Tag: Jeff Tedford

Fresno State football coach Jeff Tedford steps down amidst health concerns

The Fresno State Bulldogs open the season Aug. 31 at Michigan, but will be without head coach Jeff Tedford after he stepped down on Monday.

The Fresno State Bulldogs will kick off the 2024 college football season in Ann Arbor against the Michigan Wolverines without legendary head coach Jeff Tedford after the 62-year-old announced on Monday he is stepping down for health reasons.

This is the second time Tedford has stepped down at Fresno State due to his health, first doing so in 2019 before he was rehired three seasons later after his replacement, Kalen DeBoer, went to Washington.

Tedford went 45-22 across five seasons at Fresno State, including 19-8 the past two years. The Bulldogs were picked third in a Mountain West preseason poll, and are searching their fourth consecutive nine-win season – which has not happened since the team’s memorable run from 2001-2004.

Known as a quarterback guru, Tedford coached Aaron Rodgers and Kyle Boller at Cal during an excellent 11-season run which included a Pac-10 Championship in 2004. He also worked as an assistant coach at Oregon and Fresno State, working with quarterbacks David Carr, Joey Harrington, Trent Dilfer, and Akili Smith among others.

Tedford will be replaced on an interim basis by Tim Skipper, the team’s current assistant head coach and linebackers coach. Skipper played for the Bulldogs from 1997-2000 and has been in multiple roles as an assistant coach for over 20 years.

Health issues force Jeff Tedford to exit as Fresno State football coach

Veteran coach Jeff Tedford leaves Fresno State

Fresno State will be led by a different head coach in 2024. Jeff Tedford told the Bulldogs on Monday that he is leaving his job as head coach due to health concerns.

Tedford, 62, was 44-22 at Fresno State. In five seasons as the head coach, Tedford led Fresno State to three West Division titles, two Mountain West Championship wins, four Bowl Game victories, and two Top 25 finishes to cap a season.

“Coach Tedford’s contributions to Fresno State and the Central Valley have been nothing short of extraordinary,” says Director of Athletics Garrett Klassy. “His dedication, passion, and commitment have not only led our football program to numerous championships but also deeply impacted the community. Our goal during this coaching transition is to ensure it is as seamless as possible for our student-athletes, and to continue the championship culture that Coach Tedford has established. We are grateful for his endless contributions, wish him the best with his health, and I expect to lean on Coach Tedford during my transition due to his incredible insight and relationships.”

Tim Skipper has been named interim coach.

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.