Klay Thompson: How He Can Get Out of His Early Slump

Klay Thompson: How He Can Get Out of His Early Slump by Tej Kamaraju

November 10, 2012; Berkeley, CA, USA; California Golden Bears head coach Jeff Tedford on the sideline during the third quarter against the Oregon Ducks at Memorial Stadium. Oregon won 59-17. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-US PRESSWIRE

Several reports are circulating that the California Bears have fired head coach Jeff Tedford.

Tedford has been at Cal for a decade, and is responsible for resurrecting the program when he took over in 2002. However, the Bears are just 15-24 since December of 2009. They finished the 2012 season with a 3-9 record and lost their final five games.

He had a meeting with athletic director Sandy Barbour following the final game of the season. The discussions lasted for nearly two days, and a source on Monday indicated that Tedford was likely to keep his job. However, it appears that the polar opposite occurred.

Tedford is owed a $6.9 million buyout over three years.

Barbour released a statement following the firing:

This was an extraordinarily difficult decision, one that required a thorough and thoughtful analysis of a complex set of factors. Ultimately, I believed that we needed a change in direction to get our program back on the right track. Cal football is integral to our department and our university, and its influence can be felt well beyond the walls of Memorial Stadium. The program clearly serves as an important part of the connective tissue that binds our community together, and it is imperative that Cal football be recognized as a leader in competitive success, academic achievement and community engagement. “ For many years, under Jeff Tedford’s leadership, our program represented all that and more. Coach Tedford deserves credit for the extraordinary effort he undertook to turn this program around and bring us to the heights of a Pac-10 co-championship in 2006. He has served his University admirably, and I will forever be indebted for his commitment and expertise, as well as the positive impact he has made in so many young men’s lives over the years.

So who is Cal looking for to replace Tedford as head coach? They are reportedly targeting former Oakland Raiders’ head coach Hue Jackson, Boise State head coach Chris Peterson, and Carolina Panthers’ head coach Ron Rivera.

Stay tuned to us for the latest updates as this story develops.