Isaiah Wilkins, a former Virginia standout who spent the past four seasons on staff at his alma mater, has joined the California men's basketball program as an assistant coach.

"We're incredibly excited to welcome Isaiah and his wife, Catalina, to our Cal Family," Cal head coach Mark Madsen said. "Isaiah brings a championship mentality from his playing days at Virginia, where he was known for his relentless defense, leadership, and high basketball IQ. He's quickly established himself as a rising star in the coaching world, and his ability to connect with players, combined with his deep understanding of the game, will make an immediate impact on our program."

Wilkins rejoined the Virginia program in 2021 as a graduate assistant and held that position for two seasons before he was promoted to assistant coach ahead of the 2023-24 campaign. The Cavaliers won 20-plus games three times and played in the NCAA tournament twice with Wilkins on staff.

Wilkins helped the Cavaliers win two ACC regular-season titles and one ACC Tournament title in addition to making four NCAA tournament appearances and post a 113-26 record during his four seasons played from 2015-18. He was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year in 2018 and was a two-time All-ACC Defensive team honoree. Wilkins averaged 4.9 points and 4.8 rebounds in 132 career games for the Cavaliers and ranks fifth on the program's career blocked shots list with 141.

"I'm incredibly honored and excited to join Coach Madsen and his staff as we elevate this program to new heights," Wilkins said. "Cal is truly a special place, rich in both tradition and excellence, and I'm ready to serve our student-athletes, the program and the university."

Wilkins went on to play three years professionally, including stints with Ratiopharm Ulm in Germany's top league, the BBL, in 2020-21, Polpharma Starogard Gdanski in the Polish Basketball League in 2019-20, Canterbury of the NBL (New Zealand) in 2019 – he was the NBL Defensive Player of the Year – and the Greensboro Storm of the NBA G League in 2018-19.

Wilkins is a double graduate of Virginia, having earned his undergraduate degree in African American and African studies in 2018 and a master's degree in higher education in 2023.