Washington Hires Fresno State’s Kalen DeBoer; Would Jeff Tedford Replace DeBoer?
Fresno State head coach Kalen DeBoer has been named the new head football coach at Washington, the school announced on Monday.
That leads to speculation as to whether former Cal head coach Jeff Tedford might be hired at Fresno State to replace DeBoer. Tedford resigned as Fresno State's head coach following the the 2019 season, citing health concerns. But Tedford told Cal Sports Report in August that he is 100 percent healthy, and last week there were reports that Tedford was interested in returning to coaching.
A Fresno Bee columnist wrote on Monday that Fresno State should hire Tedford again. H still has a home in Fresno.
Tedford was a quarterback at Fresno State before beginning is coaching career. He was Cal's head coach from 2002 through 2012 and took the Bears to eight bowl games in his 11 seasons in Berkeley. He was head coach at Fresno State from 2017 through 2019.
There is no specific evidence that Tedford, 60, would be interested in returning to Fresno State, or that Fresno State would be interested in hiring Tedford again, but the situation begs for that speculation.
Meanwhile, Washington has its replacement for Jimmy Lake, who was fired Nov. 14 after serving 13 games as head coach over two seasons. DeBoer will head to Seattle after spending just two seasons at Fresno State, where he compiled a 12-6 record, including 9-3 this season.
He served as Tedford's offensive coordinator for two seasons at Fresno State.
"My family and I are so grateful for the opportunity to lead such a storied program and be part of this prestigious institution," DeBoer said in a statement. "The tough, hard-nosed tradition of Washington football speaks for itself, and it was obvious throughout this process that UW is committed to competing at the highest level."
Before becoming the head coach at Fresno State, DeBoer spent the 2019 season as the offensive coordinator at Indiana.
DeBoer was named the NAIA National Coach of the Year three times during a five-year run as the head coach at the University of Sioux Falls in South Dakota, where he had a 67-3 record.
Lee Marks will serve as the interim coach for Fresno State, a source told ESPN. The Bulldogs are expected to play in the bowl game.
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Cover photo of Kalen DeBoer by Cary Edmondson, USA TODAY Sports
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