DeSean Jackson’s coaching career is moving fast. After only one season as the head coach at Delaware State, the former NFL star is now being talked about as a possible choice for the head coaching job at California. It’s a big jump, but his early success has put him on the map.
The talk started when Bruce Feldman of The Athletic mentioned Jackson as part of Cal’s list of candidates. Feldman noted that the school is looking at top coordinators, experienced Group of Five coaches, former UCLA coach Jim Mora, and even Jackson — who played at Cal and just led a huge turnaround at Delaware State. Feldman still called him a “long shot,” but said his impact in one year makes him hard to ignore.
Cal began its search after the school let go of Justin Wilcox, who went 48-55 in nine seasons and finished this year 6-5. The Golden Bears desire to establish a new beginning, and they want a coach who is capable of making a stir in the program. That’s one reason DeSean Jackson stands out. He knows the school, he’s popular with fans, and he has already proven he can rebuild a struggling team.
At Delaware State, DeSean Jackson took over a program that had been 2-21 over the previous two years and finished 1-11 last season. In just one year, he turned the Hornets into an 8-4 team and got them into the MEAC title game for the first time in almost 20 years. His work made him a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award, which goes to the top FCS coach in the country.
Even with the rumors, DeSean Jackson said he’s staying focused on Delaware State for now. But he also admitted he’s open to bigger opportunities. “I try to stay fully focused on the present,” Jackson said. “I’d love to aim higher if the opportunity arises, but HBCU will always hold a special place in my heart. If my destiny is somewhere else, who knows?”
Still, Jackson is only one of several names in the mix. Feldman also listed Cal interim coach Nick Rolovich, Oregon defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi, UC Davis coach Tim Plough, UConn’s Jim Mora, San Diego State’s Sean Lewis, New Mexico coach Jason Eck, and Alabama offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb.
Rolovich has past success at Hawaii, including a 10-win season in 2019. Lupoi, a former Cal defensive lineman, is known as one of the best recruiters in the country and has coached under Nick Saban at Alabama and Dan Lanning at Oregon.
The final decision will come from Athletic Director Ron Rivera, and the search is still wide open. But the fact that DeSean Jackson is even being considered shows how quickly he has risen in the coaching world — and how interesting the next few weeks could be for Cal football.
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