Cal Names Oregon Special Teams Analyst as Bears New Special Teams Coordinator

Zach Tinker, who has been Oregon’s special teams analyst the past two seasons, on Saturday was named Cal’s special teams coordinator under new Bears head coach Tosh Lupoi.

Tinker is returning to Cal after spending the 2023 season as the Bears’ special teams quality control coach.

He has spent three of the past four seasons on the same Oregon staff as Lupoi, who is Oregon’s defensive coordinator.

In 2022 Tinker was the Ducks’ special teams quality control coach, and after his one season at Cal he spent the 2024 and 2025 seasons at Oregon as its special teams analyst.

In 2025, the Ducks have blocked five kicks – two blocked punts and three blocked kicks. Oregon ranks second nationally in punt return defense, allowing 1.0 yard per return

Cal did not have a special teams coordinator this past season. Instead, several position coaches handled different aspects of the special teams.

Cal is 14th in the conference in punting this season, and is 13th in field-goal kicking, making 13 of 19 field-goal attempts.

The Bears rank seventh in the ACC in punt returns, mostly because of the skills of Jacob De Jesus, who is unlikely to be back next season. Cal ranks 15th in kickoff return yardage.

The 48-year-old Tinker was born in Seattle, Washington, and he played defensive end at Western Washington University.

His 27-year coaching career includes a four-year stint as the head coach at Division II South Dakota Mines (2016-19) and a two-year stay at Central Washington as the offensive coordinator (2020-21).

Earlier Saturday, Cal announced that Steven Huanga will be the Bears’ tight ends coach under Lupoi. On Friday, Michael Hutchings was named defensive coordinator and Da’Von Brown has been named defensive backs coach and co-defensive coordinator.

Lupoi will remain with the Oregon team until it is eliminated from the College Football Playoff. The Ducks face Texas Tech in a quarterfinal game on January 1.

If the Ducks win that game, they would advance to the semifinals scheduled for January 8 and 9. The CFP championship game is scheduled for Monday, January 19.

Lupoi still has several assistant coaching spots to fill, including wide receivers coach, linebackers coach and offensive line coach.

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