Fresno State makes coaching changes
The Michigan football team has long known how it will open the 2024 season – on August 31 at 7:30 p.m. under the lights at Michigan Stadium against Fresno State – but the originally planned head coach will no longer be on the opposing sidelines.
On Monday, the program announced that Jeff Tedford would resign as head coach of the Bulldogs, citing his health as the primary reason. Tim Skipper, who served as the program’s associate head coach when Tedford missed the 2023 Isleta New Mexico Bowl, was named interim coach, effective immediately.
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“It is with sadness that I announce, following my recent medical evaluation, that due to health concerns, my family and I have made the decision to step down as Fresno State’s head coach and allow someone else to lead the football program,” Tedford said in a statement. “I am incredibly proud and passionate about Fresno State, and I understand the amount of time and energy it takes to lead at a high level.”
“The players, coaches and Bulldog fans deserve the best. Unfortunately, I am unable to maintain the level of commitment required to deliver the performance required and lead the program.”
Tedford, 62, posted a combined 44-22 record in five seasons during two separate stints at FSU. During his tenure, he led the Bulldogs to three 10-win seasons (2017, 2018 and 2022), two Mountain West Championship victories, three West Division titles, four bowl game victories and led the program to a top-25 finish twice.
Tedford, who has an overall record of 127-79, including the 11 years he spent at Cal (2002-12), where he became the program’s all-time winningest coach (82 wins), was named a finalist for the 2018 Bear Bryant Coach of the Year Award when Fresno set a program record with 12 wins.
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“Coach Tedford is a living legend,” Skipper said in the release. “He is definitely an innovator and trendsetter of the game. His impact on college football will be felt forever and I feel very fortunate to have been able to coach his team these past two seasons. The knowledge I have gained is priceless. I look forward to leading the Bulldogs football team next season and continuing the pride and tradition here at Fresno State to make the Red Wave proud.”
Tedford has been named Coach of the Year three times (Pac-10 in 2002 and 2004 and Mountain West in 2017), and his overall record of 9-3 in bowl games is third best in NCAA Division I history among coaches with at least 10 postseason appearances.
Skipper played four years as a middle linebacker for Fresno State (1997-2000), was a two-time captain and was twice on the Butkus Award watch list. He is still second in program history in tackles (418), including 117 in his Freshman All-America season.
“I look forward to supporting the program in any way I can while focusing on my family and my health,” Tedford said. “My family and I will be forever grateful for the exciting and wonderful times. We also appreciate the support of the university and the community and are grateful to have been a part of it.”
Fresno State was picked to finish third in the Mountain West preseason poll last week at Media Day (which Tedford attended) as it returns eight starters on offense and six on defense and adds several newcomers through the portal, including Korey Foreman, a former five-star defensive end who played at USC.
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