What was and what would never be under Jeff Tedford

Jeff Tedford spent 11 years at Cal, becoming the school's

winningest coach. (AP Photo)

The press room was unusually quiet as I and my Daily Cal cohort walked into the Hall of Fame Room at the Old Memorial Stadium. The usual banter before the postgame press conference was replaced by whispers, the soft rustling of papers and the echoes from disgruntled fans outside, walking home in disappointment. It was also late in the night, and the old veterans who worked for newspapers had to pound out the early editions of their stories, so that people in the far reaches of the Bay Area could at least have a couple of paragraphs to describe what had just happened in Berkeley.

What would be revealed—if anything—at the presser would have to go online and would be on the front pages in San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose—where delivery trucks don’t have to stray too far away from their printing presses.

So, in addition to what seemed like ambient noise was the steady click-clack that came from reporters typing on their laptops. One of the reporters phoned in to his editor. His story was finished. He was going to add the quotes in later.

We had to take seats in the table at the front of the room, something that we never did. There is something awkward about sitting at the front of a press corps, especially when you’ve barely reached the legal age to drink. Usually, we—and by “we” I mean the crew that wrote for the student paper—gave deference to the professionals. They’ve been doing this a long time. They should ask the questions. They should be sitting in the front.

Not tonight. No, tonight was different.

And usually, I’m one of the first in the Hall of Fame room for the press conference. Even before the clock hits zero, I’ve tried to make my way up, just to save my crew a spot in the press room, to save a couple of outlets and to be the first to grab the final stat book that the sports information guys print out. Tonight, we were one of the last people to walk into that press conference.

This night was Oct. 13, 2007, and the reason why the mood was different in the Hall of Fame room that night was because Cal had just dropped its first game of the 2007 campaign. It was a heartbreaker. The final score 31-28 with one freshman mistake being the deciding factor in the game.

Sure, in other seasons, in different eras, under another head coach, this would have been not out of the norm. Losing, however, was not the norm under head coach Jeff Tedford, especially in 2007.

Tedford had led the Bears to a 5-0 record heading into that autumn evening in Berkeley. Cal opened the season with a drubbing of No. 15 Tennessee, then a perennial national contender. It was coming off an improbable road win over No. 11 Oregon, in what is the most inhospitable stadium to play in on the West Coast (college or pro). And, with the tumult that was ravishing the college football landscape, the Bears found themselves with a No. 2 ranking.

No, that loss was no ordinary loss. It was The Loss. It is The Loss that has defined the second half of Tedford’s 11-year tenure at Cal, which ended last week. But it isn’t the loss that led me to believe that Tedford would never take the Bears to the next level. It was that postgame press conference that told me more about Tedford and the state of the program than any on field performance ever would.

The Search Begins

Reading different internet sites like BT and BI (where are the "pro" guys on this stuff by the way?) it sounds like Cal's coaching search officially kicks into overdrive Monday morning.

On the assumption that every coach Sandy Barbour sits down and talks to is actually interested in the position, I think she and the Cal administration tasked with making this big decision will have plenty of quality options to choose from.

My personal opinion on who should be at the top of the list:

1a. Chris Petersen

An obvious choice for many reasons ... none bigger than the fact that Petersen has consistently won. Big.

• Why he should be the choice: Petersen has promoted a disciplined style of play that has become almost as synonymous as the the bright blue turf up there in Boise. His teams play hard and they execute on a consistent basis. I love the fact that Boise State doesn't play scared. Whether its going into Eugene or East Lansing, Fiesta Bowl or Georgia Dome, the Broncos play football like they actually expect to win.
• Why he shouldn't be the choice: Hard to come up with reasons not to hire Petersen assuming he actually wants to come. Maybe the only reason would be a brief look at past history, where Dirk Koetter and Dan Hawkins both followed successful terms in Boise with duds in their following destinations.
• Bottom line: A slam dunk hire if it works out. How many times has Cal walked into a hostile environment (especially USC) and laid an egg? With Petersen at the helm, Cal fans at the very least could reasonably expect the kids to give themselves a chance to win no matter what the situation.

1b. Dave Doeren

A personal favorite of mine who I think should garner heavy interest.

• Why he should be the choice: Like Petersen, there is something that should be said about guys who just win wherever they go. After all, that is the name of the game is it not? Doeren was highly successful as Wisconsin's defensive coordinator and he's been highly successful as the head coach of Northern Illinois. Much like Jim Harbaugh and Urban Meyer, hiring someone who has won wherever he's been is a good indication that the trend will continue.
• Why he shouldn't be the choice: A Kansas native, Doeren doesn't really have ties on the West Coast. Why does that matter? Recruiting. The Catch-22 about having a ton of talent in your state means that a). you have a ton of talent in your state and b). coaches from everywhere come into your area and try to grab players in your backyard.
• Bottom line: Notice that I consider Doeren to be almost on par with Petersen. Both guys are relatively young (Doeren is 33 I believe), respected by his players (based on how hard their kids play), actually make their kids go to class (top-notch APR rankings), and have won wherever they've been. I think a guy like Doeren exhibits the characteristics and personality traits that Cal should be looking for.

3. Charlie Strong

Not quite as high on Strong compared to other guys but I do think he'd be a solid choice for Cal and still a lot better than the remaining guys on the board.

• Why he should be the choice: Toughness. Strong has deeply rooted ties to SEC football and his teams play certainly play strong. On paper, Cal has had an offensive minded head coach at the helm for the last 11 years and it'll be good to get a defensive coach in here to change things up a bit.
• Why he shouldn't be the choice: Might not mesh well with the West Coast style of play - both in terms of recruiting and philosophy.
• Bottom line: I would be happy with Strong if that happened. However, all signs point to him staying in the south.

Others

• Hue Jackson: Won't be happy with this hire. Didn't like what he did with the Raiders. Confidence in one's abilities in great, but Jackson's bravado seemed more like arrogance. Set the Raiders back years with his ridiculous push for Carson Palmer. (Side note: Raiders gave up essentially same package for Palmer as Redskins gave up to grab RGIII). Also didn't like how he put blame on players late in his final season with Raiders. Game management skills could be better as well, based on various games with Oakland, especially contest against Lions where failure to go for two cost Silver & Black the game.  
• Greg Roman: Best X's and O's guy on the board? Would bring Stanford style of play to Cal but Bears simply don't have personnel to play that style. Would be at least a couple years before Cal gets the players needed to win at a high level. Can Roman recruit? And is he patient enough to hang around Cal for 4-5 years given how close he might be to a NFL gig? 
• James Franklin: Has done very well at Vandy and looks to very much be a "Cal type" of hire. Personable, energetic guy who will know what is expected from an academic school with winning football aspirations. Ended 2012 season hot but overall coaching abilities still in question.
• Ron Rivera: No thank you.

Why this stuff matters, kinda

Wanted to share a short timeline from 2006, a timeline that means absolutely nothing except to us here at SCF but one in which every Cal fan probably could relate to.

November 2006: Just one win away from the big one, Cal fans pile into cars, trucks and whatever else and drive down I-5 to watch their team walk out of the L.A. Coliseum with a victory over USC to clinch the most satisfying trip to the Rose Bowl ever. The guys here at SCF were part of the thousands that made the trek down to Los Angeles. Here is a G-rated version of what happened:

Friday, 7 p.m. - Walk into a random In N' Out somewhere in the middle of Cow Country only to find the place filled with rowdy Cal fans. A constant wave of "Go Bears" chants ensues amidst waiting in the long ass line as tourists look on in disbelief.

7:09 p.m. - Member of SCF almost gets beaten up in In N' Out bathroom by fellow Cal fan for picking USC to win in the Daily Cal's "One for the Roses" issue the day before.

7:44 p.m. - The moment where the whole car (minus the driver of course) realizes that In N' Out and cheap vodka probably don't go together too well.

9:30 p.m. - The eight of us pile into the glamorous hotel room that's supposed to fit two members of the Cal support staff (don't ask).

Cal fans shared a lot of smiles with Jeff Tedford over the years

9:36 p.m. - One of the professional beat writers covering Cal from a local major paper joins the crowd to turn the eight to nine.

9:45 p.m. - King's Cup anyone?

RIP Tedford Era, 2012-2012

It's (finally) official: Jeff Tedford is out.

While I gather my thoughts on the conclusion of this polarizing issue, let me just state for the record that my Tedford bobblehead will remain on my desk, where it's been since 2003, and the password for my wifi network "Go Bears" will continue to be "jefftedford" as it has been since 2007 (please don't hack my apartment).

Thanks for everything, Jeff.

Ten years usually means it's time

When examining Jeff Tedford's situation at Cal, I frequently go back to a well-known Bill Walsh belief: After 10 years in any position that’s stressful--whether it's going good or bad--it is best for the person and the organization to seek a change of scenery. If you look at some of the greatest sports dynasties of our time, there are some common trends: Joe Torre managed the Yankees for exactly 10 seasons; Phil Jackson coached 10 with the Bulls, then 11 with the Lakers; Walsh's 10 with the Niners.

Few athletes and coaches ever hang it up at the pinnacles of their careers. For every Barry Sanders, you have five examples of Willie Mays, who probably played a half decade too long. It takes tremendous self-awareness and foresight to walk away, especially when things are going so well. Sometimes you need to put aside the competitive spirit that got you to the top. I think it's no coincidence that the great minds of Torre, Jackson and Walsh left right around the 10-year mark. At some point you lose the same drive and innovative-spirit--it's human nature.

When Theo Epstein left the Boston Red Sox as general manager after arguably the best nine-season stretch in Sox history, he cited Walsh when explaining his departure.

"The theory is that both the individual and the organization benefit from a change after so much time together. The executive gets rebirth and the energy that comes with a new challenge; the organization gets a fresh perspective, and the chance for true change that comes with new leadership. This idea resonated with me. Although I tried my best to fight it, I couldn’t escape the conclusion that both the Red Sox and I would benefit from a change sometime soon."

Is Jeff Tedford the greatest Cal football coach of all time?

Whether he knows it or not, all that is left for us to discuss
regarding Jeff Tedford is his legacy.

In the latter quarter of Jeff Tedford's reign at Cal, there has emerged two distinct ways of looking at him when questions arise about his leadership of the program. The first camp points out that the Bears were a much inferior team in the years prior to Tedford's arrival, including a 1-10 year in Tom Holmoe's final season in 2001, and so Cal fans need to appreciate how good they have it with Tedford. The second group points out the fact that Tedford's best days are far behind him in terms of bringing anything close to glory to Strawberry Canyon, and that if it weren't for a fan base with lowered expectations from decades of sucking, he would have and should have been shown the door several years earlier.

The Case for Keeping Tedford

I haven't written anything for SCF since I posted a tale of my breakup with Jeff Tedford. Here's a snippet from that piece last month:

I'm not saying Tedford will be fired. Athletic Director Sandy Barbour has many factors to consider when making that determination, and not all of them are related to wins and losses.
I'm not even saying Tedford should be fired. He is the most important figure Cal football has ever had (sorry, Pappy, but leather-helmet football isn't real football), he changed the nature of the program, and he stuck with us despite NFL offers when nobody else would (*cough*Mariucci*cough*). He is the only Cal coach I have never known, and seeing someone else pace the sidelines with a clipboard and a headset on Saturdays would be as alien an experience as I can imagine in football.
What I am saying is this: It's time for me to break up with Tedford.

Now, as the 2012 season braces itself, finally, for its mercy killing in Corvallis on Saturday night at the hands of an impressive Oregon State squad, the time for Barbour's ultimate decision has come:

"We'll probably get together on Sunday and we'll go from there, however long it takes us. We need to resolve quickly what are the solutions to getting Cal football moving in the right direction," Barbour said in a CBSSports.com article on the subject. "Football to this university is really important. It's a huge emotional driver, a huge financial driver and in seeking solutions to get us back on track, we'll be really thoughtful ... we have to decide what that solution set is very quickly and let's move in that direction."

A ringing endorsement that most definitely is not.

So, Tedford's time in Berkeley seems to be up. I'm sure my colleagues here at SCF will have a lot to say next week once the news officially does (or does not -- I supposed this is still a possibility) break.

As for me, I was torn the Tedford conundrum for most of the last three seasons, during which, assuming the Bears lose to the Beavers (currently ranked No. 15 in the AP poll and No. 16 in the BCS standings), the team compiled an overall record of 15-22. I tried dealing with my internal conflict through apathy -- "Just make a decision and leave me out of it." But now, I have made up my mind:

I want him to stay.