LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 27: Cal head coach Sonny Dykes looks on during an NCAA football game between the California Golden Bears and the USC Trojans on October 27, 2016, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Sonny Dykes claimed to be surprised by Cal firing him as head football coach. He may have been the only one.

The University of California has parted ways with head football coach Sonny Dykes after four seasons of mediocre football. Here is an excerpt from his departing statement:

“This morning I learned that the Cal administration was moving in a different direction and terminating my employment as Head Football Coach without cause. I was surprised and disappointed, but I have no choice but to accept the decision and move on.”

Let’s dissect this, shall we?

Dykes, a coach who went 19-30 in four seasons at Cal, asserts that his termination was “without cause.” I assert that losing far more games that you won after a generous four years is a pretty damn good “cause.” In his tenure at Cal, Dykes mustered a winning record only once, going 8-5 in 2015, which was the final season with eventual No. 1 draft pick Jared Goff. The other three seasons, Dykes went 1-11, 5-7, and 5-7 (two of those seasons were also with Goff at the helm). How much “cause” does one man need?

I also take issue with the fact that Dykes says this turn of events was somehow unexpected. He says he was “surprised” by his firing, which brings the total number of people surprised by this to exactly one. Sure, the timing is somewhat unorthodox, given that many available coaches have been hired and the proximity to National Signing Day. But that speaks more to the ineptitude of the Cal athletic department and perhaps the recent availability of certain head coach candidates. If 19-30 Dykes — who only had two wins in four years (2-14) against Oregon, Stanford, UCLA, and USC — was truly surprised, then I am absolutely flabbergasted. Let’s not forget that Dykes also interviewed for numerous other jobs (Missouri, Baylor and Houston) while at Cal.

In an area that celebrates progressive thinking, Dykes’ personality and coaching style failed to endear him to the school and fan base. You can get away with a lot when you’re winning, but Dykes never did, so his record only compounded the friction. The truth is, Dykes and Cal were never a good partnership, like Drew Barrymore and Tom Green or [allegedly] Trent Baalke and Chip Kelly. The buyout will be painful though, and will only further the athletic department’s debt issues. Dykes has $5.88 million remaining on his contract, which was supposed to extend through the 2019 season.

I’m continually perplexed by the Cal football program. They have a solid recruiting class year after year, and perennially produce some of the best NFL players, like Jared Goff, Aaron Rodgers, DeSean Jackson, Richard Rodgers, Marshawn Lynch, and Keenan Allen. In recent years, the talent and potential of their players has not translated into success while at Cal. Like everything, it starts at the top. Cal needs a coach who can take the pieces of a gifted roster and turn out a legitimate college football program, rather than a mere farm system for the NFL.

The way that Dykes’ firing was handled only speaks to the serious issues within the Cal athletic department. Current players learned that their head coach had been dismissed via social media. That’s unconscionable. It’s almost like Cal is trying to dethrone the San Francisco 49ers as the most dysfunctional athletic organization in the Bay Area.

So what’s next for Cal? I imagine they’ll take a run (Ha! Kidding! Cal never runs!) at Chip Kelly or Les Miles. They probably can’t afford either one, but at least the San Francisco 49ers are paying Kelly’s salary for the next three years and Miles doesn’t seem to be attracting any better offers. Maybe they’ll promote offensive coordinator Jake Spavital, as is rumored. Wisconsin defensive coordinator Justin Wilson, a former assistant at Cal, has also been mentioned as a candidate.

I don’t know what they’ll do next, but I’ll leave you with this:

https://twitter.com/JasonKirkSBN/status/818163343294918660

Sure, the timing was somewhat peculiar. Why wait until after the holidays — and right before NSD? But Jeff Tedford? Really? Sure, he was successful at Cal, but the athletic department fired him after going 3-9 in 2012 — only his second losing season during his 11-year tenure. And then Cal hired Dykes. Would either side really be interested in a reunion after a long relationship that didn’t end well?

About Jill Cowan

Jill earned an honorary degree in sports snark from Twitter University. She resides in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she spends the fall months at Stanford Stadium. Jill loves flea flickers, Spider 3 Y Banana, and Jim Harbaugh rage. She detests visors and The Wave.