Cal head coach Justin Wilcox and his staff can’t seem to catch a break. Defensive backs coach Marcel Yates – who just signed on to the Bears’ staff in January 2020 has reportedly left the program to become the safeties coach at Oregon, according to multiple sources including FootballScoop. The 20-year coaching veteran served as defensive coordinator in stints at Boise State and Arizona before arriving in Berkeley. Yates follows former Cal defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter up north to the Ducks as the blue and gold continue to hemorrhage talent both in and out of the Pac-12.

This appears to be a theme during Wilcox’s tenure to this point – in back-to-back years, he has had to fill multiple positions on the coaching staff, and will have to do so again this year. Cal also lost former tight ends coach Marques Tuiasosopo to Rice, where he will serve as their new offensive coordinator. As it stands, only one assistant remains from the original staff that Wilcox assembled five years ago.

The open positions on the Cal coaching staff will be interesting to watch going forward, as Wilcox will likely be looking to fill these spots sooner rather than later. The Bears are poised to improve upon a shortened and disappointing 2020 campaign under offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave and defensive coordinator Peter Sirmon. How the rest of the staff fills out should play a huge role in how the rest of the offseason unfolds for Cal.