Podcast Summary: See Ball Get Ball with David Pollack
Episode: David Pollack ONE-ON-ONE with Cal Head Coach Tosh Lupoi
Date: March 24, 2026
Host: David Pollack | Guest: Tosh Lupoi
Episode Overview
In this episode, David Pollack sits down with Tosh Lupoi, newly-appointed head coach of the Cal Golden Bears, for a candid and animated conversation about Lupoi's journey from Cal player to acclaimed coach, his coaching philosophy, recruiting insights, and the culture he’s building at Cal. The episode is rich in stories, advice for young coaches, and inside looks at program building in the modern era of college football.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
Tosh Lupoi’s Background and Coaching Journey
- Playing Days at Cal:
- Lupoi reminisces about great Cal teams, highlighting teammates Aaron Rodgers, Marshawn Lynch, and DeSean Jackson.
- “Aaron Rodgers played with Tosh. DeSean Jackson played with Tosh. Marshawn Lynch played with Tosh. That's how it worked... they joined him at Cal with Jeff Tedford and some great years.” — Pollack (01:30)
- Lupoi reminisces about great Cal teams, highlighting teammates Aaron Rodgers, Marshawn Lynch, and DeSean Jackson.
- Unexpected Transition to Coaching:
- Lupoi never aspired to coaching as a player—injuries forced an early end to his dream of playing in the NFL, prompting him to accept a graduate assistantship at Cal.
- “Absolutely not... I wanted to play, man, I love playing... as soon as that dream was cut... that was the official response mechanism of the Good Lord. I get it now.” — Lupoi (06:30)
- He quickly realized his calling: “It took all of probably 36 hours to realize what I wanted to do in life.” (06:55)
- Lupoi never aspired to coaching as a player—injuries forced an early end to his dream of playing in the NFL, prompting him to accept a graduate assistantship at Cal.
- Coaching Pedigree:
- Worked under notable coaches: Tedford, Saban, Sarkisian, Dan Quinn, Urban Meyer, Dan Lanning.
- “Trying to take a little bit, bits and pieces of what I love most about them and then put my spin on it and attack it at 100 miles per hour.” — Lupoi (09:26)
Coaching Philosophy & Program Culture
-
Building Identity & Learning From the Best:
- Lupoi is “obsessed with taking notes”—a practice refined by Urban Meyer’s encouragement to digitize notes on iPad for better organization.
- “I got about a stack of, I don't, yay high of, of notebooks... where do those go?... learning just improving in all aspects of life.” — Lupoi (11:51)
- Stresses the importance of forming one’s own identity, not copy-pasting previous mentors’ methods.
- “Ultimately it's how you live every day. You know, how we do anything is how we do everything.” — Lupoi (15:10)
- Lupoi is “obsessed with taking notes”—a practice refined by Urban Meyer’s encouragement to digitize notes on iPad for better organization.
-
The Three Pillars of Cal Football:
- Relentless Effort
- “Six seconds of hell. I'm gonna dominate my box. Point A to point B. How fast and violent can I go… and having a plus two finish.” (15:10)
- Ball Excellence
- Emphasis on turnover margin: “With a plus one ratio in turnover margin, we have a 67% chance to win... plus two is an 88% chance, plus three is 90% chance.” (15:40)
- Power Of The Unit (POU)
- Brotherhood and unity, fostering connections beyond football: “Preparing and competing for something that’s much bigger than just yourself.” (16:00)
- “There’s not going to be a single meeting... where one of those three pillars is not focused on. Not a single meeting. That’s a rule in our program.” (16:15)
- Weekly POU sessions include skill building, community engagement, and personal development (e.g. tax education, career planning).
- “We have an elite running back coach here... put our guys a little bit in a vulnerable moment... share their story, where they're from, knowing how they dealt with a little adversity. Nothing to do with football.” (16:55)
- Relentless Effort
Staff Building & Recruiting Approach
-
Selecting Coaches:
- Values prior relationships but most important is professional development, innovation, and integrity.
- “It's just my opinion of Mike [Hutchings]... career professional development, doing zooms with [him].” (19:35)
- Emphasizes hiring from the NFL and connecting Cal’s tradition of pro success with its academic appeal.
- “We got two coordinators hired from the NFL, multiple coaches, myself been in the NFL in three different organizations... and we incorporate the seventh-highest volume living alumni in the world.” (22:30)
- Values prior relationships but most important is professional development, innovation, and integrity.
-
Recruiting Stories:
- Shares detailed story about rushing to recruit star QB Jaren Kava Sanga Powell in Hawaii after learning he was missing from his first Cal team meeting.
- “My mindset of where, where's Jaren at right now? You know, and what can I talk? Yeah, so, but we finished up there quick... I need to fly to Hawaii.” — Lupoi (25:13)
- “I literally bought my own ticket, sit up front, got on the flight and, and had no plan. They even just flew to the, to the rock.” (25:40)
- Recounts an intense, late-night recruiting effort resulting in Powell reaffirming his commitment to Cal, helping the team lock down the ACC’s top recruiting class:
- “I asked him at that point if you could... kind of recommit right on social media right at that time. ... In the next 30 days, for the first time ever, we went out and signed the top class in the ACC.” (29:32–32:50)
- Shares detailed story about rushing to recruit star QB Jaren Kava Sanga Powell in Hawaii after learning he was missing from his first Cal team meeting.
Defensive Mentality and Innovation
- Signature Philosophy:
- Pollack references Lupoi’s aggressive defensive mantra:
- “Our goal is to physically and mentally assault the quarterback.” — Pollack (34:05)
- Lupoi explains, “We want to mentally assault you... why these disguises exist the way they do... how can we apply that pressure?” (34:32)
- Stresses value of defensive innovation—disguising coverages, changing pictures, and manipulating protections to keep offenses off-balance.
- Emphasizes player safety while still playing aggressively within new targeting and tackling rules.
- “We got to do it legally, man. You know, you gotta, you gotta strike in the 3 by 3 inch zone and keep them safe, man.” (36:44)
- Pollack references Lupoi’s aggressive defensive mantra:
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On Transitioning to Coaching:
- “That was the official response mechanism of the Good Lord. I get it now. I got the message. All right.” — Lupoi (06:40)
- On Building Culture:
- “How we do anything is how we do everything... these are what I believe in you know, so we're about to see, right, how effective it is.” — Lupoi (15:10)
- On Relentless Recruiting:
- “I literally bought my own ticket, sit up front, got on the flight and, and had no plan.” — Lupoi (25:40)
- “Give me 30 days, okay? Just give me 30 days and watch what's about to happen.” — Lupoi (31:15)
- On Defensive Philosophy:
- “Our goal is to physically and mentally assault the quarterback.” — Pollack quoting Lupoi (34:05)
Important Timestamps
- 01:26 — Introduction, overview of Lupoi’s background at Cal
- 03:03–04:38 — “Coaches in the Octagon” & Coach Dan Lanning’s intensity
- 06:11–09:14 — Lupoi’s path from player to coach, overcoming injury
- 11:51–16:27 — Coaching philosophy: note-taking, culture pillars, building identity
- 16:29–18:19 — Power Of The Unit: real-world & off-field development
- 18:55–23:28 — Staff building philosophies, NFL connections
- 25:03–33:59 — Hawaii recruiting trip & rebuilding the roster through relentless recruiting
- 34:05–36:52 — Defensive mentality: “Physically and mentally assault the quarterback,” defensive innovation
Final Thoughts
This episode is a masterclass in program-building in college football’s modern era, blending old-school intensity with new-school innovation and care for players. Tosh Lupoi’s authenticity and energy shine throughout, offering invaluable insights for coaches, fans, and anyone curious about the inner workings of elite college football.
Go Bears!