Obviously Petersen said “No” to Arkansas. I think we can infer that he has not yet said, “No,” to us. But what jf said above. We’re still in the game but we’re a long shot.

I like the way sb handled jt’s firing. So far, I like the way she’s conducting the search. Lot’s of good candidates. Close to the vest. No jumping the gun like the above hires. (Seems like Ark ad jumped the gun.)

Like others have said, I’m sure there’s a couple of big surprise names in the game, too.

Go Bears!

She’s hired a prestigious corporate scouting/recruiting firm to help identify good fits, narrow the search, and facilitate the process. So far as has been reported, she’s interviewed Jackson, Hazell, Diaco, and Dykes; reached out to Petersen, Andersen, McIntyre, possibly Roman.

Picking the right coach takes time, especially when many of those most qualified/fitting are prepping for postseason games or finishing out the NFL season.

I trust her to know that anyone worth having is open to competition from other schools, and will keep Cal’s name in front of any and all prospective hires. I also trust her to properly gauge their interest/probability and act accordingly to keep them on the hook. To that end, I expect her to recognize a genuine interest in coming to Cal versus using us to renegotiate a current contract or jack up the offer from another, more preferred assignment.

She has earned my trust with the unexpected–and fantastic–hiring of Mike Montgomery. She knows the game and she is as savvy and adept at playing it. She is a top tier AD who has a pretty great product to sell.

In the end, whatever is meant to be for Cal will be. Whichever man is meant to be Cal’s head coach will be hired. We’re not going to get a shot at everyone on our wish list, but we will have the opportunity to bring in a Petersen or Diaco or Roman. I’m certain that Sandy Barbour is aware of timing and will do whatever she needs to do to secure the best coach for Cal.

She has earned our trust–and our patience.