CAL: Tedford rumors fly, but fifth-year coach finally seems to be at home in Berkeley
Rusty Simmons, Chronicle Staff Writer
It's December, so a plethora of coaches are being fired and hired across the country, but the number of schools that have been linked to Cal coach Jeff Tedford in news reports, on radio airwaves and in Internet chat rooms is verging on lunacy. And the NFL rumors haven't even started yet.
Alabama fans are calling about their opening, Michigan State fans have started an e-mail campaign about their stadium renovations and facility upgrades and there have been reports that Miami may be eyeing Tedford. Bodog.com has betting odds for which coaches will fill vacancies at Miami, Arizona State and N.C. State, but Tedford isn't among the six coaches listed for any of the schools. At one point today, a chat room discussion actually centered around the possibility of Alabama-Birmingham luring Tedford down south. Before that, the most recent rumors were coming out of Eugene, Ore., where coach Mike Bellotti is being mentioned as the replacement for athletic director Bill Moos. The speculation goes on to predict that Bellotti could hire his close friend, Tedford, as his replacement. Bellotti told the Oregonian on Wednesday that he's not ready to give up coaching, and Tedford doesn't take any of the scuttlebutt seriously. "I don't know anything about any of that," Tedford said earlier this week. On top of that, none of it makes much sense. Any of the potential destinations would be viewed as lateral moves, and most of Tedford's recruiting ties are on the West Coast. Maybe even more important, the fifth-year Cal coach has showed this season that blue and gold blood has begun to pump through his veins. After Wednesday's practice, he greeted a fan and signed a football and a banner as they talked about Big Game viewing plans. After the team's Fan Appreciation Day, security guards tried to pull Tedford away from a drove of fans, but he wouldn't allow it. "I'm going to stand here as long as they're willing to wait," he said. Tedford told The Chronicle earlier in the year that he wouldn't entertain a move until his youngest son, Quinn, graduates from high school. He's a junior at Monte Vista High in Danville. The only reason the buzz is more than interesting water-cooler talk is that there are some reasons to leave Berkeley. The city is making the promised renovations and improved facilities a nightmare to even start, and there may not be a lot of room for improvement at Cal. The university can sell its self with the top-notch degree and the success of the program, but Tedford reminded reporters last week that high-school recruits are just that.
"They're kids," he said. "It's different for all of them, but some of them are obviously going to be impressed by facilities." Both Tedford and athletic director Sandy Barbour believe the project will proceed with only a slight delay. Tedford has taken a 1-10 team with little or no expectations and turned it into one that is disappointed to have a chance at a 10-win season and a late-December bowl game. The fans want more, too. He was obviously hurt by a number of angry phone calls after the loss to USC, which cost the Bears their first Rose Bowl berth since 1959. "I'm sure it's like that everywhere, but it doesn't make it any easier to deal with," he said.
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