As a young college football coach, Burl Toler III did his fair share of bouncing around for opportunities. But the one destination that has always been on his mind has been his home – Cal.   
 
Toler, a Berkeley native, has spent many Saturdays in Strawberry Canyon for Cal football games. It began as a spectator as a child, then he followed his dad's footsteps and played for the Golden Bears. His path to coaching started as a quality control assistant at Cal, and he has returned as the running backs coach for the Bears.
 
The seeds for Toler's coaching opportunity at Cal were planted back as a student-athlete. Despite being on opposite sides of the ball, he connected with current head coach Justin Wilcox, then the Bears' linebackers coach. The two maintained their relationship throughout the years until Wilcox offered Toler a chance to come home this past January.
 
"It's amazing," Toler said. "In the college football coaching world, nothing is a shock. You take everything in stride. It's always huge to continue to build relationships and stay in contact with those people. When I first met coach Wilcox, he was the cool, innovative young linebacker coach here. You strive to learn every day from the mentors who are around you."
 
Wilcox said, with a smile, that Toler's job interview may have been the fastest in college football history.
 
"Burl is the best," Wilcox said. "Getting to know him then when he was a player and the type of person he is and what he stands for, we've kept in touch over the years. He's going to help us in recruiting. He'll be great for our team and for the university. He is a really good person who is highly-skilled and makes our program better."
 
Toler played wide receiver at Cal from 2001-04. First arriving as a walk-on, he helped the Bears earn bowl berths in his final two seasons. Toler finished the 2003 campaign as Cal's second-leading receiver with 48 catches for 609 yards receiving and three touchdowns.
 
The excitement Wilcox created for the program in 2017 was even more incentive for Toler to return to his alma mater, now hoping to make a splash as a coach after making an impact as a player.
 
"There's a good buzz going on here," Toler said. "Coach Wilcox started a great thing last year in getting the guys together and restoring that desire to be at Cal and in the Bay Area. I heard about that happening last year, and I was really excited to see it firsthand when I came back."
 
Toler's father, Burl Toler Jr., a four-year letterwinner linebacker for the Bears from 1974-77, remembers his family's excitement when his son first became a Bear.
 
"He was really excited to be on the team," said Burl Toler Jr. "It didn't take him long to feel comfortable with the university and the football program. He hasn't missed a beat since. I probably shed a tear when I saw him catching a ball for the first time at practice, as did his mother."
 
Prior to being the wide receivers coach at Fresno State in 2016 and UC Davis in 2017, Toler spent three years on Cal's football staff as a quality control assistant from 2013-15.
 
During that three-year run, Toler met running back Patrick Laird, when Cal's national honors candidate was a walk-on freshman on the scout team. Laird caught Toler's eye on film. He saw potential in Laird, encouraging the coaches to give him a chance and motivating Laird to give it his all.
 
"He put the idea in my head that if I work hard on the scout team, then I can move up to getting playing time," Laird said. "I did that my freshman year. I remember him being a real genuine guy that cared about everybody and treated me and the other walk-ons the same as the star players."
 
As much as being a Cal alum helps Toler connect with the players, he inspires them to be the "director" of their own movie. While there are some similarities between his time at Cal and the current Bears' collegiate careers, he knows it's pertinent for them to experience their own journey.
 
"If the kids here now don't feel how special Cal is, then we're doing something wrong as coaches," Toler said. "My experience is valuable but, at the same time, I always try to take myself out of it. I don't think anybody is going to do things the same way I did, but there will be some parallels and they can learn from my experiences."
 
Toler's love for Cal began with his parents. Both Cal grads, they wanted to show Burl and his siblings that Cal is a special place without putting any pressure on them to join the Golden Bear family.
 
"It was great to hear that he had the opportunity to be back on the football staff at Cal," said Burl Toler Jr. "This is a place where he played and has loved since he was in diapers. It was special for myself, his mom and the rest of the family. He always had aspirations to come back to Cal someday, and he definitely had the will power. He found a way. It's funny how things work out. He's in the perfect spot right now."
 
A new father himself, Burl Toler III is looking forward to one day introducing his three-month-old son, Burl Toler IV, to all things Cal. Toler is one of two members of his family to be currently employed by Cal. His sister, Maurita "Pita" Toler, works as a member of the Cal Athletics development staff.
 
Maurita remembers literally dancing in her office when she heard the news about her brother's return.
 
"My brother has worked hard for this role and I know how much he's wanted to be back in Berkeley," she said. "Knowing we can lean on each other for encouragement, feedback and involvement is huge. We know what this Golden Bear family is capable of and we will always keep pushing each other to do more. It's awesome to see him raising his family here. Berkeley has always provided a positive environment to do so. I'm sure people can expect to continue seeing Tolers everywhere for decades to come."
 
The Toler family legacy is in good shape to be around Berkeley for a long time, and the Cal football program is set up for success with people like Burl Toler III involved.