After 4 seasons, Dykes’ stay ends
With optimism dimmed, it was time for a change
It was a bold and unexpected move by the Cal athletic department, and one not likely to be disputed by the Bears’ most influential alums. The Sonny Dykes era had grown stale, without much hope for the future, and it was time for a change. He was fired Sunday with three years remaining on his contract.
Dykes had a lot to offer, not the least of which was his country-smooth personality and measured approach to a crisis. The Bears made notable academic progress after being cited for a significant drop-off. And over three seasons with quarterback Jared Goff and a fourth with Davis Webb, Dykes orchestrated one
of the most explosive, dynamic offenses in the country. But he was never going to be a Cal guy, a Berkeley guy, or a California guy. He’s all Texas, born and raised. He has looked into several other coaching jobs, most recently at Baylor, making it clear that he would welcome a change.
Beyond all that, there is his overall Cal record: 19-30, typically coming up short against the teams — USC, Washington, Stanford, Oregon — showing the way in the Pac-12.
So it’s done. Dykes had signed an extension of his contract after the 2015 season, making it somewhat surprising school officials would reverse course so abruptly. But in the end, it wasn’t about all those pass-yardage totals. It was Cal’s defense, inexcusably bad throughout Dykes’ tenure, showing occasional flashes of improvement but invariably regressing to complete disaster.
Injuries played a significant part each year, but Cal officials got the sense that highly regarded defensive players wouldn’t have much interest in attending Cal. It was going to be the same old story.
The frightful bottom line: In the Dykes era, Cal’s national rank in yards per play allowed out of 128 schools was 119, 114, 100 and 120. Simply not acceptable in big-time football, and especially in the Pac-12 Conference.
With the departure of Webb and superb wide receiver Chad Hansen, who left school a year early to enter the NFL draft, Cal looked to be an ordinary team at best next year — as the conference soars. USC is thriving once again. Washington made the College Football Playoff and returns an impressive roster. Utah and Colorado, those relative conference newcomers, are on the rise. Washington State has produced Cal-like offenses while building a decent defensive reputation.
There are no indications as to Cal’s choice to replace Dykes, but suffice it to say he won’t bear much strategical resemblance. The Bears have to start recruiting tough defensive players. They have to lose the image of a 52-49 score. It won’t happen overnight, and the rebuilding process probably will be difficult to watch. But it had to start sometime. Cal has chosen the present.