California Golden Bears Athletics
Ron Coccimiglio helps set up student-athletes for success in their careers after football.
Photo by: Al Sermeno/KLC fotos
Building The Network
9/18/2026 11:00 AM | Football, Inside The Lair, Inside Cal Football
Ron Coccimiglio Prepares Cal Football Players For Life After Ball
When California safety Kingston Lopa grabbed his third interception of the game at Syracuse on Saturday, securing the Bears' 21-18 victory, almost everyone associated with the California football program experienced a combination of relief and exultation.
Director of Career Development Ron Coccimiglio was the rare individual who could enjoy a "been there, done that" moment.
On Oct. 11, 1980, Coccimiglio made three picks to lead the Golden Bears to a 31-6 victory over Oregon at California Memorial Stadium. The three interceptions were one shy of the program record set by Herman Edwards against Washington State on Nov. 16, 1974.
Known to many simply as "Coach Coach," Coccimiglio has been a part of the Cal staff in various capacities for nearly the past quarter-century. He is high on Lopa.
"Kingston's a special athlete. The first thing you notice is his size," Coccimiglio said about the 6-foot-5 redshirt sophomore who spent the past two seasons at Oregon.
"If he gets the ball anywhere in his area … he's going to make the play. That's why coaches love him. He's a smart player."
Coccimiglio earned a reputation for being a cerebral player during his career as a Cal safety (1976-80). As for his signature day against the Ducks, Coccimiglio had at least two extra bits of motivation.
One was he was surprised to see his mug on the cover of that day's program – "That's kind of cool," he remembered thinking.
The other was he had been burned on a deep pass late in the Bears' 19-14 loss to the Ducks in Eugene the previous year.
"I had to be totally engaged and focused on what my roles were," Coccimiglio said. "I happened to be feeling pretty good that game. That day, everything slowed down."
Coccimiglio stressed that his interceptions, Lopa's or any other safety's aren't simply individual efforts.
"You need the pressure from the defensive line or even a blitz to hurry the quarterback to cause those situations where you can get in position to make those plays," Coccimiglio said.
Coccimiglio ranks tied for sixth in program history with 11 career interceptions, but Cal fans of a certain vintage remember him best not for an interception but for a deflection.
In the final minute of the 1979 Big Game at Stanford Stadium, Coccimiglio batted down Turk Schonert's fourth-down pass in the end zone, enabling the Bears to celebrate a 21-14 victory.
"I still, to this day, get a shoutout," for that play from Cal fans, Coccimiglio said. "It's great to be remembered."
After graduating from Cal with a degree in sociology in 1981, Coccimiglio spent more than two decades building a highly successful career in the print industry. He returned to Cal in 2003 as a volunteer coach working with defensive backs.
He ultimately would spend seven years as a volunteer on head coach Jeff Tedford's staffs.
"You spend the first part of your career trying to prove what you can do," Coccimiglio said, "and then one day you realize that you'd rather build something that matters after you're gone...
"Did people get better because you were a part of a company, part of a staff? Did you help someone believe they were capable of more?"
For the past 16 years, Coccimiglio has been the director of career development, helping athletes prepare for their lives after college. He helped establish the LAB (Life After Ball) program.
"The most important thing you can do is build your network while you're here," Coccimiglio said, referring to any Cal athlete. "When you finally figure out what you want to do … eventually, you need someone who can vouch for you, someone who can give you a recommendation, (help you) get your foot in the door for an interview."
Coccimiglio has provided help and guidance to athletes while they were in school and years after they left Berkeley. Case in point: Alex Lagemann, a wide receiver who earned letters in 2009 and '10.
Lagemann, former Cal teammate Mike Costanzo and Josh Hallbauer formed the band "Radical Something" in 2011. About five years later, Lagemann wanted a career change and contacted Coccimiglio about the commercial real-estate business.
Coccimiglio connected Lagemann with a Cal alum in the field. A decade later, Lagemann is thriving as a commercial real-estate broker, focused on tenant representation in Silicon Valley.
"A lot of things had to transpire for me to get there," Lagemann said, "but without me reaching out to (Coccimiglio) initially, I wouldn't be living the life I am, which is … one that I'm very blessed to have."
Lagemann expressed his appreciation and gratitude for Coccimiglio and the Cal network.
"The first thing and the last thing I always tell Ron when I talk to him is, 'You don't know how much you changed my life. Anything you ever ask me, it's a yes and a when.'
"So, I will always pay it forward."
Coccimiglio continues working with current Cal players; on Monday, he gave financial guidance to long snapper David Bird.
Some of Coccimiglio's time now goes into the recruiting process. He talks to prospective Cal players and often to their families and friends as well. His typical presentation lasts about 45 minutes.
"We don't talk football in there at all," Coccimiglio said. "We talk about all the opportunities to develop a skill set outside of football, help you identify what you want to do, and then what can we do to help you gain experience that will put you on the right path whenever that opportunity presents itself?"
Kingston Lopa took advantage of his opportunities to make three interceptions Saturday at Syracuse, just as Ron Coccimiglio did 46 years earlier against Oregon.
Coccimiglio sees parallels between a defense working together to help create interceptions and Cal alums working together to help create careers for other Bears.
"I don't make the three picks without the pressure of the line or somebody else blitzing," Coccimiglio said. "I might get the glory, but it's the team. It's a team effort.
"Same thing (with career development): It's the network. I may be the guy that's been running the LAB program for Cal Football for all these years, but it's our network, it's our alumni that are stepping up.
"Because all these guys want to give back. They love it."
Director of Career Development Ron Coccimiglio was the rare individual who could enjoy a "been there, done that" moment.
On Oct. 11, 1980, Coccimiglio made three picks to lead the Golden Bears to a 31-6 victory over Oregon at California Memorial Stadium. The three interceptions were one shy of the program record set by Herman Edwards against Washington State on Nov. 16, 1974.
Known to many simply as "Coach Coach," Coccimiglio has been a part of the Cal staff in various capacities for nearly the past quarter-century. He is high on Lopa.
"Kingston's a special athlete. The first thing you notice is his size," Coccimiglio said about the 6-foot-5 redshirt sophomore who spent the past two seasons at Oregon.
"If he gets the ball anywhere in his area … he's going to make the play. That's why coaches love him. He's a smart player."
Coccimiglio earned a reputation for being a cerebral player during his career as a Cal safety (1976-80). As for his signature day against the Ducks, Coccimiglio had at least two extra bits of motivation.
One was he was surprised to see his mug on the cover of that day's program – "That's kind of cool," he remembered thinking.
The other was he had been burned on a deep pass late in the Bears' 19-14 loss to the Ducks in Eugene the previous year.
"I had to be totally engaged and focused on what my roles were," Coccimiglio said. "I happened to be feeling pretty good that game. That day, everything slowed down."
Coccimiglio stressed that his interceptions, Lopa's or any other safety's aren't simply individual efforts.
"You need the pressure from the defensive line or even a blitz to hurry the quarterback to cause those situations where you can get in position to make those plays," Coccimiglio said.
Coccimiglio ranks tied for sixth in program history with 11 career interceptions, but Cal fans of a certain vintage remember him best not for an interception but for a deflection.
In the final minute of the 1979 Big Game at Stanford Stadium, Coccimiglio batted down Turk Schonert's fourth-down pass in the end zone, enabling the Bears to celebrate a 21-14 victory.
"I still, to this day, get a shoutout," for that play from Cal fans, Coccimiglio said. "It's great to be remembered."
After graduating from Cal with a degree in sociology in 1981, Coccimiglio spent more than two decades building a highly successful career in the print industry. He returned to Cal in 2003 as a volunteer coach working with defensive backs.
He ultimately would spend seven years as a volunteer on head coach Jeff Tedford's staffs.
"You spend the first part of your career trying to prove what you can do," Coccimiglio said, "and then one day you realize that you'd rather build something that matters after you're gone...
"Did people get better because you were a part of a company, part of a staff? Did you help someone believe they were capable of more?"
For the past 16 years, Coccimiglio has been the director of career development, helping athletes prepare for their lives after college. He helped establish the LAB (Life After Ball) program.
"The most important thing you can do is build your network while you're here," Coccimiglio said, referring to any Cal athlete. "When you finally figure out what you want to do … eventually, you need someone who can vouch for you, someone who can give you a recommendation, (help you) get your foot in the door for an interview."
Coccimiglio has provided help and guidance to athletes while they were in school and years after they left Berkeley. Case in point: Alex Lagemann, a wide receiver who earned letters in 2009 and '10.
Lagemann, former Cal teammate Mike Costanzo and Josh Hallbauer formed the band "Radical Something" in 2011. About five years later, Lagemann wanted a career change and contacted Coccimiglio about the commercial real-estate business.
Coccimiglio connected Lagemann with a Cal alum in the field. A decade later, Lagemann is thriving as a commercial real-estate broker, focused on tenant representation in Silicon Valley.
"A lot of things had to transpire for me to get there," Lagemann said, "but without me reaching out to (Coccimiglio) initially, I wouldn't be living the life I am, which is … one that I'm very blessed to have."
Lagemann expressed his appreciation and gratitude for Coccimiglio and the Cal network.
"The first thing and the last thing I always tell Ron when I talk to him is, 'You don't know how much you changed my life. Anything you ever ask me, it's a yes and a when.'
"So, I will always pay it forward."
Coccimiglio continues working with current Cal players; on Monday, he gave financial guidance to long snapper David Bird.
Some of Coccimiglio's time now goes into the recruiting process. He talks to prospective Cal players and often to their families and friends as well. His typical presentation lasts about 45 minutes.
"We don't talk football in there at all," Coccimiglio said. "We talk about all the opportunities to develop a skill set outside of football, help you identify what you want to do, and then what can we do to help you gain experience that will put you on the right path whenever that opportunity presents itself?"
Kingston Lopa took advantage of his opportunities to make three interceptions Saturday at Syracuse, just as Ron Coccimiglio did 46 years earlier against Oregon.
Coccimiglio sees parallels between a defense working together to help create interceptions and Cal alums working together to help create careers for other Bears.
"I don't make the three picks without the pressure of the line or somebody else blitzing," Coccimiglio said. "I might get the glory, but it's the team. It's a team effort.
"Same thing (with career development): It's the network. I may be the guy that's been running the LAB program for Cal Football for all these years, but it's our network, it's our alumni that are stepping up.
"Because all these guys want to give back. They love it."
Players Mentioned
LS
/ Football
DB
/ FootballFriday, September 18
Tuesday, September 15
Monday, September 14
Saturday, September 12
