Next Gopher Coach

[Stan The Caddy]

And then you look at his work with QB's and what he's done for and with them, and it's like wow. What kid QB *wouldn't* want to play for Jeff Tedford? In his direct, hands-on work with QB's since he started out as quarterbacks coach at Fresno State, he has sent Trent Dilfer off to the NFL as the 6th overall pick, then Davis Carr as the #1 overall pick. Then he went on to Oregon and sent both Akili Smith and Joey Harrington as the 3rd overall players taken in the draft. And since he's been at Cal, he's had Kyle Boller drafted at #19 and Aaron Rodgers at #24.

Kind of off topic, but I hope the selling point is how he got those guys drafted so high and got them at least one contract as opposed to how horrible they were in the NFL. (Except for Rodgers)

I mean, that is an ubelieveable list of terrible, terrible, terrible bust QB's all tutored by the same guy. And don't even try with the "Trent Dilfer won a super bowl" garbage.

 

[Seany]

Kind of off topic, but I hope the selling point is how he got those guys drafted so high and got them at least one contract as opposed to how horrible they were in the NFL. (Except for Rodgers)

I mean, that is an ubelieveable list of terrible, terrible, terrible bust QB's all tutored by the same guy. And don't even try with the "Trent Dilfer won a super bowl" garbage.

They were NFL busts, but the fact is he did put them in a position to be drafted so highly. He had them playing brilliantly enough under his tutelage for them to be able to do that, so in my opinion you've got to give him credit for that. The fact they flamed out after that, well that's kind of neither here nor there far as I'm concerned. For example, I would love to see a long line of great QB's for the Gophers, and whether they bombed-out or were successful at the NFL level really wouldn't matter that much to me.

 

[Silvio]

David Carr really didn't play under Tedford.

 

[howeda7]

I'm kind of surprised that no one ever mentions Jeff Tedford. He would seem to fit the criteria of a big time hire (at least to me), a very well-established coach who immediately turned around a program that had been in the toilet, going 12-43 in the 5 seasons prior to his arrival, and those included an 0-11 and 1-10 season. Tedford turned around that sorry state of affairs just like that, and has posted a winning record in each of his nine seasons at Cal, including a 10-2 and 10-3 season. He has not won the Pac 10 yet, but for the majority of his time there he's had that 800 lb. gorilla down at USC to contend with.

And then you look at his work with QB's and what he's done for and with them, and it's like wow. What kid QB *wouldn't* want to play for Jeff Tedford? In his direct, hands-on work with QB's since he started out as quarterbacks coach at Fresno State, he has sent Trent Dilfer off to the NFL as the 6th overall pick, then Davis Carr as the #1 overall pick. Then he went on to Oregon and sent both Akili Smith and Joey Harrington as the 3rd overall players taken in the draft. And since he's been at Cal, he's had Kyle Boller drafted at #19 and Aaron Rodgers at #24. And he's had other guys like Billy Volek and AJ Feeley who are currently serving as backups in the NFL. It seems pretty clear that if you are a young quarterback with NFL aspirations, you could do far, far, far worse than to allow Jeff Tedford to teach you. He's got the Midas Touch for sending these guys to the big leagues.

Why is he never mentioned? I realize he's a born Californian and has coached nowhere but the left coast, so is he viewed as being simply unobtainable for that reason or any other?

He'd go at the top of my list. I just don't see any reason he'd leave Cal to come to MN.

 

[dpodoll68]

David Carr really didn't play under Tedford.

Not much, but he did in 1997.

 

[Silvio]

Not much, but he did in 1997.

I would argue that Tedford had a much larger impact on Smith in his one season than on Carr. Plus Carr was drafted in 2002, I would assume that meant his last playing season was 2001. I know you can do the math, at best it was a red-shirt year.

 

[GopherGod]

They were NFL busts, but the fact is he did put them in a position to be drafted so highly. He had them playing brilliantly enough under his tutelage for them to be able to do that, so in my opinion you've got to give him credit for that. The fact they flamed out after that, well that's kind of neither here nor there far as I'm concerned. For example, I would love to see a long line of great QB's for the Gophers, and whether they bombed-out or were successful at the NFL level really wouldn't matter that much to me.

As you stated he has coached several really good college QB's as well as Running Backs. The next question then is with all that talent how many conference and major bowl wins did he have?

 

[Seany]

He'd go at the top of my list. I just don't see any reason he'd leave Cal to come to MN.

Well the only reason I would think it would be is because of $$$$, if that could play a role in his decision. According to that site listing coaching salaries that was posted here the other day, he's 'only' making 1.875M per year at Cal, and if we're really prepared to go up to as high as 2.5M per, then could there be any possibility of drawing him here?

 

[Uffda]

Tedford

One of the reasons that I have been pushing Belotti is the fact he has hired and mentored the following:
Jeff Tedford
Chris Petersen
Chip Kelly

Tedford is a big name coach. He is very well paid presently. Does anyone know the buyout price for him to leave? I don't know if Minnesota can afford to pay his salary and his contract buyout. If he is interested in coming here, I would be ecstatic --- if it is realistic and we can afford him.

 

[Seany]

As you stated he has coached several really good college QB's as well as Running Backs. The next question then is with all that talent how many conference and major bowl wins did he have?

Well he's gone 41-27 in conference, not quite knock yer socks off type stuff but still what I would consider to be very respectable (and would be quite giddy about if the Gophers were ever able to string together an in-conference record like that), and 5-2 in bowls, although no major BCS type bowls. But he's only in his 9th season as a head coach, so it's still quite early in his career.

And he's the right age too, just 50 years old. That's a guy who's going to be around for awhile.

It feels almost intuitively like a pipe dream to me, but ya never know I guess. Anyway, I was just curious as to why it seems his name never comes up.

 

[howeda7]

Well the only reason I would think it would be is because of $$$$, if that could play a role in his decision. According to that site listing coaching salaries that was posted here the other day, he's 'only' making 1.875M per year at Cal, and if we're really prepared to go up to as high as 2.5M per, then could there be any possibility of drawing him here?

No. If we pay $2.5 million that means we're going to be top 20 or so in salary IIRC. That doesn't mean that everyone ranked #21 or below is a candidate for the job because we can offer them a raise. The entire reason we need to pay $2.5 million to get a decent candidate to take the job is because of the shambles we are in. If Tedford's realistic, then why not Gary Pinkel? Or Tom O'Brien at NC State?

There aren't many current successful BCS conference coaches we're going to get legitimate interest from. Richt's a unique sitution because he may want out. Mullen is at a school that is probably more completely buried in the SEC West then we will be in the Big 10 West and the raise we can offer would be significant. Plus Mississippi's not exactly a cultural mecca. UConn and Rutgers are much smaller schools and the Big East is not the Big 10.

 

[Stan The Caddy]

They were NFL busts, but the fact is he did put them in a position to be drafted so highly. He had them playing brilliantly enough under his tutelage for them to be able to do that, so in my opinion you've got to give him credit for that. The fact they flamed out after that, well that's kind of neither here nor there far as I'm concerned. For example, I would love to see a long line of great QB's for the Gophers, and whether they bombed-out or were successful at the NFL level really wouldn't matter that much to me.

The Gophers have had none.

Tedford also has been saddled (or chosen) to play Kevin Riley for the last 4 years in Berkley. Riley is the Adam Weber of the PAC-10. Riley did not start all of the games his freshman year like Weber, but he has been ineffective and erratic over his 4 years. If CAL had a QB at all last year with Javid Best, they would have been very, very good. Riley has been brutal.

CAL right now is one of, if not the most mysterious team in 1-A. They blow teams out at home and get absolutely drilled on the road. They have the Ducks this weekend at Berkley, where they have been good, should be interesting to see what happens. I have a feeling CAL gets just blown out of the water.

I know Tedford has a good record and took over a morbid program. For whatever the reason I have no interest in him as the next coach at Minnesota.