Report: Justin Wilcox Is Working on a Contract Extension at Cal

He turned down an offer to be Oregon's head coach, but the Bears have a 26-28 record under Wilcox

Cal head football coach Justin Wilcox is working on a contract extension that will provide more resources to the program, according to Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News.

Although this negotiation apparently is not directly tied to Wilcox's decision to turn down an offer to be Oregon's head coach, it is probably not a coincidence it is happening now in the wake of the Ducks' coaching search.

Wilcox's current contract runs through the 2023 season, and he was scheduled to be paid $3,344,996 in 2021, which ranks as the seventh-highest salary in the Pac-12 this year and 43rd-highest in the country.

It is not clear how many additional years Wilcox is seeking or how many Cal is willing to give, but Wilcox's salary is unlikely to be the chief negotiating point. It seems that he wants more resources available to the program, particularly in the form of increased salaries for assistant coaches. Not a single assistant coach who was on Wilcox's original Cal staff in 2017 is still on the Bears' coaching staff. More money for assistants might reduce the flight of Cal assistants. You would also assume Cal offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave, who has a long history as an NFL offensive coordinator, will require a substantive contract to remain with Cal.

The fact that Wilcox is working on a contract extension also shows recruits he plans to be at Cal for a while. The first day of the early signing period is Wednesday.

There is probably no wording that could be put into a contract extension that would alleviate the restrictions placed on the Cal program because of pandemic protocols imposed by local entities.

Although Cal had only a 5-7 record this season and has losing records the past two years, Wilcox is working from a position of strength after being offered the Oregon job.  His commitment to Cal despite the opportunity to coach an an established elite national football program with seemingly endless financial resources should count for something in negotiations.

The fact remains, however, that Cal has a 26-28 record in Wilcox's five seasons at Cal, and the Bears have played in just two bowls in that span.

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Cover photo of Justin Wilcox by James Snook, USA TODAY Sports

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Follow Jake Curtis of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jakecurtis53

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