Conference Pacific-10 Conference Offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig (1st year) Defensive coordinator Bob Gregory (8th year) | 2009 record 8–5 (5–4 Pac-10) Offensive scheme Multiple | |
Head coach Jeff Tedford (8th year) | ||
The 2009 California Golden Bears football team represented the University of California, Berkeley in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) competition during the 2009 season. The Golden Bears were led by eighth-year head coach Jeff Tedford.
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California hosted Maryland to begin the season on September 5, 2009, and ended the regular season at Washington on December 5, 2009. In addition to the slate of nine conference games, four at home and five on the road, the Golden Bears traveled to Minneapolis, Minnesota to play the Minnesota Golden Gophers, hosting Maryland and Eastern Washington.
The Bears matched their 2008 regular season record of 8–4, finishing tied for fifth in the conference with the former reigning conference champion, USC. They accepted a bid to the 2009 Poinsettia Bowl, where they lost to Utah on December 23, snapping a four bowl game winning streak going back to 2004. The Bears also did not produce a 1,000-yard rusher for the first time since 2002. The team was ranked as high as no. 6 and spent almost half the season unranked.
Preseason
Several key players departed after 2008, including Alex Mack, Nate Longshore, Zack Follett, Will Ta'ufo'ou and Cameron Morrah offensively, and Zack Follett, Rulon Davis, and Anthony Felder defensively. The Bears also lost offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti to Pittsburgh, but gained Andy Ludwig, who helped guide the Utah Utes to a perfect 13–0 season as offensive coordinator. Ludwig had previously worked alongside Cal head coach Jeff Tedford at Oregon and Fresno State, becoming the fifth offensive coordinator at Cal in five years.
Running back Jahvid Best underwent surgery to tighten a ligament that had been injured when he dislocated his left elbow against Colorado State on September 27, 2008. This was followed up by foot surgery on January 23 to relieve the irritation of an extra bone that was caused when Best bruised his foot halfway through the 2008 season. He missed spring football practice as a result. In early June Best was able to participate in team summer workouts without pain.
A week before the season opener against Maryland, junior Kevin Riley was named the starter for the 2009 season, a contrast to 2008 when head coach Jeff Tedford alternated between him and Nate Longshore. Riley's experience and comfort level with the offense were cited as factors in him winning the starting job over sophomore Brock Mansion and freshman Beau Sweeney.
The Bears were picked to finish second in the Pac-10 behind reigning conference champion USC in the annual preseason poll of media members who regularly cover the Pac-10. This marked the fifth time in the last six Pac-10 preseason polls that Cal was picked to be the conference's runner-up.
Aftermath
As a result of the concussion sustained by starting running back Jahvid Best on November 7, Shane Vereen, who had served as the primary backup, stepped into the starting spot for the rest of the year. Best would miss the rest of the season and finished with 867 yards rushing. Vereen finished the season with 952 yards rushing including 122 yards in the Poinsettia Bowl. This ended a seven-year stretch of 1,000-yard rushers going back to head coach Jeff Tedford's first year at Cal in 2002. The Bears lost their first bowl game since 2004, snapping a winning streak of four post-season victories.
The Bears saw several coaching changes. Pete Alamar, special teams and tight ends coach, was not asked back for the 2010 season. The Bears had struggled on special teams all season, ranking ninth in the conference in kick coverage, 48th nationally, and 99th nationally in punt coverage. Placekicker duties during the season alternated between Giorgio Tavecchio and Vince D'Amato, with consistency an issue. Alamar was succeeded by Jeff Genyk.
Defensive coordinator Bob Gregory, who was first hired by head coach Tedford upon Tedford's arrival at Cal in 2002, left the team to become a defensive assistant at Boise State. He was succeeded by Clancy Pendergast, who had been hired by the Oakland Raiders on February 8, 2010 as a defensive assistant. Pendergast had been previously been the defensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs and Arizona Cardinals. Former NFL players Akili Smith and Ronnie Bradford joined the Cal coaching staff March 12, 2010 as administrative assistants for the offense and defense, respectively. Tedford had previously coached Smith as a quarterback at Oregon.
Cal was represented at the East-West Shrine Game by Mike Tepper and Verran Tucker, and at the Senior Bowl by Tyson Alualu and Syd'Quan Thompson.
Jahvid Best announced on January 2, 2010 that he forgo his senior year and enter the NFL draft. He was picked by the Detroit Lions as the 30th overall selection in the 2010 NFL Draft following Tyson Alualu, who was drafted as the 10th overall selection by the Jacksonville Jaguars. This marked the first time since 2003 that two Cal players had been drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft. No other players were drafted until Syd'Quan Thompson was the final Cal player to be picked in the seventh round as the 225th overall selection by the Denver Broncos.
Offensive linemen Chet Teofilo and Mike Tepper signed undrafted free agent contracts with the Dallas Cowboys on April 24. Wide receiver Verran Tucker joined them on April 26, the same day that linebacker Devin Bishop signed a free agent contract with Denver.
Depth chart
These were the primary starters and backups through the 2009 season.
Awards and honors
All-Pacific-10 Conference Team:
Schwartz was chosen as second-team preseason All-Pac-10 by Lindy, and to third team by Athlon. Phil Steele chose him as preseason, midseason, and postseason third-team All-Pac-10. He received a Pac-10 All-Academic honorable mention, and was awarded the Brick Muller Award as Cal's Most Valuable Offensive Lineman.