Ray Willsey

Ray Willsey (September 30, 1928 – November 4, 2013) was the head football coach at the University of California from 1964 to 1971. During his tenure he compiled a 40–42–1 record. He was inducted into the Orange County Sports Hall of Fame in 1993.

Early life and playing career

Willsey was born in Regina, Saskatchewan, and played defensive back and quarterback at Tustin High School and Santa Ana College. He played for the California Golden Bears, helping the Bears win 26-0 against Stanford in 1952. He graduated from the University of California in 1953 with a degree in business. He played for three years for the Edmonton Eskimos in Canada, but his playing career was ended by an elbow injury. He was a member of the Edmonton teams that won the 42nd Grey Cup and 43rd Grey Cup.

Coaching career

His first assistant coaching job was at the age of 28 with the Washington Huskies under head coach Darrell Royal. He followed Royal to the University of Texas in 1957. His first NFL position was at defensive coordinator with the Saint Louis Cardinals in 1961, where he went 2–0 as co-head coach. Willsey coached the California Golden Bears from 1964 to 1971. His 1968 team finished 7–3–1, recording three shutout victories and holding eight of 12 opponents to 12 points or less, earning its defensive unit the nickname "The Bear Minimum." In 1971, Willsey resigned from Cal, and in 1973, he rejoined the Cardinals as defensive coordinator under head coach Don Coryell. He moved to the Oakland Raiders in 1977 as backfield coach. With the Raiders, Willsey coached on Super Bowl-winning teams in 1980 (Super Bowl XV) and 1983 (Super Bowl XVIII).