Postseason bowl record 11–11–1 (.500)
Claimed national titles 5[2][3]
Conference titles 14
Consensus All-Americans Template:American college football All-Americans
Current uniform
NCAA-PAC 12-California 2017 Golden Bears Under Armor uniforms
Colors Yale Blue, California Gold, and White

                     

Fight song Fight for California
Mascot Oski
Marching band University of California Marching Band
Rivalries Stanford Cardinal
UCLA Bruins
Website CalBears.com

The California Golden Bears football team represents the University of California-Berkeley located in Berkeley, California. The Golden Bears are a member of the NCAA FBS Pacific-12 Conference and play their home games at California Memorial Stadium in Berkeley. The Golden Bears are currently coached by Justin Wilcox.

History[]

Football was first played on the Berkeley campus in 1882, albeit in a form that resembled rugby. It was not until 1886 that American football began play. Football was put on hiatus in 1906 when it was decided by the administration that American football was too dangerous a sport and rugby once again took over the scene. Football returned for good in 1915 and Cal has fielded a team in every year since.

Memorial Stadium[]

Memorial Stadium was built to honor Berkeley alumni, students, and other Californians who died in World War I, and modeled after the Colosseum in Rome. Memorial Stadium was named one of the 40 best college football stadiums by the Sporting News.[4][5] The team also has produced two of the oddest and most memorable plays in college football: Roy "Wrong Way" Riegels' fumble recovery and run toward the Cal goal line in the 1929 Rose Bowl, and The Play in the 1982 Big Game with the winning kickoff return after five laterals (three of which were forward laterals). The current head coach is Justin Wilcox, who began his tenure on December 5, 2012.

1920s "Wonder Teams"[]

The 1920s saw the first golden age of California football, as the Golden Bears went 50 straight games without a defeat from 1920 to 1925, with a record of 46 wins and 4 ties. As of 2010, this is the 3rd longest unbeaten (not to be confused with winning) streak in NCAA history. The 1920-1924 squads were so dominant that they were nicknamed "The Wonder Teams," and were coached by Andy Smith. One of the stars during this era was Brick Muller and the University later established a freshman leadership group called the Brick Muller Society. Cal won four Pacific Coast Conference championships and made three trips to the Rose Bowl during this decade, in 1921 (28-0 win over Ohio State), 1922 (0-0 tie with Washington & Jefferson), and 1929 (8-7 loss to Georgia Tech). One of the most famous (or infamous) moments in college football history occurred in the 1929 Rose Bowl Game. In the second quarter, Cal's defense forced a Georgia Tech fumble on their own 30 yard line, and the loose ball was scooped up by Cal center Roy Riegels. He began to run towards the Georgia Tech end zone for a score, but then in trying to get around the Tech players he became disoriented and headed in the other direction. Riegels advanced all the way to the Cal one yard line before teammate Benny Lom was able to stop him, whereupon he was immediately tackled by what seemed like the entire Georgia Tech team. Cal elected to punt on the next play; the punt was blocked for a safety, giving the Yellow Jackets a 2-0 lead and what turned out to be the decisive points in an 8-7 defeat.[6]

California football also achieved success in the 1930s, winning the PCC championship three times and appearing in the 1938 Rose Bowl, where they defeated Alabama 13-0 on two touchdowns scored by Vic Bottari. Because of its staunch defense, the 1937 squad that went to the Rose Bowl was coined "The Thunder Team." In 11 games, Cal limited its opponents to only 33 points and 1,126 total yards.

1940s and 50s: Pappy's Boys[]

The early 1940s were not banner years. Stanford football shut down for three years during World War II, and some of their players switched to Cal in order to keep playing. Among them were Jim Cox, Bill Hachten, Fred Boensch, George Quist and Billy Agnew.[7][8] After the war, Quist returned to Stanford, playing to win against Cal in the 1946 Big Game.

1947 saw a dramatic turnaround as Lynn "Pappy" Waldorf became the head coach. Known as "Pappy's Boys," the Cal teams of 1947-1950 won 33 consecutive regular season games, earning three PCC championships and three Rose Bowl berths.[9] However Cal lost all three Rose Bowls (20-14 to Northwestern in 1949, 17-14 to Ohio State in 1950, and 14–6 to Michigan in 1951). Pappy Waldorf left Cal after the 1956 season, having compiled a record of 67-32-4. Cal again earned a conference title in 1958 and subsequently played in the 1959 Rose Bowl, where it lost to Iowa 38–12.

1960s to 80s: Campus turmoil and football mediocrity[]

The 1960s was a period of particular mediocrity. Marv Levy coached during the early '60s. Levy's best record during his four season tenure as head coach at Cal from 1960–1963 was 4–5–1. Cal had only one winning season (1968), although in that year after beating Syracuse, Cal was ranked in the top 15. The coach during this era was Ray Willsey. Craig Morton, future Super Bowl quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos, was an All-American in 1964.

In 1972, Mike White was hired. After two losing seasons, he brought home three winning seasons over the next four. In 1975, behind an NCAA leading offense anchored by All Americans Chuck Muncie, Joe Roth, Wesley Walker, Steve Rivera and Ted Albrecht, the Golden Bears were co-Champions of the Pacific-8 Conference, but UCLA went to the Rose Bowl based on their head-to-head victory. Steve Bartkowski ('75) was another noted player who started for the Atlanta Falcons at quarterback. However, White left after a disappointing 1977 season when the Bears finished 8-3 but a disappointing 5th in the division with a 4-3 record. Roger Theder succeeded him and led the Bears to three winning seasons, but each was less successful than its predecessor. In 1979, Cal played in the Garden State Bowl, losing to Temple 28–17 after a 6–5 regular season.

The 1980s saw a return to mediocrity, with Cal posting only one winning season in the entire decade. Joe Kapp was the most famous coach in this period. Kapp had been the quarterback of the 1959 Rose Bowl team, and later led the Minnesota Vikings to the Super Bowl. Even so, he was not able to overcome the recruiting drag created by the off-field notoriety of the Berkeley campus. Of note, however, was the 1982 Big Game versus Stanford, which became famous for The Play. After Stanford had taken the lead on a field goal with four seconds left, the Golden Bears used five lateral passes (at least three of which were illegal forward laterals) on the ensuing kickoff return to score the winning touchdown and turn defeat into a 25-20 victory. The Play has been named by numerous media organizations as one of the best football, and even American sports, moments.[10]

1990s: A brief return of football success[]

Bruce Snyder arrived at Berkeley in 1987, and gradually turned the program around. He was able to recruit a number of outstanding players, such as Russell White, away from football powers such as USC and UCLA. The reemergence of Cal football as a thriving program was signaled by the October 19, 1991 game against the future national co-champion Washington Huskies. Cal lost 24–17 at home in a game that came down to the Bears' last possession deep in Husky territory and was probably the Huskies most difficult game that season. (The Oakland Fire erupted in the hills south of California Memorial Stadium that same day.) Cal football had some success in the early 1990s, earning three postseason bowl berths and winning all three. Cal beat Wyoming 17–15 in the Copper Bowl of 1990, Clemson 37–13 in the 1992 Citrus Bowl and Iowa 37-3 in the 1993 Alamo Bowl. Snyder resigned before 1992 bowl game to take a position at Pac-10 rival Arizona State. The Golden Bears attempted to steal some of the Huskies' magic by hiring away assistant Keith Gilbertson, but he delivered only one winning season in the next four.

After the loss of momentum, Cal hired Green Bay Packers assistant Steve Mariucci for the 1996 season. He led the Bears to a winning regular season (losing to Navy in the Aloha Bowl 42–38), but the San Francisco 49ers struck yet again (as with Waldorf) and hired away Mariucci as head coach for 1997, ending the promise of an early Cal revival. The rest the late 1990s saw little success, and the down period reached its nadir in 2001 when the Bears managed only one victory the entire season. The win came in the final game of the season in New Jersey against Rutgers, which was a re-scheduled game due to the September 11, 2001 attacks. Much-maligned coach Tom Holmoe resigned in November of this season and was replaced with Jeff Tedford, previously the offensive coordinator for the Oregon Ducks. Worse yet, Cal lost seven straight games to archrival Stanford.

Tedford Era[]

California began a renaissance under Tedford, who dramatically turned around the long-suffering program. Under Tedford the Golden Bears posted eight consecutive winning seasons, a feat that hadn't been accomplished since the days of Pappy Waldorf.[11] After being ruled ineligible for a bowl game in 2002 due to academic infractions under the previous administration, Cal has also appeared in seven straight bowl games.

The Jeff Tedford era began with a bang, as California defeated Baylor 70–22, and went on to finish 7–5, their first winning season since 1993. The 2002 team defeated three nationally ranked opponents on the road for the first time in school history including Cal's first win over conference foe Washington in 26 years, and won the annual Big Game against archrival Stanford for the first time in eight years.

In 2003 the Golden Bears posted an 8–6 record, highlighted by a dramatic 34-31 triple-overtime victory over No. 3 ranked and eventual national co-champion USC. This victory revived a long moribund rivalry with the Trojans, even as the Trojans reemerged as a national power under Pete Carroll. In the Insight Bowl, the Bears edged Virginia Tech 52–49 on a last-second field goal.

2004 Bowl Championship Series controversy[]

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File:Big Game Play 2.jpg

2004 Big Game

In 2004, the Bears posted a 10–2 record under Tedford and quarterback Aaron Rodgers, with their only regular season loss coming against the eventual national champion, USC. California finished the regular season ranked No. 4 according to polls, and appeared to have an excellent chance to receive an at-large BCS bowl berth, most likely in the Rose Bowl. Under normal circumstances, the Bears, as Pac-10 runner-up, would have had first crack at a Rose Bowl berth since conference champion USC was playing for the national championship.

The Bears entered their final game of the regular season ranked No. 4 in BCS standings and a 24-point favorite over Southern Miss. They won 26–16 in a closer than-expected game.[12] With 13 seconds left in the game and Cal with the ball at the Southern Miss 22-yard line, Tedford elected to run out the clock instead of attempting to increase the margin of victory to possibly impress some voters.[13] Leading up to the game, Tedford said he had no interest to run up the score.[14]

In a controversial case, the Texas coach Mack Brown made impassioned pleas to media asking poll voters reconsider their final votes.[15] Several Associated Press (AP) voters were besieged by fan emails and phone calls attempting to sway their votes, apparently spurred from Brown's pleas to rank Texas ahead of other "less deserving teams."[16][17] Nine of the 65 AP voters switched Texas ahead of Cal, and three of them were from Texas.[18] In the Coaches Poll, four voters moved Cal down to No. 7 and two to No. 8, when the week before none had them lower than No. 6. Meanwhile, two coaches moved Texas up to No. 3 when the team did not play that week.[19][20] The Los Angeles Times wrote that accusations were raised about coaches manipulated voting, but the individual coaches votes were not released to prove or disprove the allegations.[21] The AP Poll makes its voters' records public.[22] No. 6 Texas gained 23 points on No. 4 Cal in the AP poll, and the fifth-ranked Longhorns closed 43 points on the fourth-ranked Bears in the coaches poll. That allowed Texas to earn a BCS berth, finishing .0129 points ahead of Cal in the BCS standings after being .0013 points behind.[18] The Longhorns went on to beat Michigan 38–37 in the Rose Bowl, while Cal was upset by No. 21 Texas Tech 45–31 in the Holiday Bowl and finished the season ranked No. 9. In part because of the controversy with Cal's BCS ranking, the AP poll withdrew from the BCS after the season.[16]

2005[]

The next year saw inconsistent quarterback play and an overall inexperienced roster. Nate Longshore, who was chosen to succeed Aaron Rodgers, who had left for the NFL, sustained a season-ending injury in the season's first game against Sacramento State. He was succeeded by junior transfer Joe Ayoob, who started nine games and went 5-4. Third string quarterback Steve Levy replaced Ayoob as the starter for the Big Game, leading the Bears to victory. Cal finished 8-4 and earned a berth in the 2005 Las Vegas Bowl, beating BYU 35–28.

2006[]

File:Big Game 2006.JPG

Big Game at California 2006. Cal fans rush the field.

In 2006, Cal went on to post a 10–3 (7–2 in Pac-10) record. Despite falling to Tennessee in their first game of the season in Knoxville, the team rebounded, winning eight straight games, including impressive victories over the 20th ranked Arizona State and the 11th ranked Oregon at home. Two losses followed with a November 11, upset 24–20 by Arizona and a 23-9 defeat by USC, which cost Cal its Rose Bowl bid.

In the final game of the regular season on December 2, Cal defeated Stanford 26-17 in the 109th Big Game for the fifth straight time. Coupled with UCLA's upset of reigning conference champion USC on the same day, the victory earned Cal its first share of the Pac-10 championship since 1975.[23] Cal accepted an invitation to the 2006 Holiday Bowl, its second appearance there in three years. Cal routed Texas A&M 45-10, the largest margin of victory for a bowl game in the 2006-2007 season, and finished with a No. 14 ranking, an improvement from the No. 20 spot that it started with at the beginning of the season.

2007[]

Cal began the 2007 season ranked 12th in both the AP/USA Today Polls. In a nationally televised game on September 1, the Bears defeated Tennessee 45-31. The Bears rose in the polls following subsequent victories against Colorado State, Louisiana Tech, and Arizona. Cal's defeat of then No. 11 Oregon in Eugene 31-24, combined with a series of losses from Oklahoma, Florida, and West Virginia, allowed Cal to break into the top five. Cal had a bye the following week, but as a result of Stanford's surprise upset of then No. 2 USC on October 6, the Bears were ranked No. 2 in the country in the AP, Coaches, and Harris polls behind No. 1 LSU. This was the highest the team had been ranked since 1951.[24]

With the Kentucky upset of LSU on October 13, the Bears had a shot at being the number one team in the nation along with Ohio State, but an upset loss to unranked Oregon State that same night dashed any hopes of a top ranking. The loss marked the beginning of a reversal in the second half of the season which saw the Bears winning only one game out of the next six and dropping out of the Top 25 entirely. The Bears lost to Washington for the first time in five years and to Stanford on the 25th anniversary of The Play, which resulted in the Cardinal regaining The Stanford Axe for the first time in six years under first year head coach Jim Harbaugh. Cal accepted an invitation to the 2007 Armed Forces Bowl against Air Force on December 31, where post a 42–36 victory to end the season 7-6. Before the season even ended, Tedford declared there would be open competition for all positions on the team in 2008 and reevaluate every aspect of Cal's football program.[25][26] Tedford made several coaching changes, most notably relinquishing offensive coordinator duties and hiring Frank Cignetti to playcall and take over quarterback coaching duties.[27]

2008[]

Cal's 2008 campaign was marked with diminished expectations, as all of Cal's offensive stars at their skill positions (DeSean Jackson, Lavelle Hawkins, Robert Jordan, Justin Forsett and Craig Stevens) graduated or declared for the NFL Draft. Thus the Bears started the season unranked for the first time since 2003.[28] Their 2008 season would confirm this ranking, as they would finish the season undefeated at home but would only win one game on the road. The Bears won their opening game at home against Michigan State 38-31 and eviscerated Washington State in Pullman 66–3, but fell to Maryland 35–27 in College Park. The Bears won two straight home games against Colorado State and Arizona State but fell in the desert to Arizona. Although the Bears still controlled their destiny in the Pac-10 after two more home wins against UCLA and Oregon, two close losses to Pac-10 champion contenders USC and Oregon State on the road put an end to those hopes. Cal reclaimed the Axe by beating Stanford 37–16 in the 111th Big Game and kept Washington's season winless with a 48-7 victory. Cal finished the regular season 8–4 as Tedford claimed his seventh consecutive winning season for the Golden Bears and third unbeaten home record in five years. The Bears accepted an invitation to take on the Miami Hurricanes at the 2008 Emerald Bowl, which they won 24–17.

2009[]

Cal began the 2009 season with early wins over Maryland, Eastern Washington, and Minnesota. However the team struggled with consistency, losing to Oregon and USC, then rebounding to defeat UCLA, Washington State, and Arizona State. Following a loss to Oregon State, Cal managed to upset Pac-10 title contender Arizona. Cal also upset Stanford in the Big Game. The season however ended on a low note with consecutive losses to Washington to end the regular season and Utah in the Poinsettia Bowl. The loss to Utah snapped a four bowl game winning streak going back to 2004. The Bears also did not produce a 1,000 yard rusher for the first time since 2002. The end of the season saw some coaching changes. Cal hired Jeff Genyk as special teams coach to replace the fired Pete Alamar, and Clancy Pendergast as defensive coordinator to replace Bob Gregory, who departed for Boise State.

2010[]

Tedford surpassed the legendary Pappy Waldorf to become the Cal head coach with the 2nd most career victories when the Bears blew out UC Davis 52-3 in the season opener. Despite early successes however, the team had an inconsistent season. After starting senior quarterback Kevin Riley sustained a season-ending knee injury in a loss to Oregon State, Cal had only one win in the final four games, edging out Washington State for the team's sole road victory. The Bears finished the season on a three-game losing streak, getting edged out 15-13 by #1 Oregon, losing the Stanford Axe to archrival #8 Stanford in a 48-14 blowout, and sustaining a last second defeat by Washington. The team finished 5-7, Tedford's first losing season and the team's first losing season since 2001,[29] failing to become bowl-eligible for the first time during Tedford's tenure as head coach. Cal was ranked only once during the season with a No. 24 spot in the Coaches' Poll. One bright spot for the season was running back Shane Vereen going over the 1,000 rushing yard mark, as he finished with 1,167 yards.

2011[]

Due to reconstruction at California Memorial Stadium, California played their home games in AT&T Park in San Francisco, California[30]. The season opener against Fresno State, officially a neutral-site game, was played at Candlestick Park.[31] The regular season also ended with an away game with a matchup at Arizona State on November 25.

Following the team's first losing season during Tedford's tenure as head coach, the Golden Bears improved to 7–5 (4–5 in the Pac-12) to finish fourth in the North Division. Cal also became bowl-eligible for the first time since 2009 and accepted a bid to play Texas in the Holiday Bowl. While the Longhorns and Golden Bears have not met since 1970 in Austin, there is recent history invoking the two teams recently because of the 2004 Rose Bowl controversy.[32] Also, with their victory over Presbyterian on September 17, Tedford became the winningest coach in program history.[33]

Logos / Uniforms[]

Image Gallery[]

Season-by-season records[]

Year Coach Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs Coaches# AP°
Andy Smith (1916–1925)
1916 Andy Smith 6-4-1 0-3-0 4th
1917 Andy Smith 5-5-1 2-1-0 2nd
1918 Andy Smith 7-2-0 2-0-0 1st
1919 Andy Smith 6-2-1 2-2-0 T-3rd
1920 Andy Smith 9-0-0 3-0-0 1st
1921 Andy Smith 9-0-1 4-0-0 1st W Rose Bowl
1922 Andy Smith 9-0-0 4-0-0 1st T Rose Bowl
1923 Andy Smith 9-0-1 5-0-0 1st
1924 Andy Smith 8-0-2 2-0-2 2nd
1925 Andy Smith 6-3-0 2-2-0 5th
Andy Smith: 74-16-7 26-8-2
Nibs Price (1926–1930)
1926 Nibs Price 3-6-0 0-5-0 9th
1927 Nibs Price 7-3-0 2-3-0 T-5th
1928 Nibs Price 6-2-2 3-0-2 2nd L Rose Bowl
1929 Nibs Price 7-1-1 4-1-0 T-3rd
1930 Nibs Price 4-5-0 1-4-0 T-8th
Nibs Price: 27-17-3 10-13-2
Bill Ingram (1931–1934)
1931 Bill Ingram 8-2-0 4-1-0 2nd
1932 Bill Ingram 7-3-2 2-2-1 T-5th
1933 Bill Ingram 6-3-2 2-2-2 6th
1934 Bill Ingram 6-6-0 3-2-0 5th
Bill Ingram: 27-14-4 11-7-3
Stub Allison (1935–1944)
1935 Stub Allison 9-1-0 4-1-0 T-1st
1936 Stub Allison 6-5-0 4-3-0 4th
1937 Stub Allison 10-0-1 6-0-1 1st W Rose Bowl 2
1938 Stub Allison 10-1-0 6-1-0 T-1st 14
1939 Stub Allison 3-7-0 2-5-0 8th
1940 Stub Allison 4-6-0 3-4-0 6th
1941 Stub Allison 4-5-0 3-4-0 7th
1942 Stub Allison 5-5-0 3-4-0 7th
1943 Stub Allison 4-6-0 2-2-0 2nd
1944 Stub Allison 3-6-1 1-3-1 4th
Stub Allison: 58-42-2 34-27-2
Buck Shaw (1945)
1945 Buck Shaw 4-5-1 1-3-1 6th
Buck Shaw: 4-5-1 1-3-1
Frank Wickhorst (1946)
1946 Frank Wickhorst 2-7-0 2-4-1 9th
Frank Wickhorst: 2-7-0 2-4-1
Pappy Waldorf (1947–1956)
1947 Pappy Waldorf 9-1-0 5-1-0 T-2nd 15
1948 Pappy Waldorf 10-1-0 6-0-0 T-1st L Rose Bowl 4
1949 Pappy Waldorf 10-1-0 7-0-0 1st L Rose Bowl 3
1950 Pappy Waldorf 9-1-1 5-0-1 1st L Rose Bowl 4 5
1951 Pappy Waldorf 8-2-0 5-2-0 3rd 12
1952 Pappy Waldorf 7-3-0 3-3-0 4th
1953 Pappy Waldorf 4-4-2 2-2-2 4th
1954 Pappy Waldorf 5-5-0 4-3-0 4th
1955 Pappy Waldorf 2-7-1 1-5-1 T-7th
1956 Pappy Waldorf 3-7-0 2-5-0 8th
Pappy Waldorf: 67-32-4 40-21-4
Pete Elliott (1957–1959)
1957 Pete Elliott 1-9-0 1-6-0 T-7th
1958 Pete Elliott 7-4-0 6-1-0 1st L Rose Bowl 16
1959 Pete Elliott 2-8-0 1-3-0 4th
Pete Elliott: 10-21-1 8-10-0
Marv Levy (1960–1963)
1960 Marv Levy 2-7-1 1-3-0 4th
1961 Marv Levy 1-8-1 1-3-0 T-4th
1962 Marv Levy 1-9-0 0-4-0 6th
1963 Marv Levy 4-5-1 1-3-0 5th
Marv Levy: 8-29-3 3-13-0
Ray Willsey (1964–1971)
1964 Ray Willsey 3-7-0 0-4-0 8th
1965 Ray Willsey 5-5-0 2-3-0 T-5th
1966 Ray Willsey 3-7-0 2-3-0 5th
1967 Ray Willsey 5-5-0 2-3-0 6th
1968 Ray Willsey 7-3-1 2-2-1 4th
1969 Ray Willsey 5-5-0 2-4-0 6th
1970 Ray Willsey 6-5-0 4-3-0 T-2nd
1971 Ray Willsey 6-5-0 4-3-0 T-3rd
Ray Willsey: 40-42-1 18-25-1
Mike White (1972–1977)
1972 Mike White 3-8-0 3-4-0 5th
1973 Mike White 4-7-0 2-5-0 T-5th
1974 Mike White 7-3-1 4-2-1 T-3rd
1975 Mike White 8-3-0 6-1-0 T-1st 15 14
1976 Mike White 5-6-0 3-4-0 T-4th
1977 Mike White 8-3-0* 4-3-0* 4th
Mike White: 35-30-1 21-19-1
Roger Theder (1978–1981)
1978 Roger Theder 6-5-0 3-4-0 T-6th
1979 Roger Theder 7-5-0** 6-3-0** 5th L Garden State
1980 Roger Theder 3-8-0 3-5-0 9th
1981 Roger Theder 2-9-0 2-6-0 8th
Roger Theder: 17-28-0 14-18-0
Joe Kapp (1982–1986)
1982 Joe Kapp 7-4-0 4-4-0 6th
1983 Joe Kapp 5-5-1 3-4-1 8th
1984 Joe Kapp 2-9-0 1-8-0 10th
1985 Joe Kapp 4-7-0 2-7-0 10th
1986 Joe Kapp 2-9-0 2-7-0 9th
Joe Kapp: 20-34-1 12-30-1
Bruce Snyder (1987–1991)
1987 Bruce Snyder 3-6-2 2-3-2 8th
1988 Bruce Snyder 5-5-1 1-5-1 10th
1989 Bruce Snyder 4-7-0 2-6-0 10th
1990 Bruce Snyder 7-4-1 4-3-1 4th W Copper
1991 Bruce Snyder 10-2-0 6-2-0 T-2nd W Citrus 7 8
Bruce Snyder: 29-24-4 15-19-4
Keith Gilbertson (1992–1995)
1992 Keith Gilbertson 4-7-0 2-6-0 9th
1993 Keith Gilbertson 9-4-0 4-4-0 T-4th W Alamo 24 25
1994 Keith Gilbertson 4-7-0 3-5-0 T-5th
1995 Keith Gilbertson 3-8-0 2-6-0 T-8th
Keith Gilbertson: 20-26-0 11-21-0
Steve Mariucci (1996)
1996 Steve Mariucci 6-6 3-5 T-5th L Aloha
Steve Mariucci: 6-6 3-5
Tom Holmoe (1997–2001)
1997 Tom Holmoe 3-8 2-6 9th
1998 Tom Holmoe 5-6 3-5 7th
1999 Tom Holmoe 0-11*** 0-8*** T-6th
2000 Tom Holmoe 3-8 2-6 T-8th
2001 Tom Holmoe 1-10 0-8 10th
Tom Holmoe: 12-43 7-32
Jeff Tedford (2002–2012)
2002 Jeff Tedford 7-5 4-4 T-4th
2003 Jeff Tedford 8-6 5-3 T-3rd W Insight
2004 Jeff Tedford 10-2 7-1 2nd L Holiday 9 9
2005 Jeff Tedford 8-4 4-4 T-4th W Las Vegas 25 25
2006 Jeff Tedford 10-3 7-2 T-1st W Holiday 14 14
2007 Jeff Tedford 7-6 3-6 T-7th W Armed Forces
2008 Jeff Tedford 9-4 6-3 4th W Emerald 25
2009 Jeff Tedford 8-5 5-4 T-5th L Poinsettia
2010 Jeff Tedford 5-7 3-6 8th
2011 Jeff Tedford 7-6 4-5 4th (North) L Holiday
2012 Jeff Tedford 3-9 2-7 5th (North)
Jeff Tedford: 82-57 50-45
Sonny Dykes (2013–present)
2013 Sonny Dykes 1-11 0-9 6th (North)
2014 Sonny Dykes 5-7 3-6 4th (North)
Sonny Dykes: 6-18 3-15
Total: 645-516-51
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title
Indicates BCS bowl game. #Rankings from final Coaches' Poll.
°Rankings from final AP Poll.
*Includes UCLA forfeit
**Includes Oregon forfeit
***Cal finished 4-7 (3-5 in conference) in 1999, but later forfeited the victories due to ineligible players

National Championships[]

The NCAA's website states that "the NCAA does not conduct a national championship in Division I-A football and is not involved in the selection process." It goes on to say that "a number of polling organizations provide a final ranking of Division I-A football teams at the end of each season." California recognizes 5 national championships as recognized by other major polling entities.[34]

Year Coach Selector Record Bowl Result
1920 Andy Smith Billingsley, Football Research, Helms, Houlgate, National Championship Foundation 9-0 Rose Bowl Cal 28, Ohio St. 0
1921 Andy Smith Boand, Football Research 9-0-1 Rose Bowl Cal 0, Washington & Jefferson 0
1922 Andy Smith Houlgate, National Championship Foundation 9-0 -- --
1923 Andy Smith Houlgate 9-0-1 -- --
1937 Stub Allison Dunkel, Helms 10-0-1 Rose Bowl Cal 13, Alabama 0
Total national championships: 5

Coaching history[]

No. Coach Tenure Seasons Win Loss Tie Pct. Bowls
1 O. S. Howard 1886 1 6 2 1 .722 0
1.5 No coach 1887–1892 5 18 4 0 .818 0
2 Thomas McClung 1892 1 2 1 1 .625 0
3 W. W. Heffelfinger 1893 1 5 1 1 .786 0
4 Charles O. Gill 1894 1 0 1 2 .333 0
5 Frank Butterworth 1895-96 2 9 3 3 .700 0
6 Charles P. Nott 1897 1 0 3 2 .200 0
7 Garrett Cochran 1898-99 2 15 1 3 .868 0
8 Addison Kelly 1900 1 4 2 1 .643 0
9 Frank Simpson 1901 1 9 0 1 .950 0
10 James Whipple 1902-03 2 14 1 2 .882 0
11 James Hopper 1904 1 6 1 1 .813 0
12 J. W. Knibbs 1905 1 4 1 2 .714 0
14* James Schaeffer 1915 1 8 5 0 .615 0
15 Andy Smith 1916-25 10 74 16 7 .799 2
16 Nibs Price 1926-30 5 27 17 3 .606 1
17 Bill Ingram 1931-34 4 27 14 4 .644 0
18 Stub Allison 1935-44 10 58 42 2 .578 1
19 Buck Shaw 1945 1 4 5 1 .450 0
20 Frank Wickhorst 1946 1 2 7 0 .222 0
21 Pappy Waldorf 1947-56 10 67 32 4 .650 3
22 Pete Elliott 1957-59 3 10 21 0 .323 1
23 Marv Levy 1960-63 4 8 29 3 .238 0
24 Ray Willsey 1964-71 8 40 42 1 .488 0
25 Mike White 1972-77 6 35 30 1 .538 0
26 Roger Theder 1978-81 4 18 27 0 .400 1
27 Joe Kapp 1982-86 5 20 34 1 .373 0
28 Bruce Snyder 1987-91 5 29 24 4 .544 2
29 Keith Gilbertson 1992-95 4 20 26 0 .435 1
30 Steve Mariucci 1996 1 6 6 0 .500 1
31 Tom Holmoe 1997–2001 5 12 43 0 .218 0
32 Jeff Tedford 2002–2012 11 82 57 0 .590 7
33 Sonny Dykes 2013-2016 4 19 30 0 .388 0
34 Justin Wilcox 2017-present 2 12 13 0 .440 1
   Totals   1886–present   116  645  516  51  19

* From 1906 to 1914, rugby was played instead of football. Cal's 13th coach was Oscar Taylor from 1906-08. Cal's 14th coach, James Schaeffer, coached rugby from 1909–14 and football in 1915.

Bowl history[]

  • Main article: List of California Golden Bears bowl games

Bowl history[]

Season Bowl W/L Opponent PF PA
1920 Rose W Ohio State 28 0
1921 Rose T Washington & Jefferson 0 0
1928 Rose L Georgia Tech 7 8
1937 Rose W Alabama 13 0
1948 Rose L Northwestern 14 20
1949 Rose L Ohio State 14 17
1950 Rose L Michigan 6 14
1958 Rose L Iowa 12 38
1979 Garden State L Temple 17 28
1990 Copper W Wyoming 17 15
1991 Citrus W Clemson 37 13
1992 Alamo W Iowa 37 3
1996 Aloha L Navy 38 42
2003 Insight W Virginia Tech 52 49
2004 Holiday L Texas Tech 31 45
2005 Las Vegas W BYU 35 28
2006 Holiday W Texas A&M 45 10
2007 Armed Forces W Air Force 42 36
2008 Emerald W Miami 24 17
2009 Poinsettia L Utah 27 37
2011 Holiday L Texas 10 21
Total 21 Bowl Games 10–10–1 506 441

Cal's All-Century Football Team[]

chosen by Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, CA, November 18, 1999
Offense

  • QB: Steve Bartkowski (1972-74) Edges another NFL first-round pick in Craig Morton (Cowboys). Consensus All-American in 1974 was first player taken in NFL draft, by Atlanta.
  • RB: Chuck Muncie (1973-75) Gained 1,460 yards rushing in 1975, leading Cal to 8-3 record and share of Pac-8 title with UCLA. Rushed for 100 yards or more 15 times in career.
  • RB: Russell White (1990-92) Bears' career rushing leader with 3,367 yards only Cal player to rush for at least 1,000 yards in three straight seasons.
  • TE: Tony Gonzalez (1994-96) First-round pick of Kansas City Chiefs in 1997 also played three years of basketball at Cal.
  • WR: Sean Dawkins (1990-92) Cal's all-time leader with 14 receiving touchdowns in 1992 was first-round pick by Indianapolis Colts.
  • WR: Wesley Walker (1973-76) Had eight catches for 289 yards against San Jose State in 1976.
  • OL: Todd Steussie (1990-93) Two-time All-Pac-10 tackle was first-round choice of Minnesota Vikings in 1994.
  • OL: Dan McMillan (1920-21) Bears were 18-0-1 during McMillan's two years as an offensive tackle, including a 127-0 demolishing of St. Mary's on Oct. 9, 1920.
  • OL: Rod Franz (1946-49) Guard was only three-time All-American in Cal history and helped Bears post unbeaten regular seasons (10-0) in 1948 and '49.
  • OL: Les Richter (1949-51) Consensus All-America guard in 1950 and '51 was just as good at linebacker.
  • OL: Bob Herwig (1935-37) Offensive center was narrow choice over fellow Cal Hall of Famer member Babe Horrell. Also played basketball for the Bears.
  • PK: Doug Brien (1991-93) Bears' all-time leading scorer (288 points) secured job by beating Arizona, UCLA with fourth-quarter field goals on back-to-back weeks in 1991.

Defense

  • DL: Brick Muller (1920-22) Two-time All-American led ferocious defense and threw 50-yard touchdown pass in 28-0 win over Ohio State on Jan. 1, 1921, Cal's first Rose Bowl win.
  • DL: Stan Barnes (1918-21) Another Wonder Team member gets narrow nod over Pittsburg High School's Regan Upshaw.
  • DL: Ed White (1966-68) One of best NFL offensive linemen ever was four-time Pro Bowler and played in four Super Bowls with Vikings.
  • DL: Sherman White (1969-71) Didn't play in high school football, but was all-conference pick in 1970 and '71, and was first-round pick of Cincinnati Bengals in 1972.
  • LB: Ron Rivera (1980-83) Consensus All-American in 1983 holds Cal single-season records for tackles for loss (26.5) and sacks (13).
  • LB: Sekou Sanyika (1996-1999) Hercules resident is Cal's all-time leader in tackles for loss and is expected to be first-round NFL draft pick next spring.
  • LB: Matt Hazeltine (1951-54) Two-time All-American played with 49ers from 1955-68.
  • DB: Carl Van Heuit (1949-50) Gifted athlete averaged 11.1 yards per punt return while helping Cal go to back-to-back Rose Bowls in 1950 and '51. Was All-American in 1950.
  • DB: Ken Wiedemann (1967-69) School's all-time interception leader with 16.
  • DB: Deltha O'Neal (1996-[1999]) Four interceptions returned for touchdowns this season set NCAA record.
  • DB: Jackie Jensen (1946-48) First Cal player in history to rush for more than 100 yards in a game. Had five carries for 109 yards in 47-14 rout of Washington State on Nov. 2, 1946.
  • P: Nick Harris (1997-[2000]) Averaging 42.6 yards per punt despite many pooches. Sure NFL player.
  • UTL: Walter Gordon (1916-18) Could play any position on the field better than anyone else.

Coach

  • Andy Smith (1916–25) Never had losing season while going 74-16-7 in 10 seasons at Cal. Record included 7-0-1 mark against USC and 6-1-1 ledger in Big Game. Beat USC 12-0 on Oct. 28, 1922, in first game played at the Rose Bowl.

Current NFL Players[]

Player Position NFL Team NFL Year
Lorenzo Alexander Linebacker Arizona Cardinals 2006
Keenan Allen Wide Receiver San Diego Chargers 2013
Tyson Alualu Defensive Tackle Jacksonville Jaguars 2010
C.J. Anderson Running Back Denver Broncos 2013
Bryan Anger Punter Jacksonville Jaguars 2012
Desmond Bishop Linebacker Minnesota Vikings 2007
Andre Carter Defensive End New England Patriots 2001
Chris Conte Safety Chicago Bears 2011
Brian De La Puente Center New Orleans Saints 2008
Thomas DeCoud Safety Atlanta Falcons 2008
Justin Forsett Running Back Jacksonville Jaguars 2008
Mike Gibson Center Arizona Cardinals 2008
Matt Giordano Safety St. Louis Rams 2005
Lavelle Hawkins Wide Receiver San Diego Chargers 2008
DeSean Jackson Wide Receiver Philadelphia Eagles 2008
Marvin Jones Wide Receiver Cincinnati Bengals 2012
Cameron Jordan Defensive End New Orleans Saints 2011
Mychal Kendricks Linebacker Philadelphia Eagles 2012
L.P. Ladouceur Long Snapper Dallas Cowboys 2005
Marshawn Lynch Running Back Seattle Seahawks 2007
Alex Mack Center Cleveland Browns 2009
Brandon Mebane Defensive Tackle Seattle Seahawks 2007
Mike Mohamed Linebacker Houston Texans 2011
Jeremy Ross Wide Receiver Detroit Lions 2011
Aaron Rodgers Quarterback Green Bay Packers 2005
Mitchell Schwartz Offensive Tackle Cleveland Browns 2012
Brain Schwenke Center Tennessee Titans 2013
Craig Stevens Tight End Tennessee Titans 2008
Nick Sundberg Long Snapper Washington Redskins 2009
Will Ta'ufo'ou Fullback Jacksonville Jaguars 2009
Shane Vereen Running Back New England Patriots 2011
Steve Williams Cornerback San Diego Chargers 2013

References[]

  1. http://www.webcor.com/projects/all-projects/government/cal-memorial-stadium/
  2. CalBears.com - Traditions: Cal National Team Champions. University of California Department of Athletics. Retrieved on 2009-06-14.
  3. 2008 California Football Media Guide,2008 California Football Media Guide pp. 36. Cal Media Relations Office (2008). Retrieved on 2009-06-15. ISBN .
  4. Stadium History
  5. Hokiesports recap
  6. "Wrong Way Reigels", Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine, Georgia Tech Alumni Association, Spring 1998. Retrieved on 2007-09-15. Archived from the original on 2007-10-26. 
  7. Bob Murphy Shares His Love of the Tradition of The Big Game: Murphy has been broadcasting Stanford football for over 40 years. Cardinal Athletics. Stanford University (November 17, 2005). Retrieved on December 29, 2011.
  8. Snapp, Martin (Winter 2011). . California. Cal Alumni Association. ISSN# 0008-1302.
  9. "Pappy's Boys" still hold an annual reunion each June at the Lair of the Bear, a family camp run by the California Alumni Association.
  10. See extended discussion in The Play.
  11. "Cal Football website". Retrieved on 2007-10-15.. 
  12. "Cal hoping for first Rose Bowl in 50 years", ESPN.com, December 4, 2004. Archived from the original on December 5, 2011. 
  13. Springer, Steve. "Cal Elects Not to Put Its Rose Pedal to the Metal", December 5, 2004. Archived from the original on December 5, 2011. 
  14. Whiteside, Kelly. "California bears burden of making point that it's BCS-worthy", November 29, 2004. Archived from the original on December 5, 2011. 
  15. "Texas rallies past Golden Bears", ESPN.com, December 6, 2004. Archived from the original on December 5, 2011. 
  16. 16.0 16.1 Klemz, Patrick. "AP removes poll from BCS formula", January 17, 2005. Archived from the original on December 5, 2011. 
  17. "Paper protests Texas' lobbying for BCS bowl", ESPN.com, December 10, 2004. Archived from the original on December 6, 2011. 
  18. 18.0 18.1 Tafur, Vittorio. "Texas Talks a Better Game Than Cal Plays", December 7, 2004. Archived from print&position= the original on December 6, 2011. 
  19. Mandel, Stewart. "The real problem with the Rose decision", SI.com, December 7, 2004. Archived from the original on December 6, 2011. 
  20. Whiteside, Kelly. "Nothing coming up roses for Cal", December 5, 2004. Archived from the original on December 6, 2011. 
  21. Dufrense, Chris. "Final Word on BCS: Enough", December 9, 2004. Archived from the original on December 6, 2011. 
  22. "Commissioner wants vote to be public", ESPN.com, December 7, 2004. Archived from the original on December 6, 2011. 
  23. "Cal continues recent dominance of Stanford", ESPNU, ESPN, 2006-12-02. Retrieved on 2007-10-01. 
  24. "It's Unanimous: LSU No. 1 in AP's Top 25", AP, AP, 2007-10-07. Retrieved on 2007-10-07. 
  25. Open competition for all positions in '08
  26. Cal's staff gets a shuffle
  27. Cal coach Tedford makes changes to coaching staff
  28. 2008 Preseason Rankings via ESPN
  29. "Cal Football Postgame Notes - vs. Washington (Sat., Nov. 27)", CBS Interactive, 2010-11-27. Retrieved on 2010-11-27. 
  30. California Golden Bears Facilities: Memorial Stadium. Official Website of Cal Athletics. Retrieved on 2011-03-04.
  31. California - Fresno State Game Notes. Calbears.com (2011-09-03). Retrieved on 2011-09-03.
  32. http://espn.go.com/blog/pac12/post/_/id/31098/revenge-cal-to-face-texas-in-holiday-bowl
  33. Cal-Presbyterian Postgame Notes. Calbears.com (2011-09-17). Retrieved on 2011-09-18.
  34. calbears.com

Notable Alumni[]

External Links[]

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