After a few weeks worth of speculation, Cal has indeed decided to move in a different direction on the defensive side of the ball.
In a press release, Cal confirmed that defensive coordinator Art Kaufman will not return to Sonny Dykes’ coaching staff in 2017. Kaufman had spent the past three seasons in his role as the Bears’ coordinator.
“We thank Art for the progress he was able to help our program make, but we have decided that we need to go in a different direction and find new leadership at defensive coordinator,” Dykes said in his statement. “We wish him the best in his future coaching endeavors.”
“I thank Sonny Dykes for the opportunity to serve as the defensive coordinator at Cal for the past three seasons,” Kaufman said. “It was an honor and a pleasure.”
Kaufman’s defense actually showed significant improvement from his first year to his second, going from 124th in both total and scoring defense in 2014 to 88th in the latter and 11oth in the former. The Bears bottomed out in 2016, however, finishing 127th (out of 128 teams) in scoring defense and 125th in total defense.
The year prior to Kaufman’s arrival, Dykes’ first year heading the football program, the Bears finished 122nd in both categories.
