Cal Sports Report

Cal Adds Two Assistant Position Coaches: Stephen Barnette and Sione Ta'ufo'ou

Justin Wilcox still needs to hire a new defensive coordinator after Peter Sirmon's departure
Jake Curtis|
Cal head coach Justin Wilcox
Cal head coach Justin Wilcox | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

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California Golden Bears

Justin Wilcox conintues to make over his Cal football coaching staff, with two more assistan tcoaches introduced on Thursday. Actually these are assistant assistant coaches. And the changes are not over since Cal still mst hire a new defensive coordinator.

Stephen Barnette, who was the tight ends coach and North Carolina A&T in 2024, will serve as the Golden Bears assistant wide receiver coach and assistant running backs coach.

Also, Sione Ta'ufo'ou, who was Alabama-Birmingham's defensive coordinator in 2024, will be the Bears assistant defensive line coach and assistant outside linebackers coach. He is from San Carlos, Califmornia, and was the head coach of two Bay Area high schools team -- Menlo Atherton for five years (2012-16) and Arch Bishop Mitty of San Jose for three seasons (2017-19).

Cal seems to be adding an extra layer of coaching at nearly every position. Andrew Browning is Cal's defensive line coach, Vic So'oto is the Bears' outside linebackers coach, Kyle Cefalo is Cal's new wide receivers coach and Julian Griffin was recently hired as Cal's running backs coach.

Wilcox has made major chances in Cal's offensive coaching staff, and significant alterations have been made to the defensive coaching staff.

Cal will have a new offensive coordinator, Bryan Harsin, and the departure of Peter Sirmon to the New Orleans Saints means the Bears will have a new defensive coordinator, although that position remains open.

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Jake Curtis
JAKE CURTIS

Jake Curtis worked in the San Francisco Chronicle sports department for 27 years, covering virtually every sport, including numerous Final Fours, several college football national championship games, an NBA Finals, world championship boxing matches and a World Cup. He was a Cal beat writer for many of those years, and won awards for his feature stories.

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