With just over a month until the start of the 2024 college football season, Fresno State has announced that legendary coach Jeff Tedford will retire due to health reasons. Tedford, 62, was in his second stint with the Bulldogs, having returned to the program in December 2021 after Kalen DeBoer left for Washington.
Tedford issued a statement through the school, saying, “It is with sadness that, following my recent medical checkup, it is clear that due to health concerns, my family and I have made the decision to step down as head coach at Fresno State and allow someone else to lead the football program.”
Tim Skipper Named Interim Head Coach
Tim Skipper, current assistant coach and linebackers coach, has been named interim coach. Skipper is a former Fresno State linebacker (1997-2000) and has extensive coaching experience in various roles at multiple schools dating back to 2001. He previously took on the role of interim coach during the New Mexico Bowl last December when Tedford had to miss the game due to health concerns.
Tedford’s Legacy and Achievements
Jeff Tedford is widely regarded as one of the greatest quarterback mentors of the past few decades. His coaching career includes a successful stint at Cal (82-57 in 11 seasons, including a Pac-10 championship in 2004), where he developed future NFL quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Kyle Boller. In previous stops as an assistant coach at Oregon (1998-2001) and Fresno State (1992-97), Tedford developed first-round picks David Carr, Joey Harrington, Trent Dilfer and Akili Smith. As a player, Tedford threw for 4,873 yards and 35 touchdowns in two seasons as quarterback for Fresno State in the early 1980s.
In his five total seasons as Fresno State’s head coach, Tedford led the Bulldogs to a 45-22 overall record, including a 19-8 record over the past two seasons. Under his leadership, Fresno State was aiming for its fourth consecutive nine-win season in 2024, a feat not accomplished since the 2001-04 streak.
Looking forward
Fresno State will open its season on Aug. 31 at Michigan. The team, which was picked to finish third in the Mountain West preseason poll, returns eight starters on offense and six on defense. The Bulldogs have also secured the No. 5 recruiting class and No. 7 transfer class for 2024, which includes Korey Foreman, a former top recruit who began his career at USC.
The Bulldogs got off to a strong start in 2023 with an 8-1 record, averaging 34 points per game. However, they struggled in their final four games, finishing 1-3 and averaging just 22.5 points per game during that stretch.
As Fresno State moves forward under the interim leadership of Tim Skipper, the program will look to maintain its recent success and continue to build on the foundation established by Tedford.
Source: CBS
2024-07-15 22:16:16
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