Tim Plough coached tight ends at Cal in 2023 and should have had nothing to do with quarterback Fernando Mendoza. Plough could not resist, however. He has worked his magic with quarterbacks throughout his 17-year coaching career and figured a few of his tricks would make Mendoza better.
Whatever Plough shared with Mendoza has obviously paid off. Mendoza won the Heisman Trophy in his first season at Indiana and will lead the top-ranked Hoosiers against No. 5 Oregon on Friday in the FBS semifinals. Plough and Mendoza have remained in touch by exchanging text messages.
Mendoza was a frequent visitor to Plough’s home in the 2023 season and got to know the coach’s three sons. Plough and his wife Christine got Bodie, the youngest, a Mendoza jersey for Christmas. The family has enjoyed quieter evenings at home since Mendoza bid farewell to the Golden Bears.
“Mendoza would come to the house and we would be exhausted when he left, He never stopped talking,” Plough quipped. “With Fernando, what you see is exactly what you get. He’s so excited about life. He’s the same person he’s always been and I have enjoyed all the success he has had.”
Plough will need to conjure his magic again as he looks ahead to his third season as head coach at UC Davis. The Aggies expected Caden Pinnick to return at quarterback in 2026, but he has pulled off his own trick by disappearing after leading the Aggies to a 9-4 finish and the FCS quarterfinals.
Pinnick is taking all he learned from Plough to Washington State, which again will be in the Pac-12 when the conference is reborn in July. The holdovers, Washington State and Oregon State, will be joined by Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, Utah State and Texas State.
“I would be lying if I didn’t say I was disappointed,” Plough said. “When guys leave that early, you feel like there’s unfinished business in regards to your ability to develop the player and get him to be the full version of himself. It’s a risk (to leave), but it’s a risk that some guys are willing to take.”
UC Davis offered everything it could to keep Pinnick, Plough said, but Washington State lured him away with money and an opportunity to start for an FBS team as a redshirt sophomore. Pinnick is not the first FCS player to be enticed by thousands of dollars and Plough knows he will not be the last.
Plough’s recruiting pitch goes beyond football and the opportunity to join a successful program. He believes a degree from UC Davis will be worth more to a student-athlete in the long run than having money in his wallet for the time being. “We’re more transformational,” he said, “than transactional.”
“I really want guys to come to Davis and get the full experience,” Plough added. “To me the full experience is to get a degree from UC Davis and let that degree open a really important door for you. If you leave before that, you’re really closing a door that could affect you the rest of your life.”
Pinnick’s emergence this past season was a testament to Plough’s ability to develop a quarterback in a matter of months. Fifth-year senior Grant Harper had more experience, but Plough put his faith in Pinnick’s potential because “he makes everyone around him better. He’s a special player and has a chance to be a real unique leader.”
Plough set aside his disappointment by thanking Pinnick for his contributions to a memorable season. “As unfortunate as that is, I do believe that I’m really proud of what we were able to accomplish with Caden,” Plough said. “I love Caden and wish him all the best and hope it works out for him.”
Determining who will start at quarterback in 2026 will consume Plough from his meeting with local media last Monday to the season opener Aug. 29 at Portland State. That gives Plough nearly eight months to hold a quarterback competition, announce a winner and again begin to work his magic.
And Plough believes there is no coach in the country who can tackle such a challenge as well as he can. “I’m not sure there is a better place in the country than UC Davis to be coached and develop as a quarterback,” he said. “At the end of the day, a quarterback is going to be fine at UC Davis.”
Pinnick was fine with the Aggies before entering the transfer portal to explore greener pastures. All the time Plough will invest into developing a new starter comes with the inherent risk of that player leaving. That is the state of college football these days, but Plough will continue to be magician.
“Whoever is the quarterback will be successful,” Plough said. “I’m not going to change who I am just because players are going to leave. I’m going to love the guys while they’re here and give them everything I have and hope we create an environment that guys want to be a part of.”
