Cal Poly names new football coach — and they didn’t have to look far
Cal Poly looked no further than its own staff in selecting a new head football coach following the sudden departure of Beau Baldwin last week to take the offensive coordinator job at Arizona State.
At a news conference on Tuesday, university President Jeffrey Armstrong and Athletic Director Don Oberhelman named Paul Wulff, the team’s offensive line coach and running game coordinator, as the Mustangs’ new head coach.
It will be Wulff’s third tenure as head coach in college football. He led Eastern Washington from 2000-2007 and Washington State from 2008-2011.
This past summer, he was promoted to associate head coach for the Mustangs.
Oberhelman said Wulff, who has coached at the collegiate level for 28 years, was the right person for the job.
“He knows our roster inside and out, he has been very active in recruiting this incoming class, and he can help lead the climb that is curently underway,” Oberhelman said in a news release.
“Although the record may not have been indicative of this, our team was markedly better this past season, and with many key contributors returning and getting healthy, I’m excited for what the 2023 season holds,” he added. “The president and I both felt strongly that continuity would be the key, and Coach Wulff will continue to work with the current coaching staff to further develop this team.
Wulff thanked Armstrong and Oberhelman for the opportunity, saying, “I have witnessed their professionalism and commitment to Cal Poly and Mustang football. I also want to thank all alumni and boosters during this process. Your commitment and vision for this great university will help lead this program for years to come.”
“Personally, this position as head football coach at Cal Poly is one that I and my family have dreamed about for several years,” he added.
Wulff also has coached at Sacramento State, UC Davis, Iowa State and South Florida, as well as in the NFL, where he joined Jim Harbaugh’s staff on the San Francisco 49ers as a senior offensive assistant in 2012. The 49ers advanced to the Super Bowl in his first season and made it to the NFC championship game the following year.
In his eight years leading the Cougars as head coach, he compiled a 53-40 record, earned a share of two Big Sky championships and advanced to the NCAA FCS playoffs three times. He was also named Big Sky Coach of the Year three times and was a finalist for National Coach of the Year in 2004 and 2007.
He graduated from Washington State in 1990, where he played collegiately for four years.
He signed with the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 1990 and went on to play for the Raleigh-Durham Skyhawks and the New York/New Jersey Knights of the NFL World League.
“Even though the wins may not look like there’s a lot of progress, trust me. Internally, the progress is there,” Wulff said at the announcement press conference.
Wulff takes over for Baldwin, who left after three years to be the offensive coordinator under Kenny Dillingham at Arizona State.
This story was originally published December 6, 2022 at 11:08 AM.