Legendary head coach Jeff Tedford has announced that he will be stepping down from Fresno State amid health concerns. In a statement, he released the following:
“It is with sad emotions that following my recent medical check-up, it is clear that due to health concerns, my family and I have made the decision to step aside as Fresno State’s head coach and allow someone else to lead the football program.”
Jeff Tedford Has Stepped Away Before
This isn’t the first time Tedford has had to step away from the game because of health concerns. In 2019, Tedford suffered from atrial fibrillation or an irregular heartbeat. The issue resulted in him needing an ablation operation or a procedure that uses radiofrequency energy to destroy heart tissue that can cause a rapid and irregular heartbeat.
Back in 2019, when he first announced he’d step away, he said the following:
“While I appreciate football, the stresses and anxieties of this job do not match up well with my cardiac issues…This is a very selfish profession. It’s 24-7, 365 days a year….Now it’s time to live.”
Current Alabama Head Coach Kalen DeBoer took over the position until Tedword was rehired following the 2021 season. It is unclear if Tedford is stepping away this second time because of the same health-related issues or if it is something completely different.
Jeff Tedford’s Early Career
Jeff Tedford really began his coaching career in 1992 as an assistant for Fresno State. He served as QB and Offensive Coordinator until 1998, when he left for Oregon for three years in the same position. In 2002, he finally got the opportunity to be a Head Coach.
Hired as California’s Head Coach in 2002, Tedford led the Golden Bears to nine winning seasons in 11 years, the best stretch in California history. Since 1980 (modern college football era), California has been ranked at some point in the season 14 times. Seven of those times occurred under Tedford, including being ranked as high as No. 2 in 2007 and No. 4 in 2004.
One could make a real argument that Tedford’s success put California over the edge to getting an invite to the ACC after the Pac-12 collapsed last summer (especially considering that the Bears have only had three winning seasons in the 11 seasons since Tedford left.
Following his 10-year stint with California, he jumped around the Pros working for the Buccaneers, BC Lions, and Washington Redskins. He then returned to Fresno State, this time as a Head Coach.
With the end of Jeff Tedford’s head coaching tenure at Fresno State, here are his accolades:
• 44-22 record (.667 win pct)
• 4️⃣ bowl wins
• 3️⃣ Mountain West title game appearances
• 2️⃣ Mountain West titles
• 2️⃣ AP Top 25 finishesAll of this… in just five seasons. pic.twitter.com/RXzdjor56K
— Gabe Camarillo (@gabecamarillo_) July 15, 2024
Tedford Brought Fresno State Back From the Bottom
Before Tedford took over in 2017, the Bulldogs had gone 4-20 the previous two seasons and had only had two winning seasons since joining the Mountain West Conference in 2012.
Immediately, Tedford helped turn the program around and helped lead the Bulldogs to a 26-14 record over the next three seasons, including a 12-2 season in 2018 that saw the Bulldogs finish ranked 21st in the nation, their first-ever end-of-the-season ranking.
Success continued under Kalen DeBoer, but when Washington hired him, many worried that Fresno State would struggle again. Luckily, Tedford returned and led the Bulldogs to a 19-8 record over the past two seasons. Tedford was also 4-0 in bowl games with Fresno State.
Tim Skipper, Fresno State’s linebackers coach and assistant head coach, will serve as the team’s interim head coach for the 2024 season.
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