California Golden Bears

Cal expected to hire Tim DeRuyter as defensive coordinator

Published Jan. 23, 2017 5:01 p.m. ET

Bruce Feldman

Former Fresno State head coach Tim DeRuyter is expected to become the new defensive coordinator at Cal, a source told FOX Sports Monday.

DeRuyter’s experience as a head coach should aid first-time head man Justin Wilcox, who was hired earlier this month after the dismissal of Sonny Dykes.

The 54-year-old California native had a big impact as a defensive coordinator for Texas A&M before his time at Fresno. Prior to DeRuyter's arrival at Texas A&M in 2010, the Aggies defense ranked No. 105 nationally by allowing 33.5 points per game. After one season in DeRuyter's aggressive and physical scheme, A&M allowed a dozen fewer points and gave up 62 fewer yards per contest. In addition, Aggie linebacker Von Miller blossomed under DeRuyter's 3-4 scheme and won the 2010 Butkus Awards as the nation's top linebacker before going on to NFL success.

DeRuyter also greatly improved his alma mater’s defense at Air Force, a unit that ranked 79th in the country in total defense the year before he arrived and 11th overall in his last year there (2009). At Ohio, he inherited a defense ranked No. 99 in 2001, but by the 2004 season, he had turned the Bobcat defense into a unit that ranked No. 22 in the country.

He was 31-30 in four seasons as the Bulldogs head coach.

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