In four short years, Oregon HC Dan Lanning has turned the Ducks into one of the sport’s top programs with 45 wins and just seven losses. Yet behind every HC building, a powerhouse is a genius coordinator who keeps the engine humming. Here, it’s his DC Tosh Lupoi. Naturally, the rumor mill screams at him to take a flight out. The twist is that Lanning is effectively giving a green light.

Dan Lanning took a seat at the podium and got the question every coach dreads. What happens when your staff gets too good to keep? His answer is straight, confident, and dripping with a mentor’s pride.

“The first thing I always tell them is just remind you that the reason this opportunity came is that you’re really good at your job, he said.

If it makes sense for our coaches and they’re interested in the opportunity, I want them to be able to pursue it. That, for me, when it’s all said and done, will be one of the most significant measures of my success.”

If his track record sounds familiar, it should. Arizona State HC Kenny Dillingham did the same thing in 2022, jumping from Lanning’s OC chair for the Sun Devils’ head job.

Cal just fired their HC Justin Wilcox, and the hottest replacement on the board is Tosh Lupoi. This almost feels like a homecoming story waiting to happen. When Dan Lanning took the Oregon job in 2022, one of his first calls was to Lupoi.

Since then, the duo has created one of the nastiest defensive units in the country. They ranked third nationally in total defense with an average of 235.4 yards allowed per game. A sixth-ranked scoring defense (13.7 PPG) and a third-ranked total yards allowed per play (3.98 YPP) underscore the defensive fort built by Lupoi.

Now, ESPN and On3 both list Lupoi as a prime candidate for the Cal job.

For Tosh Lupoi, this could be a dream job.

He’s a Walnut Creek native, a former Cal defensive lineman, and a coach whose very first college job was in Berkeley. He’s climbed everywhere since then. Washington, Alabama, where he won two national titles and three NFL franchises, even before anchoring Oregon’s defense. If Cal wants someone who knows the terrain, the tribe, and the academic gauntlet, this man ticks every box.

With Lupoi looking to switch allegiances, there are no reports of Oregon finding suitable candidates to replace him. Although the rumor mill will burn in the coming days.

Financially, Oregon extended him through 2027, with a total value of roughly $6 million, including hefty self-termination penalties. The deal stipulates that 50% of the remaining value will be forfeited if he leaves before February 1, 2027, and 25% before January 1, 2028.

It’s like a test of desire. Currently, Tosh Lupoi’s desire may focus on Berkeley.

Dan Lanning’s endorsement of Tosh Lupoi

After a 31-10 loss to Stanford that left the Bears 6-5 and full of frustration with 13 penalties and three lost fumbles, Cal fired Wilcox. GM Ron Rivera is likely seeking a defensive-minded builder who is familiar with the Bay Area ecosystem and the academic nuances that only a local can fully understand.

And who knows that world better than a former Bear who once lived it?

It’s been 13 years since Tosh Lupoi last coached at Cal. Since then, he’s added championships, NFL experience, SEC pressure, and the resume of a recruiter who landed dudes at Alabama and Oregon. Dan Lanning didn’t dodge the obvious either. He went on full endorsement mode.

“Anybody that wouldn’t look at him would be crazy, he said. He is an unbelievable coach. He can coach every position on defense, understands offense, ball puts in the time and effort. So when he gets his opportunity, I know he’ll kill it.”

At the end of the day, Oregon doesn’t fear losing great coaches because Dan Lanning is busy building more of them. If Tosh Lupoi walks into Berkeley as Cal’s next head honcho, it won’t be a betrayal.

Instead, it’ll be the clearest sign yet that Oregon’s success is contagious and Lanning’s tree is growing, as his roots get wider.