Tosh Lupoi Adds To His First Cal Football Coaching Staff

New Cal football coach Tosh Lupoi has added substantially to his staff. It feels like he has filled every position but there no longer is a limit on coachng staff size and we're told he may still added a couple more.

Lupoi announced Thursday the retention of seven members of the 2025 staff and the hiring of six more position assistants.

He previously had introduced six assistant coaches, including Jordan Somerville as offensive coordinator and Michael Hutchings as defensive coordinator.

Nick Rolovich, who worked as the Bears’ senior offensive assistant and was promoted to interim head coach for the final two games after Justin Wilcox was fired, has officially been retained to work with quarterbacks and serve as assistant head coach.

His return is no surprise, in part because he developed a strong and productive relationship with budding star quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele. The freshman made statements in support of Rolovich late in the season.

Also returning is offensive line coach Famika Anae, who came to Cal last season from New Mexico and inside linebacker coach Bob Gregory, who worked as a senior defensive assistant last fall in his return to a second stint on the Cal staff.

Keith Hayward, who coached defensive backs last season in the first year of his second go-around with the Bears, will remain on staff as defensive passing coordinator.

Jason Novak, who came aboard listed season, will return as the head athletic performance coach.

Jeff McDaniels, who worked as an assistant with the offensive line and tight ends, will move to assistant quarterbacks coach. Mike Saffell will begin his 10th season at Cal as a player or assistant coach, now in his third season as tight ends assistant. Sione Ta’ufo’ou will operate as assistant inside linebackers coach after working with defensive linemen and outside linebackers in his debut season last year.

Among newcomers added to the staff Thursday is former Golden Bears star wide receiver and Cal Athletic Hall of Famer Geoff McArthur, who will work with the team’s receivers.

Other position assistants are Pat McCann as passing game assistant, Bryan Barrazza, who will with edges, Ed McGilvra as defensive line assistant, Ryan Berry as defensive assistant and Duke DaRe as assistant defensive backs coach.

Here are thumbnail bios, courtesy of Cal, on those announced as staff members on Thursday:

The returning assistants

Nick Rolovich, Quarterbacks/Assistant Head Coach

Rolovich returns to Cal for a second season in 2026 as the Bears' quarterbacks coach and assistant head coach. Rolovich worked closely with Sagapolutele quarterback and helped the true freshman develop into one of the nation's top signal callers and a potential early 2026 Heisman Trophy candidate. Rolovich was previously a head coach at Hawai'i (2016-19) and Washington State (2020-21), as well as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Hawai'i (2008-11) and Nevada (2012-15). In addition, Rolovich was the quarterbacks coach at City College of San Francisco (2006-07) and helped the Rams capture the 2007 junior college national title. He has coached 30 players who have gone on to play in the NFL.

Famika Anae, Offensive Line

Anae returns for his second season as the offensive line coach at Cal in 2026. He began his coaching career as an assistant offensive line coach at BYU (2014-15) and also had stops at Virginia (2016-17), Dixie State (2018), Texas A&M Commerce (2019-21), Campbell (2022-23) and New Mexico (2024) before joining the Golden Bears in 2025, helping an inexperienced unit incorporate four new starters and improve throughout the season. In their final two games, the Golden Bears allowed just a single sack. Anae's signature coaching season came in 2024 as the offensive line coach at New Mexico when his group put up incredible numbers, leading the nation in sacks allowed (0.42 per game) and tackles for loss allowed (2.17 per game), while ranking fourth nationally in rush offense (253.6 ypg). At Virginia, Anae coached future NFL offensive linemen Chris Glaser and Eric Smith.

Bob Gregory, Inside Linebackers

Gregory will coach the Bears' inside linebackers in 2026 after serving as a senior defensive assistant in the first season of his second stint at Cal a year ago. Gregory has been one of the nation's top assistant coaches over a career that has spanned more than four decades and included a pair of stops each at Oregon (1998-2000, '22), Boise State (2001, '10-13) and Cal (2002-09, '25 - present). Gregory started his career at Washington University (1987-88) and also had stints at Willamette (1991-97), Washington (2014-21) and Stanford (2023-24). He has spent 16 of his seasons as a defensive coordinator for five different programs (Washington University, Willamette, Boise State, California, Washington), while coaching on seven teams that have won conference championships and 22 that have played in bowl games. A total of 46 players who Gregory has been directly responsible for coaching either as a defensive coordinator or position coach at the collegiate have gone on to play in the NFL.

Keith Heyward, Defensive Pass Game Coordinator

Heyward returns for the second season of his second stint at Cal in 2026 and will work in the role of defensive pass game coordinator after coaching defensive backs in 2025, when he helped Hezekiah Masses earn second-team All-American and first-team All-ACC honors after sharing the national lead in passes defended (18) and ranking in a tie for seventh in interceptions (5). Heyward, who spent the 2021 campaign working with the outside linebackers in his first tenure at Cal, has also had coaching stops at Oregon State (2005-06, '08-11, '24), Cal Poly (2007), Washington (2012-13), USC (2014-15), Louisville (2016), Oregon (2017-20), UNLV (2022) and the Las Vegas Raiders (2023). His teams have played in 13 bowl games and won two conference championships, as well as a share of another regular-season title. A total of 35 of players who Heyward has been directly responsible for coaching either as a defensive coordinator or position coach at the collegiate level have gone on to play in the NFL.

Jeff McDaniels, Assistant Quarterbacks

McDaniels is back for a second season at Cal in 2026 and will move into the role of assistant quarterbacks coach after working as an assistant with the team's offensive line and tight ends in his first season in Berkeley in 2025. McDaniels helped develop Mason Mini into one of the nation's top pass-catching tight ends a year ago and worked with an inexperienced offensive line that incorporated four new starters and improved throughout the season. Prior to his arrival at Cal, he was on staffs at Texas State (2015-16), his alma mater Davidson (2017-19), Boise State (2020), Auburn (2021-22) and Eastern Washington (2023-24). He has coached 13 players who have gone on to the NFL headlined by current Denver Broncos starting quarterback Bo Nix and Buffalo Bills receiver Khalil Shakir.

Jason Novak, Head Athletic Performance Coach

Novak returns to Cal for a second season as the head athletic performance coach in 2026 to continue a three-decade career that has given him extensive experience at the NFL, collegiate and elite prep levels. Novak spent 11 campaigns on the strength and conditioning staff of the Tennessee Titans (2014-14) and has a combined 19 seasons of experience at the collegiate and elite prep levels (Alabama State, Baylor, Cal, Central Michigan, IMG Academy, James Madison, Michigan State, Stephen F. Austin, Yale). Novak made an immediate impact in his first season at Cal in 2025, as the Bears got off to a strong 3-0 start and then had comeback wins against ranked teams in two of their final three regular-season contests at No. 15 Louisville in overtime and against No. 21 SMU. Novak coached three Pro Football Hall of Famers and 29 Pro Bowlers with the Titans, while he has worked with 41 players during his collegiate and high school stops who have gone on to play in the NFL.

Mike Saffell, Assistant Tight Ends

Saffell returns for his 10th season at Cal as a player or coach and his third campaign as a full-time member of the coaching staff in 2026. Saffell, who will continue to work with the tight ends, helped Jack Endries (2024) and Mason Mini (2025) become the nation's top pass-catching tight ends over the last two seasons, with Endries also leading all Cal players in both receptions and yards receiving. At the age of 24, Saffell was promoted from a second-year graduate assistant to the team's tight ends coach between the 2023 regular season and the Bears' appearance in the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl. He started his coaching career in 2021 as a student assistant with a pair of tight ends - Keleki Latu and Jake Tonges - from his tenure as a graduate or student assistant going on to play in the NFL. Saffell also played four seasons at Cal as an offensive lineman (2017-20). He was a team captain and the Pac-12's Football Scholar-Athlete of the Year as a 2020 senior.

Sione Ta'ufo'ou, Assistant Inside Linebackers

Ta'ufo'ou will be Cal's assistant inside linebackers coach in his second season with the Bears in 2026 after working with the defensive line and outside linebackers last year. Ta'ufo'ou spent two campaigns as the defensive coordinator at UAB (2023-24) following a successful career as a prep coach, most recently at Lipscomb Academy in Nashville (2020-22), where his teams reached three state title games with wins in the last two. He also served as an assistant head coach in 2022 when his defense allowed only 5.5 points per game. In three seasons at Lipscomb, Ta'ufo'ou's squads posted a 37-4 record and 14 shutouts. He was previously a high school head coach at Menlo Atherton (2010-14) and Archbishop Mitty (2017-19) after beginning his coaching career with two campaigns as an assistant at Menlo School (2008-09). Four players who Ta'ufo'ou has been directly responsible for coaching - Desmond Little, BJ Mayes, Dacarrion "Mac" McWilliams, Joseph Vaughn - have gone on to play in the NFL.

New coaching staff members

Geoff McArthur, right, and Aaron Rodgers | Twitter

Geoff McArthur, Wide Receivers Assistant

McArthur, who will begin his Cal coaching career as the assistant wide receivers coach, ranks as Cal’s all-time leader with 3,188 receiving yards. He shares the all-time lead in 100-yard receiving games with 11 and is second with 202 career receptions. In addition, McArthur is seventh at Cal with 20 touchdown catches. He was named a second-team All-American as a junior in 2003 and was also chosen second-team All-Pac-10, the team’s Most Improved Player and the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame’s College Male Athlete of the Year. McArthur continues to hold Cal’s season receiving yards mark with 1,504 in 2003 while his 85 receptions the same season are fourth. A first-team All-Pac-12 selection as a senior, he led the team in receptions with 57, along with 862 receiving yards and seven touchdown receptions. He shares the Cal single-game record for most receptions (16) with Jacob De Jesus and is second in receiving yards after tallying 245 yards in the 2003 Big Game.

Bryan Barraza, Edges

Barraza comes to Berkeley after a stint at Oregon where he worked with the defensive linemen and outside linebackers, Barraza’s stint at Oregon included time working and aiding the development of five 2025 All-Big Ten selections in Bear Alexander, Jadon Canady, Teitum Tuioti, Matayo Uiagalalei and A'Mauri Washington.

Ed McGilvra, Defensive Line Assistant

McGilvra comes to Berkeley after a year at Sacramento State where he was the defensive line coach. The Hornets’ defensive line group combined for 32.5 sacks and 59.0 tackles-for-loss. Outside of coaching, McGilvra is known for his training of NFL talent. McGilvra hosts some of the top tier talent every off-season, including Khalil Mack, Aidan Hutchinson and more. McGilvra has a group of more than 50 active NFL players that train with him over the offseason, including 16 former first-round draft picks.

McGilvra has coached the defensive line for both the Senior Bowl and Shrine Bowl with three players winning MVP honors at the Senior Bowl. He has worked closely with NFL teams including the LA Rams, LA Chargers, Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans over the last decade, helping to develop undrafted free agents.

Pat McCann, Offensive Passing Game Coordinator

McCann has been a collegiate coach for more than 15 years and spent the 2025 season at Oregon State as wide receivers coach. Prior to his time in Corvallis, McCann spent three years at Fresno State as wide receivers coach and was later elevated to offensive coordinator for his final two seasons in the program. McCann coached three All-MWC first team selections with the Bulldogs.

Before Fresno, he coached at Eastern Washington for three years, as wide receivers coach while also serving as the passing game coordinator and recruiting coordinator for one season. Under McCann, the Eagle offense led the FCS in total offense in 2021, averaging 555.7 yards per game (including 400.5 yards through the air) while scoring 44 points per game. Quarterback Eric Barriere was named an All-American and All-Conference in 2021 while being selected as the National FCS Player of the Year.

Duke DaRe, Defensive Backs Assistant

DaRe joins the Bears after serving as a quality control coach for two years at Baylor. With the Bears he will work as an assistant defensive backs coach under Da’Von Brown and Connor Boyd. A native of Clayton in the Bay Area, DaRe was a video intern for the Oakland Raiders and joined the staff as a player personnel assistant working with General Manager Mike Mayock before moving into a defensive assistant role for the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders from 2018-2021 working with the defensive back unit. After the 2021 season, he transitioned to the college game, where he was a graduate assistant at Northwestern before his time at Baylor.

Ryan Berry, Defensive Assistant

Berry will serve as an assistant to the defensive staff. Most recently, Berry worked with the defensive secondary while on Fran Brown’s staff at Syracuse. He also has worked on coaching staffs at Buffalo and Northern Illinois.

2026 Cal Football Coaching Staff

Tosh Lupoi, head coach

Jordan Somerville, offensive coordinator

x-Nick Rolovich, quarterbacks & assistant head coach

x-Jeff McDaniels, assistant quarterbacks

Keith Bhonapha, running backs

Ike Hilliard, wide receivers

Geoff McArthur, assistant wide receivers

Pat McCann, offensive passing game coordinator

x-Famika Anae, offensive line

Steve Haunga, tight ends & run game coordinator

x-Mike Saffell, assistant tight ends

Michael Hutchings, defensive coordinator

Darrion Daniels, defensive line & pass rush specialist

Bryan Barraza, edges

Ed McGilvra, defensive line assistant

x-Bob Gregory, inside linebackers

x-Sione Ta’ufo’ou, assistant inside linebackers

x-Keith Heyward, defensive pass game coordinator

Da’Von Brown, defensive backs

Connor Boyd, safeties

Duke DaRe, assistant defensive backs

Ryan Berry, defensive assistant

Zach Tinker, special teams coordinator

x-Jason Novak, head athletic performance

x-Returning coaching staff member