Cal Golden Bears coaching carousel: Wilcox out, Rolovich takes over
In a surprising move, Cal Golden Bears head coach Justin Wilcox has been let go, leaving fans and players reeling. The decision came on the heels of a 31-10 loss to Stanford Cardinal, which dropped the team to 6-5 overall and 3-4 in conference play. Wilcox's tenure at Cal was marked by inconsistency, finishing with a 48-55 overall record and 26-47 in conference play.
In his place, senior offensive assistant Nick Rolovich has taken over as interim head coach. This move marks a new chapter for the Golden Bears, who will look to right the ship under Rolovich's leadership. The 2026 season is shaping up to be an exciting one for Cal, and fans are eagerly awaiting the team's next move.
The Cal coaching carousel change brings us to 14 head coaching changes at the top level of college football this year alone, with two programs finding a permanent replacement heading into the 2026 season. As we head into Week 14, the College Football Coaching Carousel Tracker will continue to bring you updates on the ever-changing landscape of college football.
Here's an updated look at the college football coaching carousel:
- University of Virginia Hokies: Hired James Franklin as interim head coach after Brent Pry was let go.
- Auburn Tigers: Promoted defensive coordinator DJ Durkin to interim head coach after Hugh Freeze was fired.
- Kent State Golden Flashes: Lifted the interim tag on Mark Carney, who took over after Kenni Burns was fired for violating his contract.
- LSU Tigers: Announced a coaching change with Frank Wilson taking over as interim head coach after Brian Kelly left the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
- Colorado State Rams: Fired Jay Norvell and promoted defensive coordinator Tyson Summers to interim head coach.
- Florida Gators: Promoted Billy Gonzales to interim head coach after Billy Napier was let go.
- UAB Blazers: Announced a change with Alex Mortensen taking over as interim head coach after Trent Dilfer's firing.
- Penn State Nittany Lions: Named Terry Smith as interim head coach after James Franklin left the Vanderbilt Commodores.
- Oregon State Beavers: Promoted Robb Akey to interim head coach after Trent Bray was fired.
- Arkansas Razorbacks: Promoted Bobby Petrino to interim head coach after Sam Pittman's removal.
- Oklahoma State Cowboys: Fired Mike Gundy and promoted Doug Meacham to interim head coach.
- UCLA Bruins: Opened the 2024 season with a 0-3 record in conference play before making a change, promoting Tim Skipper to interim head coach.
- Stanford Cardinal: Faced allegations of mistreating staff members after firing Troy Taylor, who had been hired prior to the 2023 season.
As we continue into Week 14, keep an eye on these programs and their coaching carousel moves. With two permanent replacements already in place for the 2026 season, excitement is building as teams look to find stability and success under new leadership.
In a surprising move, Cal Golden Bears head coach Justin Wilcox has been let go, leaving fans and players reeling. The decision came on the heels of a 31-10 loss to Stanford Cardinal, which dropped the team to 6-5 overall and 3-4 in conference play. Wilcox's tenure at Cal was marked by inconsistency, finishing with a 48-55 overall record and 26-47 in conference play.
In his place, senior offensive assistant Nick Rolovich has taken over as interim head coach. This move marks a new chapter for the Golden Bears, who will look to right the ship under Rolovich's leadership. The 2026 season is shaping up to be an exciting one for Cal, and fans are eagerly awaiting the team's next move.
The Cal coaching carousel change brings us to 14 head coaching changes at the top level of college football this year alone, with two programs finding a permanent replacement heading into the 2026 season. As we head into Week 14, the College Football Coaching Carousel Tracker will continue to bring you updates on the ever-changing landscape of college football.
Here's an updated look at the college football coaching carousel:
- University of Virginia Hokies: Hired James Franklin as interim head coach after Brent Pry was let go.
- Auburn Tigers: Promoted defensive coordinator DJ Durkin to interim head coach after Hugh Freeze was fired.
- Kent State Golden Flashes: Lifted the interim tag on Mark Carney, who took over after Kenni Burns was fired for violating his contract.
- LSU Tigers: Announced a coaching change with Frank Wilson taking over as interim head coach after Brian Kelly left the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
- Colorado State Rams: Fired Jay Norvell and promoted defensive coordinator Tyson Summers to interim head coach.
- Florida Gators: Promoted Billy Gonzales to interim head coach after Billy Napier was let go.
- UAB Blazers: Announced a change with Alex Mortensen taking over as interim head coach after Trent Dilfer's firing.
- Penn State Nittany Lions: Named Terry Smith as interim head coach after James Franklin left the Vanderbilt Commodores.
- Oregon State Beavers: Promoted Robb Akey to interim head coach after Trent Bray was fired.
- Arkansas Razorbacks: Promoted Bobby Petrino to interim head coach after Sam Pittman's removal.
- Oklahoma State Cowboys: Fired Mike Gundy and promoted Doug Meacham to interim head coach.
- UCLA Bruins: Opened the 2024 season with a 0-3 record in conference play before making a change, promoting Tim Skipper to interim head coach.
- Stanford Cardinal: Faced allegations of mistreating staff members after firing Troy Taylor, who had been hired prior to the 2023 season.
As we continue into Week 14, keep an eye on these programs and their coaching carousel moves. With two permanent replacements already in place for the 2026 season, excitement is building as teams look to find stability and success under new leadership.
just thinking about all those coaching changes makes me wonder what's going on with college football... like is it just a revolving door or are teams really searching for something specific? 
i feel like consistency is key, but from the numbers, cal went 6-5 and still got fired 
wilcox's record might be decent, but wilcox himself has been under pressure. on the other hand, nick rolovich was a senior assistant, maybe that's a good thing for interim coach? 
anyway, with all these changes, it'll be interesting to see which team finds stability and can make a run in 2026... i'm curious about james franklin at uva, he had a decent tenure at penn state too 
what's up with wilcox leaving? like i get it, not winning seasons aren't ideal but still 48-55 record over 5 yrs isn't terrible either 
think rolovich's gonna be able to turn things around or is this gonna be another year of watching cal struggle? 
just heard about Cal dropping Justin Wilcox 
I mean, I get it, 31-10 loss isn't ideal, but a whole coaching carousel? seems like way too many changes already this year... 
i hope Nick Rolovich can turn things around for the Golden Bears, but man, it's gonna be tough to build momentum with so much turnover 
wilcox was probly getting old & out of touch lol 48-55 recntly isnt too shabby but yeah consistency is key 
. Wilcox just couldn't get it together, finishing with a 48-55 record, which is basically tanking 
. But I do think Rolovich has potential, he was the right guy for the job in the first place 
. Auburn and Penn State are getting some big-name coaches in, so that's a plus 
. On the other hand, Florida is still looking for stability after Billy Napier got axed 
. Fingers crossed Cal can get their act together under Rolovich... they're gonna need to, or else