With just over a month before the start of the 2024 college football season, Fresno State will have to move forward with someone other than the legendary Jeff Tedford coaching its football program.
The 62-year-old Tedford is stepping down as the Bulldogs' head coach due to health reasons, per the school. Tedford completed two seasons in his second stint with the Bulldogs; he was forced to resign as Fresno's head coach due to health reasons following the 2019 season. The school ultimately re-hired him in December of 2021 after Kalen DeBoer left for Washington.
"It is with sad emotions that following my recent medical check-up, it is clear that due to health concerns, my family and I have made the decision to step aside as Fresno State's head coach and allow someone else to lead the football program," Tedford said in a statement released by the school.
Current assistant head coach and linebackers coach Tim Skipper was announced as interim coach. Skipper played linebacker for Fresno State from 1997-2000 and has been an assistant coach in multiple roles across a number of schools since 2001.
Tedford was forced to miss the New Mexico Bowl in December because of health issues -- at which time Skipper filled in as interim. In his five total seasons as Fresno's head coach, Tedford has led the Bulldogs to a 45-22 overall record, including a combined 19-8 record the last two seasons.
Fresno State, which opens the season Aug. 31 at Michigan, was picked to finish third in the preseason Mountain West poll the conference released last week during Media Days, which Tedford attended. The Bulldogs are seeking their fourth consecutive nine-win season in 2024, a feat that hasn't happened since a memorable run from 2001-04.
Tedford is regarded as one of the best quarterback gurus of the last few decades. During a glittery career at Cal (82-57 in 11 seasons, including a 2004 Pac-10 Championship), Tedford coached up Aaron Rodgers and Kyle Boller. Other first-round picks Tedford developed in previous assistant stops at Oregon (1998-2001) and Fresno State (1992-97) are David Carr, Joey Harrington, Trent Dilfer and Akili Smith. Tedford himself threw for 4,873 yards and 35 touchdowns in two seasons as Fresno State's quarterback in the early 1980s.
The Bulldogs roared out to an 8-1 start in 2023 in which they averaged 34 points per game. A subsequent slippage – 1-3 over the final four games – dovetailed with an offense that slipped to 22.5 points per contest in its final four games.
Fresno State returns eight starters on offense and six on defense, according to CBS Sports research. The Bulldogs signed the No. 5 recruiting class and the No. 7 transfer portal class in 2024, a haul that included Korey Foreman, the former top recruit who began his career at USC.
