There’s a certain kind of coach you can spot from a mile away.
Not because of the headset or the scheme or the postgame soundbite. But because of the energy — the tone in the building, the way his players talk about the work, the way the staff carries itself on a Monday, the way the program feels when the season is done and the scoreboard is no longer speaking.
Tim Plough is that kind of coach.
Welcome to our Coaches Series, where this off season we will bring you in depth analysis, insight and conversations with coaches and GM’s in college football.
Right now, leading UC Davis football, Tim Plough is building something that doesn’t fit neatly into the modern college football algorithm. It’s one that has almost nothing to do with chasing the next rung and everything to do with owning the one right in front of you. And for every head coach or aspiring head coach, this conversation will cut you deeply. (And if you’re a fan of Ted Lasso, Tim Plough will tee you up for this season)
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Coach Plough’s first two seasons as a head coach have been the kind that earn attention: postseason football, national visibility, and a growing sense that UC Davis isn’t just “a good program” — it’s a program moving toward something bigger.
But what stood out most in our conversation wasn’t the resume line. It was the way he described his head coaching experience: the learning curve, the mistakes, the emotional toll of falling short late, and the obsession with getting better without letting the business turn him into someone he doesn’t recognize.
In a profession that often equates “growth” with leaving, Plough has had to define the word differently.
Because he’s lived the push-pull that every ambitious coach knows: succeed where you are, and the world starts telling you the only rational next step is to get out.
“The two-box filter”
This part of our conversation will be cut and pasted into my life and may impact yours. Coach Plough shared a simple framework he’s used to make career decisions — one that applies just as cleanly to players in the transfer portal as it does to coaches staring at the next offer.
He evaluates opportunities through two essential questions:
Who will I be around every day?
Will this make me better—on and off the field? Essentially, will I grow holistically?
If he can’t check both boxes, he stays.
That’s it.
No elaborate speech. No posturing. Just a disciplined refusal to trade daily environment and development for a temporary dopamine hit — whether that dopamine comes from money, visibility, or the illusion that “this leads to that.”
It’s a filter built for a chaotic era. And it might be the most practical tool I’ve heard from anyone navigating modern football. And it hit me square in the face as I almost changed my life path last year due to a temporary dopamine hit.
Joy isn’t soft. It’s the edge.
If you’ve watched UC Davis this season, you’ve probably seen it: the “JOY” hat, the postgame interviews with his kids, the steady presence even when the stakes are real.
That isn’t branding. It’s philosophy.
Plough’s relationship with joy started years ago — through the influence of Jim Sochor, the architect of what so many still call the “Davis coaching tree.” Sochor didn’t offer him a playbook first. He offered a question: Have you found joy?
Over time, that question turned into a guiding principle:
Happiness is outcome-driven (and fragile).
Joy is process-driven (and stable).
Tim Plough’s point is simple: if your emotional state is tied to outcomes, you’ll live on a roller coaster — high after a win, hollow after a loss, never anchored long enough to actually develop.
But if you can build a “neutral mindset,” where gratitude and daily craft define the work, you gain something most teams spend all year chasing: consistency under pressure.
Joy, in this framing, isn’t softness. It’s durability.
Quarterbacks, development, and the modern trap
Tim Plough is a quarterback coach at heart, even with the head coach title. And I had to present to him my philosophy on the QB position right now:
QB development in high school is as advanced as it’s ever been.
QB development in college—especially at the highest levels—is often the thinnest it’s ever been.
He agreed and took it a step further. After all, he said the development of the quarterback postion is “Quest of my life right now.” His reasoning is not because coaches don’t care. It’s because the incentives have changed, at every level in college.
When teams can buy experience through the portal, many stop investing time in the slow, messy, essential process of developing someone. Instead, they recruit ready-made résumés: starts, reps, game film.
The problem? Most of the quarterbacks who ultimately thrive — at any level — aren’t always the ones who arrive as finished products. They’re the ones who get shaped somewhere, then explode when opportunity finally arrives.
In other words: development still matters. But fewer people are willing to pay for it with patience.
Plough’s counter is clear: if a player chooses a place where he can actually be developed, he can still end up on the biggest stages later — only now he’ll be ready for them.
He pointed to the rare modern decision that reflects this mindset: a young quarterback willing to be a backup, to learn, to be built, instead of chasing instant stardom.
That choice feels almost rebellious in 2026. Which probably tells you why it’s so valuable.
Why players stay at UC Davis
This stat blew my mind. Since 2018, only 11 players transferred out of UC Davis compared to broader Division I trends where the number is over 200 per school.
Think about that for a moment — only 11!
In an age where movement is the default, Davis has become a place where continuity still exists.
Plough’s explanation isn’t complicated:
Players feel coached.
Players feel developed.
Players feel valued.
The environment makes sense.
And the program’s identity is strong enough to hold people in place.
It’s also worth noting: UC Davis operates without the financial weapons many programs now rely on. Which, paradoxically, helps clarify motives. If a player chooses Davis, it isn’t because the check is the loudest voice in the room.
It’s because the work is. And now, it’s because they see the transparency with Tim Plough.
Family as culture, not accessory
One of the most telling parts of the conversation had nothing to do with third-down calls. We touched up on the latest news around the coaching profession with new Bills head coach Joe Brady sharing that he missed the birth of a child due to a game and reportedly the GM of the Vikings is being criticized for taking two weeks of paternity leave. Two things that made most of the sports world cringe.
Plough talked about building a staff culture where being a dad and a husband isn’t something you squeeze in after the job — it’s part of the job. A program where kids are around, where life isn’t kept outside the facility doors, where coaches are expected to show up for their families with the same intensity they show up for game planning.
He’s not naïve about the grind. He’s just clear about the cost.
And he’s making a decision — publicly, structurally — that time is more valuable than a bigger number on paper.
That’s rare. And if you’ve spent any time around football, you know how rare it is.
Getting over the hump
For Oregon, Penn State, USC, Washington, Iowa, Nebraska fans — this one will resonate. Coach Plough opened up about the hardest part of building: getting over the hump and how to maximize a teams ability.
That space between “we’re close” and “we did it” is where programs either fracture or evolve. And for him, the answer isn’t a magical speech. It’s a renewed commitment to the smallest details:
Situational mastery
Ball security
Incremental improvements across offense, defense, and special teams
And, maybe most importantly, playing your best football when your best is required. (Hello Indiana fans)
He’s chasing the final step the same way he’s built everything else: by refusing to let the moment become bigger than the craft while still seeking joy.
The essence of our conversation
College football is louder than it’s ever been. More movement. More money. More urgency. More pressure to be “first” instead of thoughtful.
And that’s why a coach like Tim Plough matters.
Because he’s building something rooted in a different scoreboard.
One that measures joy. Daily growth. Development. Family. Process. Environment. Identity.
The Davis Way isn’t a throwback. It’s a counterpunch.
And in this era, it might be the competitive advantage hiding in plain sight.
Hope you enjoyed today’s conversation and hope you enjoy our Coaches Series this off-season as more are on the way here at Y-Option.
Much love and stay steady,
Yogi
