SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — Paul Wulff, former Eastern Washington and Washington State head football coach and Cal Poly’s offensive line coach and running game coordinator the last three years, has been elevated to his third head coaching job, this time with the Mustangs.
Cal Poly president Jeffrey D. Armstrong and Director of Athletics Don Oberhelman announced Wulff’s new role Tuesday during a press conference in the lobby of Mott Athletics Center.
Wulff, who was promoted by former Mustang head coach Beau Baldwin to the position of associate head coach last summer, has coached at the collegiate level for 28 years, including 12 as a head coach. He was head coach at Eastern Washington from 2000 through 2007 and at Washington State from 2008-11.
“Personally, this position as head football coach at Cal Poly is one that I and my family have dreamed about for several years,” Wulff said, “having an opportunity to lead a football program that offers elite academics and a commitment from administration, alumni and boosters that will allow for our coaches and student-athletes to compete on the field of play for conference and national championships. Currently, Cal Poly is one of the few universities in the western United States that offers these opportunities.”
The 1990 Washington State graduate served as assistant head coach and offensive coordinator at Sacramento State from 2016-18, coaching the offensive linemen. He also coached at UC Davis in the fall of 2019.
Wulff also has spent time in the National Football League. He joined Jim Harbaugh’s staff with the San Francisco 49ers in 2012 as a senior offensive assistant. The 49ers advanced to Super Bowl XLVII during his first season and made a trip to the NFC Championship game the following year.
Wulff returned to college football in 2014 as the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at South Florida. He was an offensive consultant at Iowa State for the final five games of 2015 before returning to the Big Sky.
“Paul Wulff is the right person for this job,” said Oberhelman. “He knows our roster inside and out, he has been very active in recruiting this incoming class, and he can help lead The Climb that is currently underway.
“Although the record may not have been indicative of this, our team was markedly better this past season, and with many key contributors returning and getting healthy, I’m excited for what the 2023 season holds,” Oberhelman added. “The president and I both felt strongly that continuity would be the key, and Coach Wulff will continue to work with the current coaching staff to further develop this team.”
Wulff played collegiately at Washington State and began his coaching career as an assistant at Eastern Washington in 1993. He was elevated to offensive coordinator in 1998 and became the Eagles’ head coach in 2000. In his eight years at the helm, Wulff guided EWU to a 53-40 overall record, a share of two Big Sky championships and three NCAA FCS playoff berths. He was named Big Sky Coach of the Year following the 2001, 2004 and 2005 seasons and was a finalist for National Coach of the Year in 2004 and 2007.
Wulff coached 23 players to FCS All-America honors, including 15 offensive linemen. His teams also featured quarterback Erik Meyer, who was the Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year, the Walter Payton Award winner and set the FCS record for pass efficiency. Meyer currently is the quarterbacks coach at Cal Poly.
Wulff earned the head coaching job at Washington State in 2008. In his four seasons, the Cougars’ offense improved its production each year. In 2011, his final year at WSU, Washington State ranked ninth in the FBS in passing offense (322.25 yards per game) and 33rd in total offense (422.42 ypg). The Cougars were the only team in Division I to improve in total offense, total defense, offensive scoring and defensive scoring from 2010 to 2011.
A native of Woodland, Calif., Wulff graduated from Davis High School before heading to Washington State. With the Cougars, he was a four-year letterman and earned second-team all-Pac 10 and honorable mention All-American honors as a center in 1989.
He signed with the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 1990 and went on to play for the Raleigh-Durham Skyhawks and the New York/New Jersey Knights of the NFL World League.
Wulff and his wife, Sherry, are the parents of three children: Katie, Max and Sam.
Wulff succeeds Baldwin, who resigned last week after three seasons as Cal Poly head coach to accept a position as offensive coordinator under new head coach Kenny Dillingham at Arizona State.
