Jeff Tedford resigns as Fresno State head football coach
After five total seasons as the head coach at his alma mater, Jeff Tedford is stepping down. Tedford, 62, led Fresno State to a 45-22 record overall and four bowl victories in two separate stints (2017-19 and 2022-23). The Bulldogs went 9-4 (4-4) in 2023 and beat New Mexico State in the New Mexico Bowl.
“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,” said Tedford.
“I have a tremendous amount of pride and passion for Fresno State, and I understand the time and energy necessary to lead at a high level,” he added. “The players, coaches and Bulldog supporters deserve the best. Unfortunately, I am not able to sustain the commitment needed to perform at the level needed to guide the program. We are extremely fortunate to have continuity with a great coaching staff. I have full confidence that they will continue to guide our terrific student-athletes to reach their full potential on and off the field.”
In addition to his time in Fresno, Tedford spent eleven seasons as the head coach at California, going 82-57 overall with eight bowl appearances (five wins). He has five 10+ win seasons as a head coach, three of which came at Fresno State – including an impressive 12-2 (7-1) run in 2018 that saw the Bulldogs ranked as high as #18 in the AP Poll.
He developed and coached a number of future NFL quarterbacks throughout his career, including Aaron Rodgers and Kyle Boller at Cal, Joey Harrington and Akili Smith (from his time as Oregon OC/QB) and Trent Dilfer, who played at Fresno State in the 1990s when Tedford was coaching quarterbacks and running the offense.
Current assistant head coach and linebackers coach Tim Skipper will serve as interim head coach for the 2024 season. He has been at Fresno since 2022 and also worked for the program for six seasons (2006-11) earlier in his career. He was the acting head coach in the New Mexico Bowl this past December, as Tedford missed the game to address some health concerns.
The Bulldogs kick off the 2024 season on August 31 with a trip to Michigan Stadium to take on the defending-national champion Wolverines.
There are now eight Mountain West programs that will have a new head coach in 2024 (see the full FBS coaching carousel here).
credit to Fresno State Athletics for the image