California has fired coach Justin Wilcox, sources told ESPN's Pete Thamel on Sunday, after the Golden Bears fell to 6-5 following a sloppy loss to Stanford.
Cal analyst Nick Rolovich is expected to be the interim coach, sources told ESPN.
Wilcox, who was 48-55 in his Cal tenure, hasn't finished a season with a winning record since 2019.
In the 31-10 loss to Stanford, Cal tied for its most penalties (13) and had its most penalty yards (128) in a game in nine seasons under Wilcox, along with three lost fumbles. The loss came one game after Cal beat No. 14 Louisville on the road for its first win over a ranked opponent since 2020.
"I understand their pain," Wilcox said about the fan base after Saturday's loss. "I understand the frustration. We're working as hard as we possibly can to play as good as we can, and we didn't do that tonight."
Wilcox, 49, who was signed at Cal through 2027, led the Golden Bears to bowl appearances the past two seasons, but his impressive offense from 2024 was raided in the transfer portal, prompting questions at the skill positions headed into this season. Quarterback Fernando Mendoza transferred to Indiana, running back Jaydn Ott took off for Oklahoma and tight end Jack Endries landed at Texas, leaving gaping holes on a team entering its second season in the ACC.
Even with those offensive standouts, Cal's 2024 season ended with seven losses and several questions. That version of the Bears lost five games by eight points or fewer, continuing a problematic trend under Wilcox, who was 6-19 in one-score games from 2020 through 2024.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.