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Report: Wisconsin DC Justin Wilcox interviews for Cal head coach job

Connor O'Gara

By Connor O'Gara

Published:

There’s a chance that for the second year in a row, Wisconsin could be looking for a new defensive coordinator.

Last year, Dave Aranda left Wisconsin for the same position — and a significant raise — at LSU. This year, Justin Wilcox could be leaving the Badgers as well.

According to Fox Sports’ Bruce Feldman, Wilcox has already interviewed to become the next head coach at Cal:

Wilcox was reported as a candidate over the weekend, and Wednesday’s news confirms that talks are real for him to head back to the West Coast.

According to Feldman, there was speculation that Wilcox didn’t want to deal with the hassles of being a head coach. A former Cal assistant, Wilcox has been a defensive coordinator at five different schools since he left Berkeley. The Oregon native came to Wisconsin after two years as USC’s defensive coordinator.

The 40-year-old helped Wisconsin to the seventh-ranked defense in college football despite a brutal schedule. The Badger defense fueled an 11-win season that included a B1G West crown and a Cotton Bowl victory.

Wilcox is reportedly one of several candidates for the Cal job, which could include former Oregon coach Chip Kelly and current Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason.

Connor O'Gara

Connor O'Gara is the senior national columnist for Saturday Tradition. He's a member of the Football Writers Association of America. After spending his entire life living in B1G country, he moved to the South in 2015.