California is working to add Jake Spavital as offensive coordinator, sources told FootballScoop Friday.
We're told the two sides are working to complete a deal, but one is not in place at this time. The hope for both sides is to have an agreement in place by early next at the latest, while knowing the state of California has its way of the hiring process.
Spavital would replace Tony Franklin, who left for the offensive coordinator job at Middle Tennessee in January. Spavital is, of course, the former Texas A&M offensive coordinator.
Though the two have never worked together previously, Spavital and Cal head coach Sonny Dykes are aligned philosophically. Both rose through the Bob Stoops/Mike Leach coaching tree: Dykes as an assistant under Leach at Kentucky and Texas Tech, and then as an offensive coordinator under Mike Stoops at Arizona before landing his first head coaching job at Louisiana Tech, while Spavital climbed the ranks as a graduate assistant and later quarterbacks coach under former Leach assistant Dana Holgorsen at Houston, Oklahoma State and West Virginia, and then worked under former Stoops assistant Kevin Sumlin at Texas A&M.
California finished the 2015 season ranked seventh nationally in yards per play, eighth in total offense and 17th in scoring while winning the Armed Forces Bowl. Spavital primary task would be advancing the Golden Bears' attack following quarterback Jared Goff's departure for the NFL Draft.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.