Jeff Tedford’s Resurgence At Fresno State

In Jeff Tedford’s second stint at Fresno State, he aims to cement himself as a legendary coach in program history.

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Jeff Tedford’s Resurgence At Fresno State

Tedford found immediate success in his return to Fresno.

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Fresno State will attempt to stay at the top of the conference in 2023

Just when it seemed like Jeff Tedford’s time as Fresno State’s head coach was complete, he saw immediate success in his return to the program in 2022.

Tedford, who graduated from Fresno State in 1983, has a long-standing connection with the school. In his first stint at Fresno State, Tedford coached the Bulldogs from November 2016 to December 2019. Tedford resigned as the head coach after the 2019 season and he was away from coaching for the following two seasons. He was rehired as the head coach following Kalen DeBoer’s departure at the end of the 2021 season.

With Tedford’s return in 2022, Fresno State quarterback Jake Haener removed his name from the transfer portal and stayed with Fresno State. Even with Haener’s return, the team faced adversity early in the season.

Fresno State overcame early-season injuries and a 1-4 record to begin the season. Fortunately, Tedford helped his program turn the season around. Fresno State finished the regular season with a Mountain West Conference championship.

Following the early struggles, Tedford and the Bulldogs closed out the 2022 season on a nine-game winning streak and a win over Washington State in the LA Bowl.

The roster in 2023 will look different and Tedford will need to replace key players on offense and defense. Haener, Jordan Mims, Jalen Moreno-Cropper, Nikko Remigio and David Perales were among some of the key Bulldogs to graduate.

Even with key departures, Fresno State will be able to build momentum off of last season’s success. Former UCF quarterback Mikey Keene transferred to Fresno State at the start of the offseason. Keene will compete for the starting job and could remain with the Bulldogs for the next three seasons.

Both sides of the ball will rely upon younger players to play meaningful snaps in 2023. Tedford will be responsible for getting his team ready to defend its Mountain West championship.

Tedford, who is 61 years old, is under contract at Fresno State until the end of the 2026 campaign. If Fresno State can remain successful for the next four seasons, Tedford could coach Fresno State for as long as he wants to.