Jeff Tedford, the winningest coach in Cal football history, has been fired, according to Athletics Director Sandy Barbour.
The move comes on the heels of the Bears’ 3-9 season, Tedford’s worst in Berkeley.
“This was an extraordinarily difficult decision, one that required a thorough and thoughtful analysis of a complex set of factors,” Barbour said in a statement late Tuesday morning. “Ultimately, I believed that we needed a change in direction to get our program back on the right track.”
After putting together eight consecutive winning seasons under Tedford, the squad has failed to make the postseason in two of the last three years. Cal lost its final five games of the 2012 season for the first time since 1984. The combined margin was 212-74.
Formerly the state’s highest-paid employee, Tedford, 51, was making about $2.3 million a year. As per his contract, the Cal athletic department is obligated to pay him at least $5.4 million if he looks for and is unable to find employment.
“I will never forget the most gratifying part of these last 11 years, and that has been the relationships with the players I have had the special opportunity to watch grow academically, physically, socially and spiritually,” Tedford said in a statement. “To watch this process and be a part of their growth and development has been a blessing.”
During his 11-year tenure as Cal’s head coach, Tedford lobbied for Memorial Stadium to be renovated and eventually saw that $321 million project come to fruition this fall. After a playing 2011 home games at AT&T Park in San Francisco, Tedford and the Bears were in for a rude homecoming on Sept. 1 when they lost to Nevada, 31-24, in the 2012 season opener at the refurbished stadium.
The Bears did not win their first FBS game this season until the Oct. 6 Homecoming game against UCLA. After shocking the No. 25 Bruins in Berkeley and defeating Washington State on the road, Cal looked like it had turned its season around.
The squad did not win another game.
The 2012 season included the squad’s lowest-scoring Big Game since 1998 and its biggest loss of the Tedford era, a 48-point defeat to Oregon State on Saturday to close out the fateful campaign. Nationally, the Bears rank second in penalties and fourth in sacks.
In 2002, following Cal’s 1-10 season, Tedford was hired as head coach. He made an immediate impact, as the Bears went 7-5 behind a resurgent Kyle Boller at quarterback. The following season was highlighted by Cal’s 34-31 triple overtime win over No. 1 USC.
“Coach Tedford deserves credit for the extraordinary effort he undertook to turn this program around,” Barbour said.
In his tenure, Tedford has produced 40 NFL draft picks, including eight in the first round.
Behind future NFL MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers at quarterback and 2,000-yard rusher J.J. Arrington at tailback, the 2004 Bears finished the regular season 10-1 and ranked No. 4. The squad appeared Rose Bowl bound but were shut out after Texas head coach Mack Brown lobbied for his Longhorns to receive the berth.
With an explosive offense in 2006, fueled by running back Marshawn Lynch and wide receiver DeSean Jackson, the Bears won a share of the Pac-12 title but were regulated to the Holiday Bowl due to their loss to USC. The next year, Cal reached ranked No. 2 in the nation until a mental lapse by freshman quarterback Kevin Riley led to a loss to unranked Oregon State on Oct 13, 2007. Since then, the Bears are 34-37.
After suffering its first losing season of the Tedford era in 2010, Cal rebounded to go 7-6 with another Holiday Bowl berth last year. Despite returning starters at key skill positions, the Bears were unable to continue that improvement this season.
Coupled with a floundering season, Cal received the lowest graduate success rate in the Pac-12. Only 47 percent of players who entered Cal between 2002 and 2005 graduated within six years, according to NCAA rankings.
“Cal football is integral to our department and our university, and its influence can be felt well beyond the walls of Memorial Stadium,” Barbour said. “It is imperative that Cal football be recognized as a leader in competitive success, academic achievement and community engagement.”
Tedford played quarterback at Fresno State from 1981-82. He returned a decade later to serve as quarterbacks coach and eventually offensive coordinator before taking the same position at Oregon in 1998.
He leaves Cal with a career record of 82-57. He went 7-4 in the Big Game.
“He served his University admirably, and I will forever be indebted for his commitment and expertise, as well as the positive impact he has made in so many young men’s lives over the years,” Barbour said.
Barbour said her national search for a new head coach will begin immediately. It will be aided by DHR International.
Jonathan Kuperberg covers football. Contact him at [email protected]
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That gold plated failure lifted the Cal Bears out of the Gutter, then dropped them back into the gutter. Time to dump that expensive screw off!
Except that this team is not in the gutter because it is absolutely overflowing with talent, unlike the holmoe years. If we find the right replacement we can be competitive next year, easily.
Agree. I don’t think this disappointing season was due to a deficit of talent as much as it was a deficit of leadership.
UC BERKELEY sucks, go STANFORD
it is way past time for tedford to go……
Now let’s get a coach (and an AD) who actually cares about academics.
If we get smarter players on the inbound, and do more to retain them, it’ll be a big win…and the successes on the field will naturally follow. The priorities of the leaders will draw the right kind of student-athletes to Berkeley.
I was surprised by the decision – JT has the most wins ever for the program. But we move on.
Now two questions – who’s stepping in? and how will this affect recruitment and current players?
It would be good to hear from some of the former players what Ted was like as a coach. It is interesting that even Aaron Rogers’ brother chose to go to Vandy, Shaq Thompson to UW, etc.
If you can’t spell Aaron Rodgers’ name correctly, you probably shouldn’t be commenting on this article.
Rodgers has already spoken up, and he’s PISSED. He called firing Coach Tedford “a terrible decision”.
http://www.gostanford.com/sports/m-footbl/
I wish the Stanford paper was better so we didn’t have so many Stanford fans having to read the Daily Cal.
Sad day. Coach Tedford did great things for Cal football. I’m not sure if the celebratory morons remember the Holmoe and Gilbertson years, or understand the likelihood that we will return to that level.
And evidently YOU don’t remember the Ayoob years … the Longshore years … the Riley years … or the Maynard years. Take a look at the Cal talent in the NFL and ask yourself, with all that talent, how come he didn’t do a damned thing for his $3 million per year? Take a look at the graduation rates, dead last in the Pac and worse than when he took over.
Most of all, take a look in the mirror before you call someone a moron, you ignorant sshole.
Game On, do us all a favor a pipe down. Today is a day for a reflection on Tedford’s great success in rejuvenating a program that was in shambles. He leaves the Bears in much better shape than when he received the team. That you attribute all our misfortunes to 4 quarterbacks is indicative of just how little you understand sports, and in particular Cal football. That you are a Cal Fan is disappointing to me.
Unfortunately, Tedford isn’t leaving the program in much better shape. Our record is about the same, we have a lot of debt from the new stadium that needs a winning team, and the alumni are not as motivated about the university as they were a few years ago, which hurts donations. Tedford did rejuvenate the program and give us some winning seasons, and we are thankful. However, his last few seasons have been very poor. Tedford recognizes that football is about playing those who can help you win. If he had a player that was performing like he coached, then he would bench him for a better player. He wouldn’t keep playing the inferior player, and we shouldn’t stick with the inferior coach.
Better recruits, better facilities, renovated stadium. All these came from his wins the first years. Much better shape, we have the raw tools to succeed. Before Tedford the bears were expected to lose, now we have the luxury of being underwhelming.
I remember playing in bowl games every year during the Ayoob, Longshore, and Riley years. Not the Rose Bowl, but a bowl.
How did we do in the Holmoe years?
Whoohoo! Thank you, Sandy! You had us worried for awhile.
Go cardinals, beat Cal.
What a bad Stanford fan. You don’t even know the mascot.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanford_Cardinal_football
Stanford students relying on Wikipedia for their knowledge. Only the ignorant refer to the Cardinal as the Cardinals. Wikipedia is just willing to acknowledge that there are ignorant Stanford fans who incorrectly refer to the Cardinals. Notice how the heading for the Wikipedia article is Stanford Cardinal football? That is the correct usage.
Lol. I never thought about singular vs. plural. I never called them by their mascots. I just called them Stanfurd.
Do Stanfurd student students say, “We are the Cardinal,” “We are the Cardinals,” or something else?
uhhh their mascot is a tree, it’s not cardinals or cardinal
Actually, Stanford does not have a mascot. They used to have a mascot, the Indian,
http://i50.tinypic.com/2njkr2v.jpg
but that was abolished in 1972, regardless that 58% of Stanford students voted to retain the Indian as the mascot and the entire Axe tradition is based on the Indian as the Stanford mascot.
http://www.gostanford.com/school-bio/stan-nickname-mascot.html
Without the Indian mascot, there would be no Stanford Battle Axe(tomahawk) or Axe tradition.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Indian_Song
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomahawk_%28axe%29
http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2008-03-07/article/29412?headline=-The-Songs-of-California-The-UC-Berkeley-Traditon-
“One piece, California Indian Song,” is still played by the band but no
longer sung—at least not at official events—due to its lyrics’
politically incorrect references to scalping and tomahawks. Song book
editor Vlahos says that the decision to include even the score came
after much debate. Vlahos wanted to include the music and the lyrics.
“This is history,” he says. “It may have been wrong, but that’s what it
was.” Other members of the Cal Song Book Committee wanted to cut the
song entirely. “Nuts to that,” says Vlahos. “The band still plays the
music.” The compromise was to print the score but not the words.
Stanford should bring back the Indian as its mascot.”
“The Committee sided with the Senate and the President and ruled against
the mascot. This decision lead to some discontent in the student body. A
group of students drew up a petition demanding a referendum with over
six hundred signatures, more than enough to force a plebiscite on the
mascot in the April ASSU elections. ASSU President McHenry refused to
accept the signatures and the referendum went un-held. When the new ASSU
President held a referendum on May 10, 58% voted against eliminating
the mascot. President Lyman ignored the results.”
http://i50.tinypic.com/2njkr2v.jpg
“The question of a vote again came to the fore in 1975 when the student
body was to vote on a new mascot. The students faced a vote on a number
of different options, including Cardinals, Sequoias, and Robber Barons
(but not Indians). “Robber Barons” received the largest number of votes,
but was nonetheless not made an official mascot. Today, we have no
official mascot, although the color cardinal serves as a nickname and is
the primary color of the athletic teams.”
http://stanfordreview.org/old_archives/Archive/Volume_XXXVI/Issue_4/Features/features2.shtml
California Indian Song
Written in 1907 by Harold W. Bingham; arranged by Robert O. Briggs.
Note: Since Stanford changed its mascot from the Indian to the Cardinal,
and because of the controversial nature of the song’s content, the
verses below are rarely sung or played.
Listen
We are fighting, Californians
For the Gold and Blue;
We are starting on the warpath
For a scalp or two;
Our blood’s up and simply boiling,
What can Stanford do?
We are starting on the warpath
For a scalp or two. So…
(Chorus:)
We’re goin’ to scalp you, Stanford!
We’re goin’ to scalp you blue!
We’ll do it with Your tomahawk*
We took from you. Rah! Rah! Rah!
All ‘round our belts we’ll hang them
To show all friends who’s dead;
We’re goin’ to carve some blockheads
Whose scalps are red.
We are hotfoot after Stanford
Camping on her trail;
With our tomahawk* before us,
We can never fail.
Getting ready for the war dance,
All our warriors true;
We are putting on our war paint,
Royal Gold and Blue.
(Chorus)
“California Indian Song” was written by Harold W. Bingham in 1907. The song is based on the traditional rivalry between the Cal Bears and the Stanford Indian (before the Stanford mascot was deemed offensive to Native Americans and changed to the Cardinal). Bingham brought the song to Brick Morse’s Glee Club, and according to Morse, they “sang it in the club with an Indian dance and it was always a hit.” The Band’s current arrangement includes only the chorus. The now unplayed verses mimic an Indian war chant.
http://calband.berkeley.edu/media/cal-songs/#California%20Indian%20Song
Thanks for this post. I know it is childish, but I get a laugh out of how Associated Students of Stanford University comes out as ASS U. That is even funnier than ASUC.
Stanford doesn’t have an official mascot, though the tree runs around at games. Since 1981, their athletic teams have been represented by the color cardinal in its singular form.
Sandy Barbour needs to go with him. She’s been a disaster for Cal Athletics.
I have to agree. The way she handled the budget issues last year that would have resulted in losing several sports if not for the alumni was pathetic.
LOL. Sandy Barbour probably gave you a thumbs down for that.
Yeah, because college sports is the most important aspect of a college budget.
The athletic director doesn’t handle the college budget. She handles the athletic budget. With a successful athletic program, there wouldn’t be a need for the college budget to have any expenditures for the support of athletics. The athletic program would be self sufficient. In fact, the success of football and basketball would also motivate the alumni to donate more to the university. The students win, because their tuition pressures would lessen, and they could enjoy watching winning teams.
I HATE YOU.
You are still coming to Thanksgiving dinner?
I LOVE STANFORD
FINALLY!
YES!!!!!