University of California Athletics

Vic So’oto enters his fourth season with the Golden Bears and was recently named Co-Defensive coordinator on April 10, 2025. He previously served as the special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach in 2023-24 after serving as the outside linebackers coach in 2022. 

• Before joining Cal, the former NFL and collegiate player spent the previous two campaigns in 2020 and 2021 on the USC coaching staff after a prior four-year stint at Virginia (2016-19). So’oto began his coaching career in 2015 as an intern at his alma mater BYU, where he spent six seasons as a student-athlete from 2005-10.

• Selected by the American Football Coaches Association to its 35 Under 35 Coaches Leadership Institute in 2020.

• So’oto was on coaching staffs that won division titles in back-to-back seasons with the Cavaliers in 2019 (ACC Coastal) and Trojans in 2020 (Pac-12 South), while reaching bowls in each of his last three campaigns at Virginia (2017 Military Bowl, 2018 Belk Bowl, 2019 Orange Bowl) and then again at Cal in 2023 and 2024 with appearances in the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl and LA Bowl.

• He has coached six defensive draft selections in his four stops at the FBS level.

• As a professional, So’oto was on NFL rosters for four years in Green Bay (2011-12), Oakland (2012), Washington (2012), Arizona (2013), New Orleans (2013) and Pittsburgh (2014). He totaled 14 games played, one start, eight tackles and one quarterback hit.

• In college, So’oto was a four-year letterwinner (2005, ’07, ’09-10) who started his career as a tight end before moving to defense as a linebacker and defensive end for his final three seasons of six campaigns that also included two redshirt years.

• He was named First-Team All-Mountain West selection on a defense as a sixth-year senior in 2010 when he recorded 45 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 5.0 quarterback sacks and one interception.

• Second cousin of the late Pro Football Hall of Famer Junior Seau.

Year-By-Year Coaching Positions
Season: Team – Coaching Position

2015: BYU – Intern
2016: Virginia – Graduate Assistant, Defense
2017-19: Virginia – Defensive Line
2020: USC – Defensive Line
2021: USC – Defensive Line/Outside Linebackers
2022: California – Outside Linebackers
2023-24: California – Special Teams Coordinator/Outside Linebackers
2025: California – Co-Defensive Coordinator/Outside Linebackers

So'oto File

Pronunciation: so-oh-toe
Hometown: Oceanside, CA
High School: Carlsbad HS
College: BYU, 2010, BS, Geography
Family: Wife, Ashley; Daughters, Fia, Ave; Sons,Tre, Samson, Mack