Tosh Lupoi has been named the new Travers Family Head Football Coach for the California Golden Bears, according to an announcement by Cal football general manager Ron Rivera on Thursday. Lupoi, a former California defensive lineman and assistant coach, becomes the 35th head coach in the history of the football program.
Lupoi joins the program after serving the previous four seasons as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Oregon. His coaching career includes stints at the University of Washington and in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns, Atlanta Falcons, and Jacksonville Jaguars. While at Alabama, Lupoi served as an outside linebackers coach and defensive coordinator, contributing to the team reaching four consecutive national championship games and winning two national championships.
During his time at Oregon, Lupoi directed a defense that ranked third nationally in total defense, passing defense, and passing yards allowed during the 2025 regular season. He was also named a semifinalist for the Broyles Award for the second consecutive season on Tuesday. His previous experience at Cal included serving as a defensive line coach from 2008 to 2011, making him the youngest full-time coach in the program's history at age 26.
Lupoi played as a defensive lineman for the Golden Bears from 2000 to 2005, where he earned Pac-10 All-Academic honors as a senior. He holds a bachelor's degree in American studies and has completed coursework toward a master's in education.
