Cal Football: Report of Colorado's Interest in Justin Wilcox Seems Farfetched
It's hard to imagine that there is anything to this, but it's being reported so we'll pass it along.
Mel Tucker recently left Colorado to become the head coach at Michigan State, and FootballScoop reported Monday that Colorado officials would be interested in speaking to Cal coach Justin Wilcox about the Buffaloes' head coaching vacancy.
Here's what Football Scoop reported:
"Sources have indicated that CU hoped to speak with (in no particular order) Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, former Wisconsin and Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema, Central Michigan head coach Jim McElwain, Alabama offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian, Arkansas State head coach Blake Anderson, Cal head coach Justin Wilcox, as well as current interim head coach Darrin Chiaverini."
In its description of Wilcox, Football Scoop reported the following:
"Perhaps the strangest name on this list, Wilcox would be an outstanding hire for CU as a young, established head coach who’s spent most of his life coaching and recruiting out West, though the interest appears to be one-sided on the outset. Unlike every other coach on this list, Wilcox would have to take a pay cut in order to become Colorado’s head coach — he made $2.85 million at Cal in 2019, $450,000 ahead of Tucker."
Even Football Scoop admits the "interest appears to be one-sided at the outset."
Nothing about a Wilcox move to Colorado makes sense. He would be making a lateral move to another school within the conference without a significant raise in pay. Cal seems to have it going under Wilcox, and there are high expectations for his 2020 team in Wilcox's fourth season in Berkeley.
(Click here for our earlier story on Wilcox's salary.)
The Bears have shown improvement each year under Wilcox with the payoff possibly coming in 2020 or 2021.
I can see why Colorado would be interested in Wilcox. I cannot see why Wilcox would be interested in Colorado.
Of course, stranger things have happened. Tucker's move to Michigan State was surprising in itself.
