California Golden Bears fired Coach Jeff Tedford after five straight losses Tuesday. He is credited for the resurrection of the Golden Bears football program, but after a fair amount of success, the team started losing way too many games with the current season's record of 3-9 leading to the coach's firing.
One of the highest paid state employees of California, Tedford coached the Bears for 11 seasons and won a record 82 games for the program. He had two 10-win seasons and his tenure saw an incredible increase in the ticket sales.
"This was an extraordinarily difficult decision, one that required a thorough and thoughtful analysis of a complex set of factors," athletic director Sandy Barbour said in a statement. "Ultimately, I believed that we needed a change in direction to get our program back on the right track."
This year proved to be a difficult season for the veteran coach, especially the last two games where they suffered heavy losses.
"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," Tedford said in a statement.
"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."
Tedford, who was the most successful coach of the Golden Bears, will receive $6.9 million in compensation.
"Coach Tedford deserves credit for the extraordinary effort he undertook to turn this program around and bring us to the heights of a Pac-10 co-championship in 2006," Barbour added. "He has served his university admirably, and I will forever be indebted for his commitment and expertise, as well as the positive impact he has made in so many young men's lives over the years."
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