Contra Costa Times: Cal football coach agrees to contract through 2015 season

Link.

By Jonathan Okanes

Jeff Tedford wasn't looking to make more money. What he was looking for was to hear a desirable message, and to have his message heard as well.  That was sufficiently accomplished with the two-year contract extension Tedford agreed to Thursday. The deal will keep Cal's football coach in Berkeley through the 2015 season. Tedford won't receive an increase in base compensation with the new package, just the stability he desired, because "when other opportunities come, I want to feel comfortable and not have to entertain thoughts of any other opportunities."

Tedford, 47, didn't comment on any specific offers he might have received, but it appears negotiations for an extension were prompted by overtures elsewhere.  "The good news, bad news for us — mostly good — is that Jeff has been really successful and is a highly sought-after coach," Athletic Director Sandy Barbour said. "There are always going to be opportunities for Jeff because of his success. We know that's going to happen. It would be crazy for us to sit back and wait for that to happen."

This is the third extension Tedford has received since signing his original contract with Cal before the 2002 season. Tedford has long been rumored to be a desirable candidate for college and NFL jobs.  But Tedford stressed Thursday that he has no desire to coach anywhere but Cal, that his desire for an extension simply was for stability's sake. He said he also saw it as an opportunity to demonstrate his commitment to Cal, a commitment that was further bolstered when the Student-Athlete High-Performance Center project finally got going last fall.

"We are here for the long haul," Tedford said. "We're not interested in going someplace else."  Tedford's base salary remains $225,000, and his talent fee still stands at $1,575,000 annually. Next Thursday, Tedford will receive a $1 million bonus for his continual employment at Cal through the 2008 season. Various incentives can push Tedford's income even higher. Barbour said some of the incentives have been tweaked, most significantly the addition of a bonus based on the team's graduation rate. Bonuses remain in place if the Bears reach benchmarks such as a Pacific-10 Conference title or berths in Bowl Championship Series games. "We want Jeff to be our football coach for a long, long time," Barbour said. "The fact that we have continued to agree with regularity to contract extensions that keep Jeff at Cal and keep our program going in the right direction is exciting for our university, for our community and for our football players — past, current or future."