January 31, 2023; Berkeley, California, USA; California Golden Bears Media Day at Haas Pavilion; Michael Saffell (Photo credit: Kelley L Cox/KLC fotos)

Mike Saffell

Mike Saffell in his second season as the tight ends coach at Cal in 2025.

  • Saffell, who was a four-year letterwinner as an offensive lineman for the Golden Bears (2017-20), has spent the past four seasons on Cal’s football staff as a student coach (2021), graduate assistant (2022-23) and tight ends coach (2024-present).

  • Saffell played in 28 career games with 23 starts including all 17 Cal contests at center during his 2019 junior and 2020 senior campaigns before announcing his medical retirement from football with one season of eligibility remaining prior to the 2021 campaign. 

  • Helped Cal to back-to-back bowl games with the Bears appearing at the Cheez-It Bowl in 2018 before knocking off Illinois at the 2019 Redbox Bowl to finish 8-5 overall.

  • Named the Pac-12's Football Scholar-Athlete of the Year as a 2020 senior, as well as a team captain, and a semifinalist for the Campbell Trophy and Wuerffel Trophy that are considered college football's premier academic and community service awards, respectively.

Year-By-Year Coaching Positions

Season: Team – Position 

2021: California – Student Assistant
2022-23: California – Graduate Assistant, Offense
2024-Present: California – Tight Ends

Saffell File

Pronunciation: SUH-fell
Birthdate: May 4, 1999
Hometown: Huntington Beach, CA
High School: Edison HS
College: California, 2020, Bachelor’s, Business Administration