Vic So’oto Hired As Outside Linebackers Coach

BERKELEY – Travers Family Head Football Coach Justin Wilcox announced Tuesday that Vic So'oto has agreed to become the outside linebackers coach at Cal. The former NFL and collegiate player has spent the last two seasons on the USC staff after a previous four-year stint at Virginia (2016-19). So'oto was on coaching staffs that won division titles in back-to-back seasons with the Cavaliers in 2019 (ACC Coastal) and Trojans in 2020 (Pac-12 South), as well as reaching bowls in each of his last three seasons at Virginia (2017 Military Bowl, 2018 Belk Bowl, 2019 Orange Bowl).

So'oto began his coaching career in 2015 as an intern at his alma mater BYU, where he spent six seasons as a player from 2005-10. He was also on NFL rosters for four years in Green Bay (2011-12), Oakland (2012), Washington (2012), Arizona (2013), New Orleans (2013) and Pittsburgh (2014).

"Vic is one of the nation's top rising young coaches and recruiters," Wilcox said. "He has a versatile coaching skill set having developed both defensive linemen and outside linebackers, which will help him in our defense. Vic also establishes strong and genuine relationships with players and recruits, and having recently played at the highest level, he has a strong understanding of what it takes to be successful. Vic is well-respected, dedicated to coaching and teaching others, and will be a great addition to our staff."

"I'm looking forward to joining the Cal football program, making contributions to the tremendous staff coach Wilcox has put together and learning from some of the best minds in football," So'oto said. "It's been a goal of mine to coach outside linebackers and broaden my impact on the defense. I can't wait to get started."

Below are additional notes on So'oto.
 
Coaching Career
USC: Defensive Line (2020); Defensive Line/Outside Linebackers (2020-21)
– Helped the Trojans to a Pac-12 South Division title and a 5-1 overall record in his first season in 2020 with his defensive linemen racking up awards (Marlon Tuipulotu, First-Team All-Pac-12; Drake Jackson, Second-Team All-Pac-12; Nick Figueroa, Honorable Mention All-Pac-12; Tuli Tuipulotu, Second-Team Freshman All-American) with Marlon Tuipulotu selected in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft by and currently a member of the Philadelphia Eagles
– Tuli Tuipulotu became his second First-Team All-Pac-12 selection in as many seasons as a 2021 sophomore when he had team-highs of 7.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks
– Recruited and signed Korey Foreman, a five-star recruit who was the No. 2 overall player in the class of 2021 according to 247Sports, while Rivals tabbed him No. 3 and ESPN No. 4, with 247Sports also listing him as the nation's top defensive lineman and Rivals as the best strongside defensive end in the class
 
Virginia: Graduate Assistant, Defense (2016); Defensive Line (2017-19)
– Coached on staffs that reached bowls in each of his three seasons as the defensive line coach (2017 Military Bowl, 2018 Belk Bowl, 2019 Orange Bowl)
– Coached a defensive unit that put up numbers among the nation's best in each campaign of his full-time tenure including his final season in 2019 when the Cavaliers ranked ninth nationally in sacks (3.3) and 22nd in tackles for loss (7.1) on a squad that won the ACC Coastal title and finished 9-4 overall; his 2018 squad that was 12th in passing efficiency (107.6), 16th in passing yards allowed (183.0 ypg), 20th in total defense (330.5 ypg) and 21st in scoring defense (20.1 ppg) on their way to a 28-0 Belk Bowl win over South Carolina; and a 2017 team that was seventh in passing yards allowed (165.8 ypg) and ninth in red zone defense (72.7%)
– Began his coaching career in 2016 as a graduate assistant on defense just two years removed from the end of his NFL playing career
 
Brigham Young: Intern (2015)
– Served as intern for a team that finished 9-4 overall and played Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl
 
NFL Playing Career
Green Bay (2011-12); Oakland (2012); Washington (2012); Arizona (2013); New Orleans (2013); Pittsburgh (2014)
– Saw action with four different teams and was on rosters of six squads during his four-year NFL playing career, getting into games with Green Bay (2011-12), Oakland (2012), Washington (2012) and Arizona (2013), while he was briefly on the rosters of New Orleans (2013) and Pittsburgh (2014)
– Totaled 14 games played, one start, eight tackles and one quarterback hit
 
Collegiate Playing Career
BYU (2005-10)
– Four-year letterwinner (2005, '07, '09-10) that started his career as a tight end before moving to defense as a linebacker and defensive end for his final three seasons of six campaigns that also included two redshirt years
– Teams combined for a 56-21 (.727) record during his playing career, finished the season ranked in the Top 25 four times (2006, '07, '08, '09), won two Mountain West Conference titles (2016, '17) and reached bowl games each year, winning three of five appearances at the Las Vegas Bowl in 2006, '07 and '09, and in their lone trip to the New Mexico Bowl in 2010
– First-Team All-Mountain West selection on a defense as a sixth-year senior in 2010 when he recorded 45 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 5.0 quarterback sacks and one interception
 
Other
– Selected by the American Football Coaches Association to its 35 Under 35 Coaches Leadership Institute in 2020
– Second cousin of the late Pro Football Hall of Famer Junior Seau
 
Vic So'oto Coaching History
Season: Team – Coaching Position (Postseason, Champions)
2015: Brigham Young – Intern (Las Vegas Bowl)
2016: Virginia – Graduate Assistant, Defense
2017: Virginia – Defensive Line (Military Bowl)
2018: Virginia – Defensive Line (Belk Bowl)
2019: Virginia – Defensive Line (Orange Bowl, ACC Coastal Champion)
2020: USC – Defensive Line (Pac-12 South Champion)
2021: USC – Defensive Line/Outside Linebackers
 
Vic So'oto File
Pronunciation: so-oh-toe
Hometown: Oceanside, CA
High School: Carlsbad HS
College: BYU, 2010, BS, Geography
Family: Wife – Ashley; Daughters – Fia, Ave; Sons – Tre, Samson, Mack