California Golden Bears general manager Ron Rivera offered a blunt assessment of head coach Tosh Lupoi's first season during a Thursday appearance on KNBR, stating that the first-time head coach "has bumped his head a lot" as the program sits at 3-6 following three consecutive losses.
Rivera noted that Lupoi brought in inexperienced coordinators and that the offense has not performed as needed. While Rivera said they have talked frequently and offered advice, he added that Lupoi has been receptive to some but not all of it.
The Golden Bears entered the season with high expectations after a 7-5 finish in 2023 and the return of quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, who had a standout freshman campaign. However, Cal was blown out 45-24 by UCLA in the opener, and the team has since dropped five of its last six games.
After a 2-1 start that included wins over Syracuse and Wagner, the offense stalled in a 24-10 loss to Clemson. Lupoi then stripped offensive coordinator Jordan Somerville of play-calling duties, promoting passing game coordinator Pat McCann at halftime of a 39-31 loss to UNLV. The team rebounded to beat Virginia Tech with a different signal caller, but Lupoi later benched Sagapolutele ahead of a 41-7 loss to Wake Forest.
Sagapolutele, who threw for 3,117 yards and 17 touchdowns last season, has started the last two games after regaining the starting role but has not thrown multiple touchdowns in a game since September 19. Rivera emphasized the need to show growth and development as the Golden Bears face Virginia, Stanford, and Pittsburgh to close the season, with a bowl berth likely requiring wins in all three.
