California Golden Bears

Wisconsin's Justin Wilcox in negotiations to be next Cal head coach

Published Jan. 13, 2017 7:40 a.m. ET

Bruce Feldman

Wisconsin defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox is in contract negotiations to become Cal’s new head coach, a source told FOX Sports on Thursday.

The 40-year-old Oregon native would replace Sonny Dykes, who was fired on Sunday. Wilcox spent one season in Madison in 2016 and led the Badgers to become the nation’s No. 7 team in total defense. Wilcox has strong ties to Cal and knows the Pac-12 well. He was a defensive back at Oregon from 1996-99 and was the linebackers coach at Cal from 2003-05 under Jeff Tedford. He left Berkeley in 2006 to become Boise State’s defensive coordinator for Chris Petersen. He later coached at Washington and then ran the defense for USC in 2014 and 2015.

Wilcox would take over a team that went 5-7, despite having the nation’s No. 10 offense. The problem was Cal ranked No. 125 in total defense, was No. 123 in tackles for loss and No. 107 in sacks. Wilcox's defense at Wisconsin ranked No. 4 in scoring.

In the past five years, the Bears are just 12-33 in Pac-12 play.

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