Oregon defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi suddenly finds himself at the center of a full-circle moment, with momentum building for a return to the school where he once played and launched his coaching career. As Cal searches for its next head coach, one of the loudest endorsements is coming from Nebraska linebacker and NFL veteran Will Compton, who publicly threw his support behind Lupoi on X.

“I’ve been a big fan of Coach Tosh since we’ve gotten to know their program at Oregon over the last couple of years,” $7,280,658 earning NFL veteran, Will Compton wrote on X. “Seeing him in talks for the Cal job, I feel it’s a no-brainer. Dude grew up there. Played there in their prime years. And had his first coaching job there. Being the man home!!”

The 44-year-old’s resume feels tailor-made for the exact moment Cal finds itself in. Not just because of nostalgia, but because his career arc has quietly positioned him as one of the most qualified builders available. His formative football years were shaped there. From 2000 to 2005, he anchored Cal’s defensive line, later returning from 2008 to 2011 to launch his coaching career with the same unit. That early foundation eventually propelled him to stops at Washington and then Alabama, where he climbed from an analyst role in 2014 to Nick Saban’s defensive coordinator by 2018.

Along the way, he carved out a national reputation as one of the more aggressive recruiters on the West Coast, for which he is nicknamed ‘dogged recruiter’. He played a big role in the recruitment at Berkeley under Jeff Tedford, bringing a bunch of blue-chip prospects. He could upgrade Cal’s locker room talent base significantly. Something that Cal has lacked in recent years.

Lupoi has even coached three NFL teams before joining coach Dan Lanning in Eugene. The results in Oregon speak for themselves. Under Lupoi, the Ducks closed the 2025 regular season ranked eighth nationally in scoring defense, surrendering just 14.8 points per game. That kind of defensive consistency is exactly what Cal has been missing.

After a 7-5 finish capped by a 31-10 loss to Stanford, general manager Ron Rivera moved on from Justin Wilcox, who left with a 48-55 record and a middling 12-12 mark since Cal’s shift to the ACC. Rivera’s next hire must elevate the talent level, modernize the defense, and steady a team that has hovered around mediocrity for too long.

While Will Compton is endorsing Tosh Lupoi for Cal’s head coaching role, his alum, Nebraska itself is in desperate need of a defensive coordinator like Tosh Lupoi.

Matt Rhule’s Nebraska looks for John Butler replacement

The Cornhuskers fired their DC, John Butler, on Monday, Dec. 1, after losing three out of four games in the final four games of the regular season. Under Butler, the passing defense was excellent, while the rushing defense turned out to be a disaster. The program allowed 171.3 yards per game and 4.8 per carry, ranking No. 95 nationally. This forced Nebraska to fire Butler, announcing Phil Snow as the interim DC.

The program looks for an elite DC like Tosh Lupoi, who can make an immediate impact on the program’s defense. If you take a look at Lupoi’s impact at the Ducks, he elevated their defense to the nation’s No. 3 in total defense, allowing only 167 passing yards per game.

However, the program currently comes down to Justin Wilcox, Mark Stoops, Jim Knowles, and Brent Pry as the top contenders. While Nebraska itself is looking for a DC, the Nebraska booster is pushing the best DC for the rival teams’ HC position hints at an irony.