By Mallory Majcher, Cal Athletic Communications
Ray Willsey, a former football and rugby player at California who served as head coach of the Golden Bears football team from 1964-71, will be formally inducted into the Cal Athletic Hall of Fame Friday night at the annual Cal Athletic Hall of Fame banquet at the Greek Orthodox Church Conference Center in Oakland.
Willsey coached in the National Football League, Canadian Football League, NFL Europe/World League and Arena Football League after playing collegiately for legendary coaches Miles “Doc” Hudson and Lynn “Pappy” Waldorf at Cal.
On the gridiron, Willsey lettered twice as a quarterback and defensive back on Waldorf's 1951 and ’52 teams, guiding the Bears to their biggest Big Game victory margin in 30 years when they won 26-0 in 1952 on their way to a 7-3 season.
The former Cal coach graduated from the University with a business degree in 1953 and went on to play two years with the Edmonton Eskimos in the CFL before beginning a storied coaching career in football. Willsey served as an assistant coach under Darrell K. Royal at both Washington and Texas before becoming Cal’s head football coach in 1964 and the first alumnus to coach the team since 1930. Coaching during the '60s, he is credited with preserving the tradition of the program under a chaotic period of the University's history that included the Free Speech Moment and Vitetnam war protests.
Still, Willsey was able to hold the team together and produced a record of 40-42-1 over eight seasons. In 1968, he oversaw the famed “Bear Minimum” defense, leading Cal to a 7-3-1 record – the only Cal team to win at least seven games from 1953-67. Among the star players he coached were All-Americans Craig Morton, Ed White and Sherman White.
Morton played under Willsey during his senior campaign and led a team that went 3-7 in 1964 in the midst of the Free Speech Movement.
“Everyone was so excited to have him,” said Morton. “He had pro experience and was a Cal grad, and he brought a new structure to the program. He was a cool guy and had a lot of rules, but we always had fun playing for him.”
Throughout that season, the football team was not headline news as student activists protested across campus. Mario Savio was the story in ‘64 as he invaded Sproul Hall, the University’s administration building, for a “sit-in,” which began the infamous Free Speech Movement in Berkeley.
Willsley listened to the chaos with interest; however, according to Golden Bears author Ron Fimrite, WIllsey was concerned that the Free Speech Movement and frequent protests would have a long-term effect on the football program.
“The demonstrations had won out our football games, no question about it,” said Morton (Golden Bears). “There were many riots that occurred, but [Willsey] stuck by the team and used football as a distraction.”
Willsey was inducted into the Orange County Sports Hall of Fame in 1993 and in 2002, he received the University’s Glenn T. Seaborg Award, named after former Cal chancellor and 1959 Nobel Prize-winning scientist, and given to a former Cal football player for his career accomplishments.
Willsey, who passed away last November at the age 85, will be honored for his Hall of Fame induction during halftime of Saturday's game against UCLA. He enters the Hall of Fame alongside six other notable Golden Bears in history that represent a wide array of sports, including Tom Beach (men’s gymnastics), Natalie Coughlin (women’s swimming & diving), Anthony Ervin (men’s swimming & diving), Sarah Huarte (women’s golf), Grace Upshaw (women’s track & field) and Rick Cronk (Hall of Fame Service Award).
Morton, who serves on the Hall of Fame committee, acted as a strong advocate for Willsey’s induction.
“He coached a lot of great teams,” said Morton. “He was a great coach, and definitely deserves to be in the Cal Athletic Hall of Fame.”
Willsey is predeceased by his former wife, Barbara Bigelow Willsey, whom Ray met and married while they were both at the University; and survived by their three daughters – LeeAnn Willsey Fairfield of Bellevue, Idaho; Louise Willsey Poole of Boise and Janet Willsey Johnson of Oklahoma City – and his partner of 30 years, Joanne May.
“The Ray Willsey family is so grateful for this honor,” said Fairfield. “He was a humble man, but he would have been so proud of this recognition.”
For more information on this year's Cal Athletic Hall of Fame Class, click here.
