Cal Poly introduces Tim Skipper as New Head Football Coach

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (KEYT) - Cal Poly formally introduced Tim Skipper as its new head football coach Monday morning.

During a press conference held inside the Performing Arts Center, Skipper officially took over the reigns of a Mustangs program that is seeking a re-establish itself as a premiere team in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).

Skipper arrives in San Luis Obispo with significant name recognition following his most recent position as interim head coach at UCLA.

Following the dismissal of DeShaun Foster in October, Skipper was named interim head coach and proceeded to win his first three games, including a stunning victory over then 7th ranked Penn State.

In the next two games after the Penn State win, Skipper led the Bruins to a pair of victories over Michigan State and Maryland before finishing with a record of 3-6 during his nine games as interim head coach.

His stint in Westwood followed another run as interim head coach at his alma mater at Fresno State.

In 2023, Skipper served as acting head coach for the Bulldogs in the team's 37-10 victory over New Mexico State in the New Mexico Bowl.

Several months later, following the depature of then head coach Jeff Tedford, Skipper was named interim head coach and led the Bulldogs to a record of 6-7 and a bowl game appearance.

Now, he takes over a Cal Poly program that has struggled since earning its last winning record nearly 10 years ago in 2016,

Over the past nine seasons, the Mustangs have an overall record of 23-69 and a mark of 14-53 in the Big Sky Conference.

However, with the soon-to-be opening of the John Madden Football Center, along with the hiring of Skipper, there is optimism Cal Poly may be able to return to both regional and national prominence within the FCS.