JIM BAIRD / Union-Tribune
Ken Delgado's coaching career took a decided turn for the better when he was hired at Cal.
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During Delgado's tenure at SDSU, the Aztecs went to exactly one bowl game and just their fifth in school history when they lost to North Carolina in the 1998 Las Vegas Bowl.
SDSU proceeded to endure three straight losing seasons, a drought that culminated in the dismissal of Ted Tollner and the hiring of Craft, who maintains Delgado never scheduled an interview to be part of the new staff.
Delgado, who had served as the team's defensive line coach for six years before being named defensive coordinator, said he never felt the need to set up an interview.
"I have a lot of mixed emotions. I dedicated a big part of my life to that program. For years during my time at San Diego State we would stand on the sideline and watch the Holiday Bowl. It is sort of ironic that I had to come back to actually be part of the game."
Ironic, but hardly inconceivable. Whereas the Aztecs go bowling with roughly the frequency Donald Trump immerses himself in ditch digging, Delgado has aligned himself with one of the most respected programs in the nation. Practicing at SDSU this week in preparation for Thursday's date with Texas Tech in the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl, Cal is 10-1 (its lone loss to No. 1 USC), ranked No. 4 in the nation and is one big BCS boondoggle away from squaring off against Michigan in the Rose Bowl.
Fate may be fickle, but it can also be fulfilling.
"Any time you put in that much time somewhere and feel like you're having success at what you're doing, it's hard to leave," said Delgado, who after spending eight seasons at SDSU now serves as Cal's defensive line coach. "There was a comfort zone for me at San Diego State. To spend that much time in one place is a long time in the coaching world, but that's the reality of the profession.
In the circle of life, Ken Delgado has completed a most rewarding revolution.
Notified three years ago by incoming coach Tom Craft that his services would no longer be required at San Diego State, Delgado this week is back on Montezuma Mesa, still coaching, still teaching, still polishing his reputation as one of the most highly regarded recruiters on the West Coast – for the California Golden Bears.
O. Henry would love this one, the irony as thick as molasses, the last laugh so wry it should be accompanied by a slice of ham and a pickle spear.
"I know Tom Craft very well. He was my neighbor for five years," Delgado said in 2001 after being replaced by Thom Kaumeyer. "Why do I need to call him? I coached with him at SDSU. Damon Baldwin and Charlie Camp (former Craft assistants) didn't need to call him to be interviewed, so why should I? San Diego State has been known as a defensive team for some time now, and I was part of that every step of the way."
Not that the ensuing step in Delgado's career will ever be remembered as misguided.
"I hate to say it, but the biggest difference (between Cal and San Diego State) has been just the quality of people I'm working with," Delgado said. "This staff could go anywhere in the country and be successful. The relationship among players and coaches is extremely strong, but it wasn't that way when we got here.
"I don't know how Jeff (head coach Tedford) did it, but he's been able to transfer that same chemistry we have as a staff to our players."
Cal, which enters the Holiday Bowl having won seven straight, has put together its best season since the school's 1949 squad went 10-0 before falling to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl.
And while the majority of the focus has centered on the Golden Bears' dynamic duo of quarterback Aaron Rodgers and running back J.J. Arrington, Cal defensively is not exactly docile.
Since the arrival of defensive coordinator Bob Gregory in 2002, Cal, which was 1-10 in 2001, has allowed 25.8 fewer points and 150.5 fewer yards per game. The Golden Bears have a chance to lead the Pac-10 in rush defense for the first time in 36 years. Among Delgado's charges is senior defensive end Ryan Riddle, a first-team All-Pac-10 selection who set a single-season school record this season with 14.5 sacks.
"Bob Gregory brought in a very good system, but I'm of the opinion that what makes any system great is the ability of coaches to follow the system and become great teachers," Delgado said. "It never becomes a situation where it's 'my way or the highway'; it's the constant yielding that takes place between the assistant coaches and the coordinator.
"We are not the biggest, the strongest or the fastest team on the West Coast, but what we do on the field is strictly because of the relationship we have between players and coaches. You can get caught up in the X's and O's and all the intangibles, but you can move mountains with great chemistry."
You can also go home again – a winner.
"Ken Delgado is just tremendous," Tedford said. "He's a great recruiter and a great coach. He coaches a position that demands intensity and emotion, and he gets those guys to perform at their highest level without having to yell and scream. Kenny has brought a great deal to the table for this program, no question about it."
