It's Sonny!

Cal hired Louisiana Tech head coach Sonny Dykes to be their head coach. This hire will bring a significant change from the more traditional, balanced offense that Cal ran for over a decade under Jeff Tedford. Although those offenses really weren't so balanced as few Cal quarterbacks since Aaron Rodgers could consistently complete passes. Dykes will bring in his version of the spread offense. I've never been a big fan of the spread. I've never been a fan of out of control 57-56 games. Those games compare far more favorably to Arena Football where not a hint of defense is ever played. Pretty much the entire game can be ignored if the only objective is to be the last team to possess the ball. I prefer football games that involve scoring with a better than decent amount of preventing the other team from scoring.

While I'm no fan of the spread that doesn't mean that I'm no fan of Cal hiring Sonny Dykes. There's no rule saying that a team running the spread has to suck on defense. They just always seem to suck on defense. That's mostly due to the pressure that a fast paced, high scoring offense puts on their own defense. I think that it's critical that Dykes hires an excellent defensive coordinator. It's critical that he cares about his defense. His Louisiana Tech defenses were horrible. He can not bring that with him. As for what Dykes definitely brings to the Cal offense, I like that his Louisiana Tech offense averaged over 200 yards/game on the ground. I like that running presence. Cal has a promising back in Brendan Bigelow. He could excel in a wide open game. I love that Dykes' offensive ideas will breathe some life into the wildly inconsistent passing game that Cal has put on the field in recent years. I also like that he brings a mix of some of the best spread coaches around. This includes his father Spike Dykes, Hal Mumme and Mike Leach. While he's influenced by those coaches he brings his own offense.

I think that Sonny Dykes will be pleased with the young receivers that are already on the Cal roster. Undercalssmen Chris Harper, Bryce Treggs, Darius Powe and Maurice Harris are all talented. Their presence make receiver Keenan Allen's decision to head to the NFL one year early no real problem at all. Tight end Richard Rodgers also provides an interesting option. I haven't seen tight ends used much in the spread. I think that Dykes can find a place for Rodgers. He can make plays in space which is what routes in the spread are all about. Quarterback is, of course, the biggest question. It has been a question since Rodgers threw his last college pass. The spread is certainly quarterback friendly so play at the position should improve. I really like the potential of true freshman Zach Kline but he'll be in competition with Allan Bridgford, Kyle Boehm, and incoming freshman Jared Goff.

The more I think about Sonny Dykes as Cal's coach the more that I like it but that happiness is dependent on his hiring the right defensive coordinator. He can not forget about the defense.