With a rebuilt stadium and a senior quarterback, expectations were high at Cal coming into 2012, or at least they should have been. But there was one thing hanging over the heads of Bears fans -- Jeff Tedford.
The Cal head coach led the program to a decade of relevancy and even had them on the verge of a Rose Bowl, but that success feels long ago now. The Bears have stumbled through the last few seasons and there were questions about whether Tedford had hit his ceiling in Berkeley. There were questions about whether he would still have a job after the season.
That answer appears to be no, especially after the Bears' 49-27 loss to Utah on Saturday. The scoreboard made the game look closer than it was as Cal was bullied and pummeled by Utah. Now, at 3-6 on the year, the Bears will have to win out to get bowl eligible, which is unlikely, and that should end Tedford's tenure in Berkeley. Even norcalnick from California Golden Blogs, who held out hope as long as possible, has conceded that Tedford is on his way out.
The simple matter is that it is hard to conceive of any scenario that results in Jeff Tedford coaching at Cal in 2013. It's over. There's no point in arguing about it. All the sturm und drang, all the angst . . . there's no need for it any more. Unfortunately, now we can move on to discussing the when and how, and who will be next*. And that's a bummer. I like talking about successful blocking schemes, and growth in young players. I don't like talking about buy-outs and assistant coach salaries and, really, anything that happens when our Bears aren't on the field.
It's a rough time in Berkeley and it looks like it will cost Tedford his job. After their sixth loss, and an ugly one at that, it is tough to argue that it isn't the right move.