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Football: More post-Lupoi news
By Jeff Faraudo
Monday, January 16th, 2012 at 7:51 pm in Football.
It’s not all doom and gloom for Cal’s 2012 recruiting class. Not yet, anyway.
Our reporters have gotten confirmations from De La Salle HS linebacker Michael Barton, Salesian OT Freddie Tagaloa and Bishop O’Dowd LB Hardy Nickerson Jr., that all three remain 100 percent commited to Cal.
Quarterback Zach Kline of San Ramon Valley HS has not responded to my text, but he is expected to begin spring term classes on Tuesday, and committed to Cal more than a year ago.
Wideouts Darius Powe and Chris Harper told 247sports.com they remain committed. Bryce Treggs, a second-genertion Cal wide receiver following in father Brian’s footsteps, has not changed his mind.
At this point, no players have de-committed, although several high-end prospects clearly are shaken by the news that D-line coach Tosh Lupoi is headed to Washington. Arik Armstead’s father said the five-star DE/basketball player is examining his options Monday night and may have an announcement on Tuesday.
Safety Shaq Thompson, who previously was recruited by Washington, now says he is “50-50″ between the two schools. No one is sure what this means for Monrovia DT Ellis McCarthy, who was interested in USC before committing to Cal.
There will be plenty more news between now and letter-of-intent signing day on Feb. 1 — not all of it good for Cal.
No word today from Jeff Tedford, who clearly was busy Monday putting out recruiting fires. We are expecting to hear from Tedford and athletic director Sandy Barbour on Tuesday.
One campus source tonight told me that Tedford wanted to keep Lupoi and Cal offered him “a significant raise,” but could not match the reported $500,000 UW delivered plus, we’re hearing, perhaps a boat.
Yes, I know . . . whatever floats your boat.
If Cal truly did go hard to keep Lupoi, there probably was a point of no return, beyond which the administration simply felt it could not go.
There is the practical side of this: A raise of that size to Lupoi would have prompted cries from other football staff members asking that their contracts be adjusted upward.
Then there is the political side: The athletic department may have felt trapped by the events of just a year ago when fiscal issues nearly led to the elimination of five Cal sports.
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January 16th, 2012 at 8:05 pm
Props on using the slang term go hard jeff.
Lets simplify this. Shaq thompson is the key. If he stays were fine and lupois reputation suffers. If shaq leaves our recruitibg class suffers big.
Armstead is gone. Their options is now they have to unregister at cal so they can formally accept notre dames scholarship.
Shaq and mccarthy are key. Armstead is gone. So is darius hamilton and aziz shittu. Lets keep shaq.
January 16th, 2012 at 8:07 pm
Wow! Make no mistake Tosh is a sellout but that’s the business. Recruits need to understand that.
January 16th, 2012 at 8:17 pm
hearing from different sources being updated as i write, Arik is definitely gone. they say that everything that Arik knew about Cal was from Trash and that they were very close. wow i can’t believe this is happening overnight. Arik was supposed to announce today for Cal. unbelievable.
January 16th, 2012 at 8:25 pm
BruinBlitzcom Rick Kimbrel
Bruins just received the commitment from five-star phenom DT, Ellis McCarthy from Monrovia, Calif.
January 16th, 2012 at 8:32 pm
We move on
January 16th, 2012 at 8:37 pm
Mccarthy and armstead both gone. If shaq leaves tedford must resign. Enough is enough
January 16th, 2012 at 8:46 pm
At this point the extra 400k has resulted in us at a minimum losing our all time best recruiting and d line recruiting class. Armsread gone. Mccarthy gone. Aziz shittu gone, will commit to stanford. Thanks tosh. Dont ever come back. And dont ever feel like your timing was justified. You sold out your school for yourself.
January 16th, 2012 at 8:52 pm
At least someone (Jeff) finally noted that giving Tosh a raise to $500,000 would upset the entire coaching salary structure and probably cost Cal a lot more dollars. Time for the blame wars on Tedford and Barbour to stop until we hear more from them.
January 16th, 2012 at 8:54 pm
If Tedford had offered to reduce his salary by $100,000 or so and pay it to Lupoi, Cal probably could have matched Washington’s offer and there would be less controversy about what Cal had to pay than if Cal had to cough up the additional money. I think Tedford will ultimately be sorry that he did not offer to do this (though maybe he did and the Cal administration rejected it — I guess we’ll never know, but I think it is very doubtful that Tedford would do that).
January 16th, 2012 at 8:58 pm
So let me get this straight. A player can’t transfer from one Pac-12 school and play for another the following year. Yet an assistant coach can recruit for one Pac-12 school one day and then start recruiting for another Pac-12 school the very next day? Two weeks before LOI day? Ridiculous.
January 16th, 2012 at 9:13 pm
Juancho we had an “all time” great dline class just last year. What we really needed was a QB, OL, and WRs and those are the ones affirming their commitment to Cal.
I do agree that Shaq is pretty key.
January 16th, 2012 at 9:16 pm
False. Jordan payton our top receiver recruit has opened up his status now.
Thats how good this class was. It was better than last year. Now its not even close. Now we have no d linemen in this class.
January 16th, 2012 at 9:17 pm
Tedford should have given him 400k out of his contract. I’m on the ledge, ready to give up on Tedford completely. The recruiting was the only thing going well the past several years. With that harmed dramatically (it isn’t just this year, folks. think of the recruits Tosh had been working their whole high school career), why should I support the man that does nothing but keep stagnant QBs under center.
January 16th, 2012 at 9:17 pm
Matt cochran our top o line recruit said he felt played by the school and now may open up his commitment. This is worst case scenario news. No way to sugar coat this. Our leadership blew it.
January 16th, 2012 at 9:19 pm
How is it false? That is one WR out of many. Look it up on CGB, they have a great post detailing it all. The WR’s(sans Payton, Kline and the OL are all solid.
January 16th, 2012 at 9:19 pm
The worst part of this news for me was that I logged on to see if Arik had committed yet or not. I’m so disappointed right now. Sandy and Tedford just got worked by UW.
January 16th, 2012 at 9:19 pm
$400 is just he star because all the other coaches will expect those bumps because they also work their asses off.
So at least $400k per coach ends up being how much? $2-3mm? And this after they scrounged money to save baseball?
Maybe in a couple years time with new Pac12 money.
January 16th, 2012 at 9:21 pm
and Cochran said he felt like he got played(meaning by Tosh). Nothing in the comment about reopening.
January 16th, 2012 at 9:24 pm
I’m on a boat! I’m on a boat!
Take a good hard look
At the motherf***ing boat
January 16th, 2012 at 9:25 pm
Let’s get a grip on reality folks. UC finances are a disaster. $500,000 for a D-line coach? $500,000 for a D-line coach who instructs his players to fake injuries? $500,000 for a person who would sell one program for weeks and then prostitute himself to another pimp the next day? We got the facility; we got the smarts; we got the integrity. This guy has nothing we want, and is probably wondering how his resume is going to stink when when the Penn State type of questions come up in his next interview. We don’t need him; I don’t want him.
January 16th, 2012 at 9:29 pm
Stop blaming Tedford for not matching the UW offer to Tosh. The word is he offered a significant raise but could not match the Huskies $500k. We have an entire staff to pay and I’m sure that the other coaches would have been in rebellion if one non coordinator gets that kind of money. Are we willing to cut other sports to keep this guy? Apparently not.
I don’t care that he went for the bucks (who wouldn’t) but the timing and his activities with Shaq and others makes Tosh a world class creep.
January 16th, 2012 at 9:29 pm
+1
January 16th, 2012 at 9:31 pm
McCarthy, . . . , gone.
Apre McCarthy, le deluge.
January 16th, 2012 at 9:32 pm
we don’t need this scumbag. hope we replace him with someone awesome who can put this guy to shame and make him regret for the rest of his life.
January 16th, 2012 at 9:33 pm
Having football talent to utilize is more important than anything. If Lupoi was the main man in bringing in the talent, he should have been the second highest guy on the staff, higher than Pendergast. Heck, I would have paid a lot more than $500,000 to keep Lupoi and would have given him two boats (one boat immediately and the second boat if he stayed for a few years).
January 16th, 2012 at 9:34 pm
not after knowing what kind of a character he is. he’s worth $0 in my book.
January 16th, 2012 at 9:34 pm
A recruiting coordinator paid more than a defensive coordinator? Be realistic mate.
January 16th, 2012 at 9:38 pm
Sorry, GoBears, but when you have a chance to make that kind of money, you take it. Tedford may be canned after next season. Out of a job, he wouldn’t have near the leverage to get that kind of deal. Now, had Cal offered substantially close numbers, near 400k or so, then I’d start thinking about character issues. But all we hear is a “substantial raise,” and I’d bet it wasn’t over 250k.
January 16th, 2012 at 9:41 pm
Seriously, this isn’t a guy that was making millions already and opted to make 8 mil a year instead of 5. This is getting a first opportunity at BIG money. In three years he’ll have made more than he would have in a decade at Cal.
I’m just mad at Sandy and Tedford. Millions into the facility, failed to keep the facilitator.
January 16th, 2012 at 9:42 pm
Other wr cedric dozier from washington has opened up his commitment.
This is day one. More dominoes fall if shaq leaves.
What a shitty holiday. Cant wait to hear tedfords press conference. No question.
January 16th, 2012 at 9:44 pm
Whatever defensive scheme Pendergast wants to use won’t work unless he has the players to implement it. Barring the normal exceptions, the better the players the better the implementation.
January 16th, 2012 at 9:50 pm
Juancho where did Dozier say that? His Coach said he wouldnt be surprised if he did. Earlier in the day though Dozier himself reaffirmed from a diff source.
January 16th, 2012 at 9:54 pm
This was about Dozier from today so not sure what you are referring to?
Cedric Dozier says he will “honor my commitment to Cal” and doesn’t plan on taking an official visit to UW.
January 16th, 2012 at 9:57 pm
http://247sports.com/Article/Recruit-reactions-to-Coach-Tosh-Lupoi-heading-to-Washington-57282
January 16th, 2012 at 10:01 pm
Legally speaking, it would be interesting to get to read Tosh’s Cal contract. Depending on the language, there may be a tortuous interference with contract argument to be made against UW, when the tidbits from various recruits like Shaq are taken into account.
Think of it like the guy who invents something while working for IMB, then leaves to sell that invention with a different company. The company may be the owner of the invention, where here, Tosh’s investment into those kids is the property of Cal.
Granted, the kids choose, and can choose to follow Tosh independently. I’m just saying, depending on what is learned of the conversations between kids like Shaq and Tosh PRIOR to his actually signing the contract with UW, there may be some legal issues which Cal can stick to UW and Stark as a bit of payback.
There could be recruiting violations as well . . .
January 16th, 2012 at 10:02 pm
Thanks mate, think we are ok then because that tweet came out much later!
January 16th, 2012 at 10:18 pm
H8sRed – I think this may be the first time you and I agree on something. I personally don’t blame Lupoi for taking the money and the prestige. I think he is leveraging himself for a 3-4 year run to a HC, and that’s business.
But the timing is terrible, and there should be a rule against this.
January 16th, 2012 at 10:32 pm
I agree with this comment on 247sports regarding the Lupoi news–
Cal is stupid for not giving the guy what he deserved. From what I’ve been reading, he’s the sole reason Cal has been pulling good classes.
January 16th, 2012 at 10:48 pm
More confirmation on Dozier…
masonkelley Mason Kelley
by bcondotta
Lakes standout Cedric Dozier just said the Tosh Lupoi news will not change decision to commit to Cal.
January 16th, 2012 at 10:50 pm
Here is the thing though. Last year was the first top 20 class we had since 07. Think with last years D class, this years on O combined with new facilities and we will be fine. That next hire is VERY important however. Zach Follet maybe?
January 16th, 2012 at 11:09 pm
Good news on Cochran!
MattCoch Matthew Cochran
by madchoudisease
Glad that the oline is still thinkin like a unit, nobodies decommiting on my watch #calgang
As I said earlier the O is circling the wagons! #CalGang
January 17th, 2012 at 5:48 am
Enjoy Seattle Tosh. One cheating wh_re working for another.
January 17th, 2012 at 6:50 am
It would be interesting if someone listed all of Cal’s top recruits for next year and then listed whether the primary recruiter of the player was 1) Lupoi or 2) not Lupoi. Then we’d be able to get a better read as to how important he was to recruiting (I know he was the #1 recruiter but often it is another assistant coach, or even Tedford, that in reality is doing the real recruiting of a player — for instance, I doubt Lupoi had much to do with Kline deciding to go to Cal).
Juancho seems to be in the know on this sort of thing. How about it, Juancho?
January 17th, 2012 at 8:31 am
Interesting take by Ted Miller at espn.com.
—-
After the “boom!” there’s this for Tosh Lupoi and Washington: Now what?
Well, of course, Lupoi, who bolted his alma mater California for the Huskies on Monday, will start reeling in four- and five-star recruits, correct? That’s the thinking. There will be significant pressure for him to do just that — and immediately. If he doesn’t swing a Shaq Thompson (Cal commit) or an A-list D-lineman or help coach Steve Sarkisian close the deal with offensive lineman Zach Banner, the state’s No. 2 prospect, and Washington’s class sags to the middle of the Pac-12, then some will wonder what all the hubbub was about.
Washington fans, however, probably shouldn’t get their hopes up too high. For one, signing day is Feb. 1. The window here is small, particularly when Lupoi now must completely change directions with his sales pitch. Young men and their parents who have for months heard, “Here’s why you should come to Cal” — a pitch, by the way, that previously implied why they shouldn’t go to Washington — will now hear something else.
It figures that Lupoi might need some time to create some new recruiting traction for himself. He has been a part of the Cal program for nearly half his life — 12 of 30 years. He played for Jeff Tedford and hasn’t coached anywhere else. As ESPN Recruiting’s Greg Biggins told Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times that Lupoi “had a passion for Cal.” Consider his Twitter page, where his “#Calgang” hashtag figures to be retired.
If Lupoi aggressively tries to flip a handful of players committed to Cal — something we honestly doubt he will do — then, well, we’d hope that would cause him to lose some sleep. While all is fair in love, war and recruiting, that would be a bit sleazy. Of course, effective sleazy that is within NCAA rules often falls under this category: good recruiting.
The bigger picture is what matters here for the Huskies and Lupoi.
For the Huskies, it’s getting a guy who is a proven, elite recruiter. And — oh, by the way — it also is getting a good defensive line coach. Further, it’s valuable that Lupoi has a good relationship with new defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox. Toss in LBs coach Peter Sirmon, and there will be immediate comfort and familiarity among the rebuilt defensive staff, one that includes DBs coach Keith Heyward, an import from Oregon State who also is a young, energetic recruiter.
For Lupoi, he takes a step forward in his career. If he has head-coaching ambitions, he doesn’t want to get locked into a “super-recruiter” label. He needs to be eyeballing a coordinator role down the road. He needs to prove himself as a teacher and X’s and O’s guy.
That’s the ultimate rub of Sarkisian’s impressive defensive hires. If Wilcox does well rebuilding the Huskies’ defense, he’s going to get an opportunity to be a head coach at an A-list program within three or four years. Maybe sooner. And he might take Sirmon or Lupoi with him as a coordinator. Or Sarkisian might counter with an alluring promotion for one or the other.
But Sarkisian knows future staff turnover will only happen if Wilcox, Lupoi and the rest produce positive results in the short term. That means upgrading recruiting and upgrading scheme and execution. That means creating a defense that can win the Pac-12 North Division.
For everyone to win, the Huskies have to win first.
January 17th, 2012 at 9:47 am
Gobears49, I accept the challenge. I’ll get cracking on it after work.
January 17th, 2012 at 9:53 am
Tedford could have sprung for 500K. Glad he didn’t though as your program is headed for the bottom of the lake (no pun intended)as fast as an Italian cruise liner.
January 17th, 2012 at 10:04 am
Morencs, i almost posted last night that i respected how you were not kicking us while were down. Oh well.
January 17th, 2012 at 10:30 am
How is U$C’s hoops team doing?
January 17th, 2012 at 10:36 am
This is the lead recruiter of our commits:
The scary thing is how big of a hand TOSH has in the ELITE recruits, more or less except for Kline. As well as how he’s the lead recruiter for pretty much all the elite guys that were/are CONSIDERING Cal. This not only provides the risk that we lose guys that already committed, it looks like a slimeball move on Washington’s part to screw up any chance we had at making our class even better.
Zach Kline – QB – Jeff Tedford
Christian Okafor – OL – Kenwick Thompson
Michael Barton – LB – TOSH
Matt Cochran – OL – Jim M. & Marcus Arroyo
Cedric Dozier – WR – TOSH
Damariay Drew – ATH – Jeff Tedford
Maximo Espitia – FB – Ron Gould
Chris Harper – WR – Eric Keisau
Zach Hoffpauir – S – Clancy Pendergast
Cole Leininger – K – Jeff Genyk
Steven Moore – OL – Jim M.
Hardy Nickerson Jr. – LB – Jeff Tedford
Jordan Payton – WR – TOSH
Darius Powe – WR – Eric Keisau
Freddie Tagaloa – OL – TOSH
Shaq Thompson – S – TOSH
Bryce Treggs – WR – Ron Gould
Kenny Walker – WR – Eric Keisau
Targets:
Stefon Diggs – WR – TOSH
Arik Armstead – DL – TOSH
Darius Hamilton – DL – TOSH
Yuri Wright – CB – TOSH
Aziz Shittu – DL – TOSH
DJ Foster – RB – Ron Gould
DeCommits:
Ellis McCarthy – DL – TOSH
January 17th, 2012 at 11:51 am
MoreNCS_are_ignored and sanctioned! troll post blocked
Summation: I just creamed my pants.
January 17th, 2012 at 3:01 pm
Save the kicks. You guys are always down. Now you have the drama to back it up.
January 17th, 2012 at 5:32 pm
Mr. Jeff Faraudo:
I have spent the past two days all over every blog, every Twitter feed, every everything, panic-stricken about these developments.
Your reporting here is the best. I mean that.
January 18th, 2012 at 7:04 am
Thanks, Juancho.