California Golden Bears general manager Ron Rivera offered a blunt assessment of first-year head coach Tosh Lupoi during the team's open date, saying the coach "has bumped his head a lot" as the program sits at 3-6 after three straight losses.
Rivera, speaking on KNBR, noted Lupoi brought inexperienced coordinators and that offensive struggles led to midseason changes, including stripping offensive coordinator Jordan Somerville of play-calling duties and promoting Pat McCann. The Bears lost five of their last six games, jeopardizing postseason hopes.
Quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, an ACC Rookie of the Week winner last season, has regressed; he was benched before a 41-7 loss to Wake Forest and has not thrown multiple touchdowns in a game since September 19. Rivera dismissed comparisons to UCLA's successful first-year coach Bob Chesney, noting UCLA brought a playoff-tested roster.
California must win its final three games against Virginia, Stanford, and Pitt to reach a bowl game. Rivera emphasized the need to show growth in player development and culture.
