Justin Wilcox’s Cal sets eyes on Colorado State coach to bolster defensive staff

The California Golden Bears, led by coach Justin Wilcox, are moving swiftly to fill a critical coaching vacancy. Over the weekend, TCU hired Cal’s defensive backs coach, Tre Watson, leaving a key spot on Wilcox’s defensive staff. However, the Bears have zeroed in on a familiar name — Colorado State’s Allen Brown — as a potential replacement.

According to reports, Cal is targeting Brown for the role of defensive backs coach. If hired, he would join Terrence Brown, giving the Bears two secondary coaches with the same last name. Matt Zenitz of 247Sports shared on Monday that Brown’s return to Cal is under serious consideration.

Brown brings a wealth of experience, having served as Washington State’s cornerbacks coach in 2024, where he helped develop standout players like Ethan O’Connor, who now plays for Miami. Brown joined Colorado State on Jan. 10, but his ties to Cal and proven coaching pedigree make him an ideal candidate for a return.

His coaching journey includes a stint as a defensive quality control coach at Cal in 2022, followed by a role as an analyst at Florida in 2023. By targeting Allen Brown, the Golden Bears seem committed to maintaining their dual secondary coach structure.

If the hire goes through, it would signal Justin Wilcox’s proactive approach to fortifying Cal’s defense ahead of the 2025 season.

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Justin Wilcox eyes Allen Brown, who held several roles across college football programs

While the outcome is yet to be determined, the addition of Allen Brown could mark a significant step forward for the Golden Bears as Justin Wilcox aims to revitalize his program and deliver results both on and off the field.

Brown held several key roles across college football programs. Here’s a quick look at his coaching journey:

• Washington State: Cornerbacks coach (2024)
• Florida: Quality control coach (2023)
• California: Quality control coach (2022)
• Eastern Washington: Cornerbacks coach (2019–2021)
• Cal Poly: Cornerbacks coach (2015–2018)

A native of Anchorage, Alaska, Brown has deep roots in football. He graduated from the Eastern Washington University in 2014 with a degree in business administration. Before that, he had excelled as a two-sport athlete at Foss High School in Tacoma, Washington, playing wide receiver and defensive back while competing in basketball and track.

Notably, Brown’s ties to Cal Poly are strong. His high school and Eastern Washington teammate, Nicholas Edwards, now serves as Cal Poly’s offensive coordinator and receivers coach after coaching stints at Cal.

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