The California Golden Bears football program is preparing for the upcoming 128th Big Game against Stanford, and this year, attention has turned to one of the team’s coaches who brings a unique perspective to the rivalry.
Mike Saffell, Cal’s tight ends coach, has been closely involved with the program since arriving in Berkeley in 2017. At age 26, he holds more Big Game experience than anyone on the current roster except for head coach Justin Wilcox. Saffell played as an offensive lineman from 2017 to 2020 and was recognized as the Pac-12’s Football Scholar-Athlete of the Year during his final season. He planned to return for a fifth year in 2021 but retired due to injuries before training camp.
Wilcox recalled advising Saffell at that time: “I told him to see if he could live without it,” Wilcox said.
Saffell explored other opportunities after graduation—including business and broadcasting—but remained close to Cal football. “He was one of those guys that was always in the building,” Wilcox said. “At first it was kind of like ‘let’s see how it goes’ but once he took a liking to it, his coaching ascent has been like a rocket ship.”
Saffell began his coaching career as a graduate assistant in January 2022 and became Cal’s tight ends coach by December 2023 at age 24, making him one of the youngest full-time FBS coaches nationally.
“Mike’s got all these great qualities that first showed up as a player and now definitely are there as a coach,” Wilcox said. “He is such a team guy. He’s humble but super competitive. He’s intelligent, and he has a great work ethic and excellent communication skills.”
With over half of this year’s roster having never participated in the Big Game, Wilcox asked Saffell to share his experiences with current players. “Mike was a player on the team that was able to beat Stanford and get The Axe back in 2019,” Wilcox said. “As someone who has played and coached in the Big Game many times, his perspective is meaningful for many of the players who haven’t been exposed to it.”
Saffell emphasized what makes this rivalry significant: “I wanted our players to know that even though there is a lot going on at Cal, that on this one day and for this one game that all of the attention of both universities is focused on the Big Game,” Saffell said. “It’s important for them to understand how much the universities, the alumni and the guys who have played in it really care about the Big Game. No matter what your record is going into this game, it is a game that makes or breaks your season because of the fanfare and the way people care about it. It’s freaking awesome.”
His message resonated with current players ahead of Saturday’s matchup.
“Coach Saffell’s speech to the team after last Sunday’s practice was electric and guys have been talking about it all week,” transfer tight end Mason Mini said.
“When someone like coach Saffell talks about the Big Game, it really means something to our guys,” added fifth-year senior tight end Jeffrey Johnson. “He has been around Cal for a long time and seen a lot, and he is one of the best people to reinforce how important this game is.”
Reflecting on past games leading up to Saturday’s contest at Stanford—known as The Farm—Saffell spoke about what stands out most: “I think a lot about the Big Game heroes and the guys who have made huge plays and had massive games,” Saffell said. “This is one of those games where you can really immortalize yourself as a Big Game hero.”
Asked about his favorite memory from previous matchups against Stanford, Saffell pointed toward Cal’s win in 2019: “It’s hard not to say 2019,” Saffell said. “There was all of this anticipation for that game, the potential of winning and then going out and doing it in front of all those people. It was awesome. Grown men were so happy they were crying.”
The Golden Bears hope their efforts will lead them toward another memorable victory when they face Stanford this weekend.
