Ranking Cal Football Coaches

The University of California (Cal) hired Tosh Lupoi as their 35th head football coach. He follows Justin Wilcox and interim head coach Nick Rolovich. As a Bay Area native, former Cal player, and assistant coach, Lupoi is coming home. His return has generated a great deal of excitement in the program. That excitement was starting to build with the hiring last spring of former Cal player Ron Rivera to run the football program. With Berkeley being Berkeley, there’s often “lowered” expectations for the “big-time” sports. After all, it’s a high-end academic institution first. Cal is routinely ranked as the best public school in the universe. It’s better than the private school posers as well. The expectations don’t have to be “lowered” in Berkeley. It hasn’t always been “lowered.” Cal had a football dynasty. The Golden Bears were the best football team in the land with four consecutive national titles. There aren’t many powerhouse programs that can claim that. It was over hundred years ago but it happened. The football program has always helped make the campus the unique place that it is. Right now, thanks to the returns of Ron Rivera and Tosh Lupoi there’s a lot of excitement surrounding Cal and its football program. Here’s a look at some of the best coaches in Cal’s 170 history of football.

Ranking Cal’s Football Coaches

1.   Andy Smith (1916-25)

      .799 winning percentage

      4 national titles (1920, 1921, 1922, 1923)

2.   Pappy Waldorf (1947-56)

      .670 winning percentage

3.   Stub Allison (1935-44)

      .556 winning percentage

      1 national title (1937)

4.   Jeff Tedford (2002-12)

      .590 winning percentage 

5.   Bruce Snyder (1987-91)

      .544 winning percentage 

6.   Garrett Cochran (1898-99)

      .868 winning percentage 

7.   Nibs Price (1926-30)

      .606 winning percentage 

8.   Mike White (1972-77)

      .538 winning percentage 

9.   James Whipple (1902-03)

      .882 winning percentage 

10. Pudge Heffelfinger (1893)

      .786 winning percentage

Any conversation on great coaches in college football history must include Andy Smith. From 1920-24, Smith’s “Wonder Teams” went undefeated, going 44 wins, 0 losses, and 4 ties. It was an absolutely ridiculous run of football success. Cal has seen nothing like it since or before. College football has seen nothing like it. His incredible success built Memorial Stadium. Andy Smith could only be slowed by death as his sudden passing to pneumonia in 1925 stunned Cal and college football. 

Pappy Waldorf’s strong run as Cal’s football coach didn’t reach the national success of Andy Smith but it approached it. For the past 65 years, reaching the Rose Bowl has been a rarity for Cal. Waldorf coached the Golden Bears to three straight Rose Bowls from 1948-50. They were undefeated in each of those seasons but lost in each of the Rose Bowls. It was unfortunate as Cal was either leading or tied until the fourth quarter in all three games. 

Bruce Snyder in the 1990s and Jeff Tedford in the 2000s have been the only coaches to bring some national football notoriety to Berkeley since Pappy Waldorf. Snyder and Tedford coached Cal to Top 10 rankings. 

I included Pudge Heffelfinger and his single season coaching Cal for the simple reason that he’s the first confirmed professional football player. He was paid by the Allegheny Athletic Association for a game against the Pittsburgh Athletic Club in 1892. A year later, he was in Berkeley coaching Cal. 

Hopefully, Tosh Lupoi earns a place on this list in the coming years. 

Minnesota Vikings Week 14 Superlatives

Winning is so much better than losing. The Minnesota Vikings shut out the Washington Commanders on Sunday, 31-0. After four frustrating weeks, Vikings football was fun again. Here are some of the players that made the shutout and the fun possible. 

Offensive Player of the Game

J.J. McCarthy, QB

After a season of criticism and questions, J.J. McCarthy came out and played terrific against the Commanders. He was steady and efficient. 

16 completions

23 attempts

163 yards

3 TDs

129.2 rating

Head coach Kevin O’Connell said last week that he was going to simplify things for his young quarterback. A lot has been made of that. I believe that O’Connell simply instructed McCarthy to simply play football. Make it fun again. Emphasize decision-making rather than technical intricacies. Whatever those instructions were, McCarthy handled them. It worked. Now, he must improve on it. 

Honorable Mentions:

The Tight Ends

Josh Oliver:

2 catches

24 yards

2 TDs (18, 6)

T.J. Hockenson

2 catches

12 yards

1 TD (2)

Defensive Players of the Game

Andrew Van Ginkel, OLB

Harrison Smith, S

Javon Hargrave, DL

In reality, every defensive player is player of the game. It takes an entire defense to shut out an NFL offense. I singled out Andrew Van Ginkel, Harrison Smith, and Javon Hargrave because each had one of the three turnovers. One of the many issues that have contributed to each of the Vikings eight losses has been the absence of turnovers. The ball simply hasn’t bounced their way. On Sunday, the ball bounced their way. Each of the three players secured the ball when it came their way. 

Special Teams Player of the Game

Will Reichard, K

Will Reichard has been automatic all season. He was perfect again on all five of his kick attempts against the Commanders. Four extra points and a 45-yard field goal.

Vikings - Commanders

The Minnesota Vikings rebounded from a troubling four-game losing streak with a 31-0 beat-down of the Washington Commanders. Last week, the Vikings were shut out, 26-0, by the Seattle Seahawks. This week, the Vikings were on the other side of a shut out. It’s fun to be on this side of those games.

The difference in this game was the Vikings didn’t do anything to hurt themselves. Whether it’s penalties or mind-numbing turnovers, in all of their eight losses, the Vikings have done something, or a series of somethings, to eliminate any possibility of winning. Football works that way. All sports work that way. Against the Commanders, the Vikings got out of their own way. With only three penalties, they played a clean game. They didn’t put themselves in long-yardage situations. They had zero turnovers. They didn’t make any of the mistakes that have simply wrecked this season. It was refreshing. So refreshing. Makes me wish that the Vikings could spin back the clock and start the season this way. 

This game can probably be summed up by events that closed the first quarter and opened the second quarter. The Commanders responded to the Vikings game-opening touchdown drive with a long, time-consuming drive of their own. That drive took the Commanders to a first-and-goal on the four-yard line. From there:

2-yard run

Incompletion

Incompletion

Incompletion

The Vikings defense held on fourth down and gave the offense the ball on the Commanders two-yard line. Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy guided the offense on a 19-play, 98-yard, 12-minute drive. It was the Vikings longest drive, in distance and time, in decades. Five third downs were converted on the long drive. Four of those were third-and-six or longer. The fifth, a third-and-one, was an eight-yard touchdown run by Jordan Mason. It was an impressive sequence of plays. After yielding nearly the entire field, the Vikings defense found their footing and didn’t allow the Commanders into their end zone. The Vikings offense simply and steadily drove down the field. There was still over 35 minutes to play but it felt like the Commanders were beaten after Mason powered into the end zone and the Vikings held a14-0 lead. 

For 13 weeks, J.J. McCarthy has been relentlessly questioned and criticized. Last week, Vikings head coach stated that he was going to simplify things. I don’t think that it was so much a simplification of the offense as it was a simplification of the demands on McCarthy. The Vikings young quarterback was given the opportunity to simply go out and play football. Do what he’s done since he was an itty-bitty quarterback. Just play. It worked. Vikings offensive football looked fun again. It helped that there was no self-harm the entire game. The result of simply playing football was a nice, smooth 31-0 win. 

It can’t be emphasized enough. The Vikings finally did nothing to hurt themselves. J.J. McCarthy was steady and efficient. 

J.J. McCarthy:

16 completions

23 attempts

163 yards

3 TDs

129.2 rating

The Vikings ran the ball well.

Aaron Jones Sr.

14 carries

76 yards

Jordan Mason

11 carries

52 yards

1 TD (8 yards)

No turnovers! No Turnovers! No Turnovers!

The defense was dominant. A shut out is dominant. 

3 Takeaways! 3 Takeaways! 3 Takeaways!

+3 turnover margin has been a frequent occurrence for a Brian Flores-led Vikings defense. Other than the Week 3 game against the Cincinnati Bengals, it’s been a rarity this season. After the goal line stand that put a stop to the Commanders strong first drive, the Vikings defense was a wall, a greedy wall. Some of the tackling still needs to improve. Other than that, the Vikings defense broke the will of the Commanders offense. 

At 5-8, the playoffs are a dim hope with only four games to play. It’s possible but a load of things have to break the Vikings way. There hasn’t been much of that this season. Despite all of the issues, the Vikings can still end the season with a winning record. That could be the long-term goal. The short-term goal, as always, is to go 1-0 each week. This Commanders game was a nice step in the right direction of establishing J.J. McCarthy as the long-term, franchise quarterback. Just keep progressing. It would also be nice to see Justin Jefferson get his next 1000-yard season. Next up is the Dallas Cowboys.

Flea Flicker Week 14 Predictions

It’s Week 14. Here are some guesses at the games. 

Byes: New England Patriots, New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers, Carolina Panthers

It’s insane to have teams waiting until Week 14 for their bye. 

Washington Commanders @ Minnesota Vikings

Pick: Vikings

The Vikings march to a winning record starts here!

Seattle Seahawks @ Atlanta Falcons

Pick: Falcons

Despite their shutout of the Vikings last week, the Seahawks did not impress.

Cincinnati Bengals @ Buffalo Bills

Pick: Bills

The Bills have to start playing like the team they think they are. 

Tennessee Titans @ Cleveland Browns

Pick: Browns

This game looks like a scorcher.

Miami Dolphins @ New York Jets

Pick: Dolphins

Coin flip.

New Orleans Saints @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

Pick: Buccaneers 

The Buccaneers roll.

Indianapolis Colts @ Jacksonville Jaguars

Pick: Colts

After consecutive losses, the Colts must get back on track.

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Baltimore Ravens

Pick: Ravens

This has been one of my favorite rivalries since the 2000s. With Aaron Rodgers on the Steelers, now there’s zero interest.

Denver Broncos @ Las Vegas Raiders

Pick: Broncos

The Broncos might be the least impressive 10-2 team in league history. They should still handle the Raiders. They might even beat them by more than three points. 

Chicago Bears @ Green Bay Packers

Pick: Packers

Like the Seahawks and Broncos, the Bears are another team that isn’t as impressive as their record. 

Los Angeles Rams @ Arizona Cardinals

Pick: Rams

The Rams must rebound from their stunning loss to the Panthers.

Houston Texans @ Kansas City Chiefs

Pick: Chiefs

The Chiefs continue their fight for a playoff spot. It’s been a while since that was in doubt in Week 14. 

Philadelphia Eagles @ Los Angeles Chargers

Pick: Chargers

Both teams look like contenders. Too often they don’t play like contenders. Right now, the Eagles look less right than the Chargers. 

Boston Braves/Boston Redskins/Washington Redskins/Washington Commanders All - Time Team

The Minnesota Vikings host the Washington Commanders tomorrow. The Commanders have a long, often troubling, sometimes successful history. The team carried a wildly racist name for most of its history. The suspect name should never have been a surprise as original team owner George Preston Marshall was a wildly racist individual. On the field, Washington has had some great teams with great players. They won NFL titles in 1937 and 1942 and Super Bowls in 1982, 1987, 1991. They had a knack for winning Super Bowls during seasons with work stoppages (1982 and 1987). On the eve of their big game with the Vikings, here’s a look at some of the best players in the 90+ year history of the Boston Braves/Boston Redskins/Washington Redskins/Washington Commanders. 

Offense

Quarterback

Sammy Baugh

Halfback

Cliff Battles

Fullback

John Riggins

Wide Receivers

Bobby Mitchell

Charley Taylor

Art Monk

Tight End

Jerry Smith

Offensive Tackles

Trent Williams

Turk Edwards

Offensive Guards

Dick Stanfel

Russ Grimm

Center

Len Hauss

Defense

Defensive Ends

Dexter Manley

Charles Mann

Defensive Tackles

Diron Talbert

Jonathan Allen

Linebackers

Chris Hanburger

London Fletcher

Chuck Drazenovich

Cornerbacks

Darrell Green

Champ Bailey

Safeties

Ken Houston

Sean Taylor

Special Teams

Kicker

Mark Mosley

Punter

Sammy Baugh

Returner

Brian Mitchell

Walter Payton Man of the Year Nominees

The NFL released the nominees for the 2025 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. This award recognizing the outstanding off-field work of the league’s players has become one of the most prestigious. It should be. The unfortunate thing about this award is that all 32 players are deserving of receiving it. Not only that, there are many more players on each of the 32 teams that are equally deserving. There are so many players doing amazing things to make their community and this world a better place. Here are the 32 nominees starting with the player that is, of course, most deserving.

Walter Payton Man of the Year Nominees

Minnesota Vikings: C.J. Ham

Arizona Cardinals: Kelvin Beachum

Atlanta Falcons: A.J. Terrell Jr.

Baltimore Ravens: Derrick Henry

Buffalo Bills: Dion Dawkins

Carolina Panthers: Austin Corbett

Chicago Bears: D.J. Moore

Cincinnati Bengals: Ted Karras

Cleveland Browns: Grant Delpit

Dallas Cowboys: Solomon Thomas

Denver Broncos: Garrett Bolles

Detroit Lions: DJ Reader

Green Bay Packers: Jordan Love

Houston Texans: Azeez Al-Shaair 

Indianapolis Colts: Kenny Moore II

Jacksonville Jaguars: Logan Cooke

Kansas City Chiefs: Travis Kelce

Las Vegas Raiders: Maxx Crosby

Los Angeles Chargers: Cameron Dicker

Los Angeles Rams: Kyren Williams

Miami Dolphins: Bradley Chubb

New England Patriots: Hunter Henry

New Orleans Saints: Demario Davis

New York Giants: Bobby Okereke

New York Jets: Quincy Williams

Philadelphia Eagles Jordan Mailata

Pittsburgh Steelers: Alex Highsmith

San Francisco 49ers: Curtis Robinson

Seattle Seahawks: Julian Love

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Baker Mayfield

Tennessee Titans: Jeffery Simmons

Washington Commanders: Bobby Wagner

Congratulations to all of the Nominees. Especially C.J. Ham. 

Pro Football Hall of Fame Finalists

The Coach, Contributor, and Senior Finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026 have been determined. The focus on the more recent candidates continues. Sadly, as expected. 

Coach: 

Bill Belichick

Contributor:

Robert Kraft

Senior:

Ken Anderson

Roger Craig

L.C. Greenwood

The easiest discussion, if there even was one, had to be on Bill Belichick. He’s arguably the best coach in league history and should be fitted for a Gold Jacket as soon as he’s eligible. That’s now. I suppose the only hesitation was the possibility of a return to NFL sidelines. It’s unfortunate that Buddy Parker’s wait continues but Belichick deserves immediate induction.

As for the Contributor Finalist, there’s issues. Ralph Hay is one of the league’s founders. He called and hosted the meeting that started the National Football League. His Canton Bulldogs won NFL titles in 1922 and 1923. He should’ve been in one of the first few Hall of Fame classes. His induction certainly should precede that of Robert Kraft. Clark Shaugnessy also had a greater impact on the National Football League than Kraft. Bucko Kilroy as well. I don’t understand this rush to induct owners that merely ride the success of the people they hired. 

The problem that I have with the Senior Finalists is more involved. The refusal to consider deserving candidates that played before 1950 is simply idiotic. It shames the purpose of the Hall of Fame. Verne Lewellen, Lavvie Dilweg, Ox Emerson, and Al Wistert should’ve been inducted in the 1960s or 1970s. Fifty years later, they are still waiting. I just don’t get it. Voters that have shut the door on such players should not be voters. Lewellen is arguably the most deserving of the four and he didn’t even make it past the cut to 52. Neither did Emerson. That’s insane. Dilweg and Wistert didn’t make it to the semi-finalist stage. Maybe the Hall voters that have apparently shut the door on those that suited up before 1950 need to have those players described in today’s terms. Much like Marshall Faulk, Verne Lewellen was a versatile, touchdown-scoring machine. Faulk won one title. Lewellen won three. Lavvie Dilweg not being in Canton would be like Travis Kelce not making it about five years after he retired. And then waiting another half century. Can anyone imagine Kelce still waiting for that Hall call decades after he passed? The Green Bay Packers won three consecutive titles from 1929-31. The team was one of the league’s first dynasties. Johnny Blood McNally, Cal Hubbard, Mike Michalske, and, of course, Curly Lambeau are the only Hall of Famers from those teams. One can argue that Lewellen and Dilweg were as integral to that remarkable success as any of their teammates. The 1930s Detroit Lions had one of the most productive ground games in the history of the league. As the Portsmouth Spartans, they played for the title in 1932. After moving to Detroit and becoming the Lions, they won a title in 1935. Ox Emerson paved the way for that ground game and the team’s success. His Hall omission can be compared to a player like Alan Faneca still waiting. Al Wistert’s long wait might be the most stunning of all. He was one of the finest offensive AND defensive linemen of his era. Like Lewellen and Dilweg, Wistert was also an integral part of a dynasty. His Philadelphia Eagles team went to three consecutive championship games from 1947-49, winning in 1948 and 1949. His Hall omission can be compared to players like Chris Jones AND Lane Johnson waiting 20 years and being kicked to the Senior pool. Both still waiting 75 years after their last snap. Can anyone imagine Jones and Johnson waiting more than a single year for their Hall call? Anyone with a proper understanding of league history should easily see the greatness and impact of Verne Lewellen, Lavvie Dilweg, Ox Emerson, and Al Wistert. All four had Hall of Fame careers. All four have been waiting since the Pro Football Hall of Fame opened in 1963. None even made it to this year’s Semi-finalist stage. Again. That’s just absurd. What is this “Blue Ribbon” Senior Committee even doing when they meet? 

The Nine Senior Finalists:

Ken Anderson

Roger Craig

L.C. Greenwood

Henry Ellard

Joe Jacoby

Eddie Meador

Stanley Morgan

Steve Tasker

Otis Taylor

While I would’ve liked to see Otis Taylor among the finalists, I really have no problem with Ken Anderson, Roger Craig, and L.C. Greenwood being selected from the nine semi-finalists. My problem is with the continued ignorance of the league’s past. Recognizing the league’s past is the stated purpose of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It’s sad that the 1970s seem to be as far back as this group of voters are willing to go. I suppose it’s fitting since most fans and many national pundits see the National Football League as starting with Super Bowl I.