Cal officially names Tim DeRuyter defensive coordinator

Hours after news broke that the move was imminent, Cal officially announced the hire of former Fresno State coach Tim DeRuyter as defensive coordinator.

New Golden Bears head coach Justin Wilcox admitted that the move to bring in DeRuyter had a lot to do with his previous head coaching experience.

"Tim DeRuyter is a proven and experienced defensive coordinator with an excellent track record of success in fielding some of the nation's best defenses especially in recent years," Wilcox said in a statement. "He has great expertise and knowledge in running a defense, and it's also a tremendous plus that he understands what it's like to be a head coach after his recent tenure at Fresno State."

DeRuyter has a massive chore ahead of him, as the Cal defense was the second-worst unit in the country last season, but his previous track record of turning around struggling defenses shows he's more than capable of the task.

"I'm thrilled to be joining the staff that Justin Wilcox is putting together at Cal," DeRuyter said. "Justin is a gifted young coach and someone I have enjoyed watching rise to the top of the coaching profession. I'm looking forward to doing everything I can to help all of us be successful at Cal."

DeRuyter's last job as defensive coordinator was with Texas A&M from 2010-11, in which he engineered an incredible improvement in the Aggies defense. Texas A&M led the nation in sacks during his final season, and ranked in the top-25 in scoring defense.