Tedford under fire
(Written by kencraw)
I can tell you whether Cal lost a game just based on the blog statistics. Every time they lose, I get a handful of Google searches headed this way with the search term “Fire Tedford” or “Fire Jeff Tedford” or something like that. It usually refers them to a post titled Fire Tedford. Are you NVTS!?! that I wrote in 2007 during the collapse.
As much as the details are different, the overall point still rings true. A day may come when it’s time for Tedford to go, but it’s not remotely close to that time yet. People have completely forgotten what the alternative has been in the past and are way to arrogant to think that whoever we get to replace him will not be any worse. Go ask UCLA about all the coaches they’ve fired and how it worked out.
At least see what he does for the rest of the season for crying out loud.
September 18th, 2010 at 6:51 pm
It wasn’t me this time. I don’t think Tedford can take us to the holy land (Rose Bowl), but I hope that I am wrong and I have resigned myself to the fact that he is here for at least the next 4 years.
But can we agree that he is not a great coach? He is better than average. He is great at turning things around. I also think that, considering our facilities, he is a pretty good recruiter. But he is not a great coach.
No QB development in the last 6 years . . . his teams are often not ready to play games . . . and over the last few years, they often look like they have never been coached.
September 18th, 2010 at 9:31 pm
Duke, yes, it appears not great. Good, I still think, but he’s not “God”. However, what he’s done for this program, both with getting us competitive, bringing the fans back and most importantly for the facilities and the stadium retrofit, he already deserves legend status… even if “great coach” doesn’t belong on his resume. If he gets us to a Rose Bowl, something I think he can do at least once if we give him time, some year the chips will fall into place for the right season, that legend status will remain nearly permanent.
September 18th, 2010 at 10:16 pm
I’m a die-hard fan, bear backer, season-ticket holder who’s going to 3 away games this year. I love Cal Football and I support it in many ways.
While I believe Tedford deserves tons (all) of credit for bringing the Cal program to where it is today, I don’t think he’s the guy who’ll take us to the next level. I also don’t think we need to feel indebted to him so much so that it prevents us from improving our program further. And, no I haven’t forgotten what it was like pre-Tedford.
I have no idea who can take Cal to the next level nor whether Cal can attract such a coach but I feel like we can fully thank and appreciate what Tedford has done for Cal and at the same time, know that we need someone else if we want to be a nationally recognized/ranked program.
September 19th, 2010 at 6:14 am
Thanks Ken.
Again, I have resigned myself to the fact that this is how it is going to be for at least 4 years. We are locked into a long-term contract, and I doubt Sandy Barbour will do anything until the Stadium is retrofitted and his contract is closer to expiring.
One more thing I forgot to say about Tedford: he is a class act. I really appreciate the way he leads the team. No scandals. Good role-model. Good graduation rate. Cares deeply about his players. This is very important.
I agree he is a legend. He deserves a statue right now. That being said, I don’t think we “owe” him anything else. He is the highest paid employee in the UC system. He has made a ton of money. He has received his first head coaching opportunity. He has been well compensated for what he has already done (pulling us out of the sewer). I think a statue is highly appropriate, but I don’t agree with some who would argue that we “owe” him 5+ more years losses like this.
We are an elite university in one of the most beautiful places in the country. We have new facilities on their way. We pay really well. We could attract a different coach if it came to that.
Tedford makes more money than anyone us at Cal (or any UC, for that matter). All of our other departments are in the top 5 in the country, despite dilapidated facilities. We should place higher expectations on someone who makes so much. Tepper said it right. Cal football should not be content with this mediocrity.
September 19th, 2010 at 9:11 am
Ken,
I consider myself a pretty level-headed old blue compared to the lunatics you can read on some of the message boards. That being said, I have to say that I’m starting to appreciate the kinds of things that Duke is saying. Tedford is the highest paid person in the UC system–if not the entire state (for public employees)–but his results aren’t meriting that sort of pay. Since 2004, we have had one good season (06) two bad seasons (07, 09) and two mediocre seasons (05, 08). Anybody else at a similarly high level in the private sector would have been fired with those results.
As a long time Cal fan, it’s really starting to bug me how more often than not this team folds when any sort of pressure/attention/buzz/whatever you want to call it is put on them. Any out of the ordinary type of thing (random start time, humidity, high altitude) seems to throw this team for a tail spin. It seems like we’re being out coached more often than the reverse. At a certain point the blame has to be put at the top, and that’s Tedford.
Yes, Tedford is a wonderful man, a good coach, and a great representative for Cal. What he did to turn this program around will never be forgotten. But I’m starting to wonder if he is the right man for the right job. I’m not saying fire him now, but if by the end of the ’11 season there isn’t some sort of positive movement forward, I think it’s time to start making changes. It brings me no joy to to say that. And I don’t know who we would find to replace him.
I don’t know, perhaps it’s just the frustration talking, but it’s very, very sad to see so many programs in the Pac 10 with such positive forward momentum and then I think of Cal and just get depressed and see nothing but a future of 7-8 win seasons and low-level bowls. I know that isn’t the worst of college football fates and I know it was so much worse before. I was there.
Who knows, perhaps we’ll make a great run through the Pac 10 schedule? So much often hinges on such little things. If Nate Longshore didn’t hurt it ankle against Oregon in ’07 perhaps we play for the national championship and nobody would be writing posts like this.
Moral of the story: being a Cal fan is pure frustration.
September 19th, 2010 at 7:49 pm
I think there are some things we can all agree on about Tedford:
1. He has turned around the Cal program.
2. He is 7-1 vs. Stanford.
3. The stadium is being rebuilt because of him.
4. He’s a good guy.
5. He’s a good recruiter.
6. He has been outcoached several times.
7. He is weak at making adjustments for the second half.
Jeff is not in the elite level of college coaches. However, he is a very good college coach. And the issue always comes around to..if not Mr. Tedford, then whom else?
Somebody please tell me how Cal can recruit any of the below:
Urban Meyer
Nick Saban
Pete Carroll
Bob Stoops
Bo Pelini
These are the elite coaches. Someone please tell me — how does Cal get one of these folks under contract. Remember, they make much more money than Tedford. They have schools with unbelievable facilities.
So until you put forth a plan to get one of the above, I suggest you all stop your griping and appreciate what you do have.
And oh by the way, if you think CEO’s in the private sector are more accountable than Tedford, you are sorely mistaken. I’ve been in the private sector for 32 years, and I’ve witnessed a great deal at the senior level. The private sector is no beacon of enlightened management nor does it exhibit wise capital investment. Luck plays a bigger role than most people realize. I should know, I own a multi-million dollar company and I acknowledge good fortune is a real factor.
Jeff Tedford is accountable with each recruit, every play call and 13 unambiguous game results per year. Most CEO’s I know would melt under that heat.
September 19th, 2010 at 9:40 pm
Rick–you make some solid points. I certainly don’t think that the private sector is a beacon of accountability across the board. One only has to look at the sorry state of our national economy to see that. I’m in senior level management in a multi-million dollar company and I’m certainly held accountable to my results–as are all of my peers–and I would not be where I am if my past 5 years mirrored that of Tedford’s. But that’s neither here nor there. Perhaps it was a flawed analogy to begin with. There is way too much difference between the private sector and college football. And perhaps I approached that comment with too much emotion to begin with.
Up until this Nevada game I would have written the exact same reply as you did but it was something about it that stuck with me. With the USC, Oregon, and Poinsettia Bowl debacles of last year fresh in mind it made me really step back and start to think that something systemically is wrong with the football program. And by wrong I mean something that is keeping it from reaching the BCS level. As I said in my post, I’m not sure who we would find to replace him and 7 to 8 win seasons are not the worst college FB fates. I’ve been going to games as long as I can remember–I’m 36 now and I was a student at Cal from 93-97. So I know how bad it was and I know how much better it is now. I just think that it’s time that we start seeing some forward momentum with the team.
The year is young and as I said I’m willing to give Tedford 2 more years. Maybe a few more after that to see the effect of the new stadium kick in. But Tedford himself led me to believe as a fan that the program should aim for BCS every year. At a certain point the man has to be held accountable for not achieving his own goals. I love seeing the ‘furd get beat down as much as the next guy but I thought there was now more to Cal football then that. Maybe not.
I really hope Tedford does succeed–not just because I want Cal to succeed but because I want Tedford to succeed because I believe in what he stands for as a head coach.
September 20th, 2010 at 5:53 am
I’ll take Tedford and his shortcomings over Steve Sarkisian and Rick Neuheisel
September 20th, 2010 at 5:54 am
You can throw Kiffin into that last comment as well
September 20th, 2010 at 6:22 am
Dear Rick,
I certainly agree with all 7 of your points, and I appreciate the way you articulated them.
But I have to disagree with one aspect of your logic. I think you set up a false dichotomy between sticking with the status quo and being able to land people Pelini, Saban, Chris Peterson (who you left out), or Meyer. How did Bo Pelini become an elite coach? He started as a coordinator. We could hire a talented coordinator and go from there. Look at what Chip Kelly has done at Oregon or what Sarkisian is doing in Washington. Or even a great coach who has had some problems (dare I say Leach). These guys might have some character defects, but they were excellent coaches who were looking (or are looking) for an opportunity. This is exactly what happened to Tedford when we hired him. He just hasn’t taken us to where Kelly has taken the Ducks in one year.
Tedford will not be fired for at least another 4 years (probably 5). He is here to stay. But it is not because we couldn’t find someone better. It is because we are locked into a bad contract.
Cal attracts the best faculty in the world despite having terrible facilities, low salaries, and bad perks. Our academic departments are in the top 5 despite of these challenges. Why should we settle for anything less when it comes to football.
I sometimes disagree with the faculty that criticize the athletic department, as they make a few key errors in their statements. But I agree with one aspect of their position: Cal should not spend tons of money on mediocrity. Cal is elite. Our football team should be striving to meet the same standards as the rest of the campus. If Tedford can’t get us there, then something should be done about this.
September 20th, 2010 at 8:32 am
The Duke mentions that Chris Peterson would be a potential elite coach for Cal. I like Chris Peterson, he has done a great job at Boise State. He’s been coach of the year twice. I love watching Boise State play — and they are well coached.
But lets look at the facts.
Chris replaced Dan Hawkins — who had a tremendous record at Boise State. So Dan moved up — all the way to Colorado. He coached the team Cal beat last week 52-7. Hawkins record at Colorado is 18-34. His record at Boise State was 53-11.
Chris Peterson could move up to a BCS school and do great — like Urban Meyer. Or he could be a Dirk Koetter/Dan Hawkins clone. What are the odds?
All the coaches I listed had success in multiple situations. They have proven their abilities under different management and various schemes.
Chris Peterson, like Dan Hawkins, could be a one-hit wonder. Would you risk a proven winner for a maybe?
But this I know — Tedford takes Cal to a bowl every year. He beats Stanford. He recruits marqee players. He’s the reason the 90 year old stadium is being refurbished.
The overall football program at Cal sits just below the elites: Florida, Alabama, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Ohio State and USC. With the exception of Florida, these are the same schools that were in the elite class when I was in college in the 70’s. It takes a lot to get into the elite class.
If anyone thinks that Cal’s football program is mediocre, look around. Read the newspapers in Auburn, Lubbock, Athens, Tucson, Atlanta, Chapel Hill, College Station, Baton Rouge, Knoxville, Miami, Tallahassee and Morgantown. See what those folks say about their teams. You probably thought these were pretty good programs.
It could be a lot worse.
September 20th, 2010 at 11:44 am
Sorry I can’t stop my rant, but I’ve seen too many good coaches fired for stupid reasons.
Those who are calling for Tedford’s head should not forget Lloyd Carr of Michigan. Lloyd was forced to retire in 2007, why? Because he was 1-6 against Ohio State the previous seven years and lost to Appalachian State.
What did Carr accomplish in his 13 years at Michigan? He was 122-40, won 5 Big Ten titles and a National Championship in 1997.
Lloyd ran a clean program, was well liked by staff and players, and was a genuinely nice guy.
So they replace Carr with that JERK Rich Rodriguez. A guy that humiliates players and yells at the press. Oh by the way, he is 11-16.
Rodriguez may turn Michigan into a winner this year. But he will always be a JERK.
Is this what you Bear fans want?
September 20th, 2010 at 3:44 pm
Dear Rick,
I disagree with your assessment of our program being “just below” the elites. I think we are currently a slightly above average program. I see schools like Oregon, Boise, Nebraska, etc. being right below the elite programs, and we are a few notches down from them. Elites go to BSC games a lot of the time. This means schools Oregon and Nebraska are not currently elite. We are not even close to Oregon or Nebraska.
I think you missed my larger point–we could nab a stud coordinator to replace Tedford, should it come to that. This is an aside, because Coach Tedford isn’t going anywhere for at least another 4 years. But I strongly disagree that the only place Cal can go from Tedford is down hill. Cal should strive to be elite. We should never settle for mediocrity because we are afraid things might get worse. If Tedford can make us elite, he should stay as long as he wants. If this is as good as it gets, we should wish him well after his contract expires.
I appreciate Tedford’s character. I think you create a false dilemma by juxtaposing moral mediocrity to jerky success. But to answer your question, if I had to make a choice between the two, I would gladly put up with someone who yells at the media if it means we get to go to the Rose Bowl.
September 20th, 2010 at 4:40 pm
why can’t we all just blame Riley?
If he made better throws we would have easily beaten Nevada.
And on the positive side, he won’t be around next year no matter how much we scape goat him.
September 20th, 2010 at 4:44 pm
Bro, if you’re going to go all Forsett on Riley, I expressly forbid you from ever picking him up in a Fantasy Football league at any point in the future.
September 20th, 2010 at 5:34 pm
luckily for me, they don’t make a CFL or Arena Football or UFL fantasy league…
September 21st, 2010 at 2:33 pm
does tedford need 2.8mm a year? he’s gotta be pretty comfy by now, financially. god knows, he’s conservative as hell. why not keep him on in a different role. he’s never been a great strategist. he’s a great recruiter, he’s great with the kids and fundraising. why can’t he do all the things that he’s good at, while we get a coach in here who can win some ballgames? pay him 200k. that should be plenty. and a lot less stressful for him.
i get down on tedford all the time. i hate that he lets the clock run down to end a period. that he gets set in his ways about who should play and why. that he insists on making every quarterback a pocket quarterback. that he doesn’t go for the throat when we have a small lead. among other things. but i think we finally have a very solid recruiting class, and we should see how it plays out for a couple years.
i think tedford deserves to walk the team out of the tunnel in 2012 at the new memorial stadium he worked tirelessly to push through. and to redeem himself with victory that year against ohio state on the road.
if he’s the qb guru he’s supposed to be, he needs to figure out who it’s going to be, pronto. and once we’re out of the pac10 title consideration this year, that kid needs to play the rest of the year.
we have a BOATLOAD of talent at qb, rb, and lb. there is no reason why we can’t win the pac10 next year or the year after that. i think we give him a chance. 2 more seasons. then it’s time to say goodbye.
if he’s signed through 2015, as some have indicated, talking about this at all is just a waste of time.