Cal Football Hires Former Stanford Football Coach

Bob Gregory is staying in the Bay, but will join a rival

Nov 20, 2021; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Washington Huskies head coach Bob Gregory before the game against the Colorado Buffaloes at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

A familiar face is expected to join the other side of a rivalry. Bob Gregory, Stanford's special teams coordinator under Troy Taylor, has been hired by the Cal Golden Bears to serve as a senior defensive assistant, returning to a program that he used to coach in the 2000s.

Serving as the defensive coordinator for Cal under Jeff Tedford from 2002-2009, Gregory returns to the Golden Bears staff and provides another perspective to the defensive side of the ball. Hired by Taylor to serve on his inaugural Stanford staff, Gregory was then let go by the Cardinal following the 2024 season after inconsistencies from both the special teams and the secondary.

But Gregory has extensive experience on college football staffs and is a vital asset wherever he goes, having served as an interim head coach with Washington and Boise State while serving as a defensive coordinator at multiple schools, including Cal.

Prior to his tenure at Stanford, Gregory served as an analyst for Oregon in 2022 and Washington's defensive coordinator/linebackers coach/interim head coach in 2021 after being promoted from linebackers coach, a position he held from 2014-2020.

Last season, the Golden Bears finished 6-7 and made the L.A. Bowl in their first season as members of the ACC, shattering the expectations that were bestowed upon them in the preseason.

While they have lost a considerable amount of talent, most notably seeing quarterback Fernando Mendoza transfer to Indiana, the program was able to retain a good amount of impact players as well as sign top tier talent from both the transfer portal and as part of their 2025 recruiting class.

Adding Gregory to the staff is one step towards showing just how serious Cal is about being competitive in the ACC this season, which could create more trouble for Stanford. But if both teams are playing good football and are competitive teams, it could make the Big Game rivalry that much better and create a much more interesting storyline for the college football season.