If there is a guiding principle behind Cal’s recent hiring strategy (other than ‘we’re hugely in debt), it can be summed up thusly:
You need to understand what makes Cal unique to succeed at Cal.
Taken more cynically, it’s like the athletic department is warning coaches before they even start: If you come here, you’re going to have to jump over twice as many hurdles for less pay than any comparable job and we’re much more interested in finding candidates that will bend for us because you know damned well Cal isn’t bending for you.
It’s not a super encouraging strategy, but it might be the only strategy we have available to us.