Cal expected to name NFL assistant Jordan Somerville as new OC
Jordan Somerville has been surrounded by several top quarterbacks throughout his coaching career. He is now expected to help develop another one. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers assistant quarterbacks coach and pass game specialist is slated to be hired by Cal as the program’s new offensive coordinator.
CBS was first to report the hiring Monday as Somerville will make his return to college on Tosh Lupoi‘s staff. The 29-year-old assistant has not served as a play-caller earlier in his career, but he has an impressive resume already.
The Arizona native attended Arizona State where he also served as a graduate assistant in 2019. He has been with the NFC South franchise since the 2023 season.
His connection with Lupoi comes from his time at Oregon. Somerville served as an offensive analyst alongside former offensive coordinator and current Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham.
The new Cal OC has earned praise for his work with quarterback Bo Nix while at Oregon during the 2022 season. The future NFL first-round draft pick now with the Denver Broncos passed for a career high 71.9% during the 2022 season.
Eventually, Somerville landed with the Buccaneers where he has been responsible for helping aid in the continued development of quarterback Baker Mayfield.
Somerville is the second addition to the coaching staff for Lupoi since he was hired on Dec. 4. The Bears are expected to retain interim head coach Nick Rolovich as quarterbacks coach and assistant head coach under Lupoi.
JKS next up for Somerville
Somerville will step into an ideal situation at Cal with a quarterback who will be primed for a standout season in 2026. Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele was one of the top freshmen in the country this year. He passed for 3,117 yards and 17 touchdowns in his first season at Cal giving Somerville a strong starting point in 2026.
The new Bears offensive coordinator has made a fast rise up the coaching ranks because of his ability to develop as well as recruit. He will work alongside Rolovich to help Sagapolutele reach a new level in his sophomore season.
Lupoi and Rolovich have emphasized the importance of having a starting quarterback in place and what it could mean for the Bears next year. The first two staff additions for Cal’s new head coach have reflected that with Rolovich being retained and Somerville brought in.
Fast rise up the coaching ranks
Chances are you have heard of Somerville if you have paid attention to recruiting in the West since the beginning of the decade. He helped Oregon build a stronger connection to his home state while with the Ducks. And, he has earned a reputation as a high-level recruiter during his stint in college.
Lupoi expressed at his introductory press conference that recruiting, or rather “talent acquisition” as he called it, would be at the forefront for the Bears. In particular, the new Cal head coach mentioned that Cal would cut its teeth with high school recruiting under his guidance.
Somerville adds another proven recruiter to the mix in addition to his abilities as an on-field coach. The Tempe native, who will turn 30 next month, began his college coaching career as a student assistant at ASU in 2017. By 2020, he had earned the position of running backs coach and recruiting coordinator at New Mexico.
That quickly led to a spot on Dan Lanning’s staff in Oregon by 2022 and now the last three years in the NFL. Somerville is an alum of Corona del Sol High School in Tempe. His younger brother Quintin is a former four-star recruit who played at UCLA and served on the Bruins’ staff this season.
