Jeff Tedford was fired as head coach at California after 11 seasons, finishing a run of disappointing years that ended with a five-game losing streak.
Athletic director Sandy Barbour announced the news at a press conference on Tuesday.
"This was an extraordinarily difficult decision, one that required a thorough and thoughtful analysis of a complex set of factors," Barbour said, according to ESPN.com. "Ultimately, I believed that we needed a change in direction to get our program back on the right track."
Tedford won a school-record 82 games over 11 seasons and brought the Golden Bears and the program to national recognition by winning a conference title and bringing in NFL prospects. His success helped the school put in over $300 million in stadium upgrades.
Over the years Tedford coached players like Aaron Rodgers, Marshawn Lynch, Kyle Boller and DeSean Jackson and was known as a "quarterback guru" around the sport. He had two 10-win seasons in his first five years as coach after taking over a one-win team in 2002.
Tedford released a statement after the press conference:
"All involved can feel a great sense of pride with their sacrifice, contributions and commitment that have made it possible to have the winningest tenure in Cal football history," he said. "We all can be very proud of helping to build a renovated Memorial Stadium that will have a positive impact on many athletes, fans and staff members for years to come. I will never forget the most gratifying part of these last 11 years, and that has been the relationships with the players I have had the special opportunity to watch grow academically, physically, socially and spiritually. To watch this process and be a part of their growth and development has been a blessing."
California has had a rough season this year, forcing the school to make a move. The team finished 3-9, the worst record under Tedford, and showed no signs of improvement, losing five straight games by wide margins.
The final two losses of the season, a 59-17 home loss to Oregon followed by a season-ending 62-14 loss at Oregon State, were the worst of Tedford's career and the team only scored three points in a loss to rival Stanford on Oct. 20.
According to the Associated Press, "Tedford is still owed $6.9 million over the final three years of his contract."
Tedford spent time with the Oregon Ducks and earned a reputation for working with quarterbacks after turning Joey Harrington into a Heisman candidate. Teford was hired by California to take over a 1-10 team and turn around a program that hadn't had a winning season in nearly a decade.
Things turned around quickly for the Golden Bears and Tedford cemented his status as a quarterback doctor after developing Kyle Boller and future NFL MVP and Super Bowl champion Aaron Rodgers.
The team put up fantastic offensive numbers during those years and Tedford went on to coach eight straight winning seasons. The biggest problem for Tedford was finding a consistent quarterback after Rodgers left for the NFL. Between injuries and inefficient play, Tedford went through all types of players, including Nate Longshore, Kevin Riley and Zach Maynard this season.
Tedford was known around college football as a skilled recruiter, but the team never put together a championship season. The best year under Tedford came in 2004 when the team went 10-1, losing to USC, who eventually went on to win the national championship.
The team also won 10 games in 2006 and was victorious in the Holiday Bowl to finish the season.
According to the Associated Press, "Tedford had a 34-37 record over his final 5 1/2 seasons."
In 2010, Tedford's team finished with a losing record for the first time and came in eighth place in the Pac-12. Last year the team went 7-6, but regressed in 2012. The team was only 2-7 in the Pac-12 this season and was one of the worst offenses in the country.
The team ranked 96th in points scored and won only two of its last ten games. The final win for Tedford came on Oct. 13 against Washington State, which was a 31-17 victory for the Golden Bears.
California has been awful in conference play over the past few seasons, going only 9-18 in the Pac-12 since 2010 and has gone only 23-27 over the past four years. In 2009, the team lost in the Poinsetta Bowl to Utah to snap a four-game bowl-winning streak by winning streak and haven't won one since.
The last bowl game Tedford coached for the team was a 21-10 loss to Texas in the Holiday Bowl following the 2011 season.
Over the years Tedford turned down chances to interview for other jobs, but always ended up staying with California. The firing came after a season of bad play and also after some bad news for Tedford.
According to the Associated Press, "Cal graduated only 47 percent of football players who entered school between 2002 and 2005 -- the lowest rate in the Pac-12.
Many names have popped up as possible replacements for Tedford, including Boise State head coach Chris Petersen, Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera, former Stanford coordinator Greg Roman and Cincinnati Bengals assistant Hue Jackson.
Recruiting a new coach is not expected to be an issue for the school because Tedford put together a roster of talented prospects and young players.
"It's not like it's bare bones there," said Rivals.com West recruiting analyst Adam Gorney. "The new coach is going to have an opportunity to win early because the pieces are there for them to be successful. It's an attractive job because of things other than football, too. Kids will gravitate toward being in the Bay Area. The coaching staff will be a factor, but I don't think it's a horrible thing. Somebody can come in and build on the recruiting success that they've had."
