Fresno State Athletics
Jeff Tedford Introductory Press Conference Transcript
November 11, 2016 – 12:30 p.m. PT
Jeff Tedford Introductory Press Conference Transcript
November 11, 2016 – 12:30 p.m. PT
University President Joseph I. Castro
I want to begin by expressing my personal gratitude to the men and women who served, and continue to serve, our country through their military service. We are especially proud of the over 900 currently enrolled veterans at Fresno State.
Today is an important milestone in Fresno State’s 105-year history. We welcome Jeff and Donna Tedford back home to the Central Valley.
We are ecstatic that Jeff will be the new head coach for our Fresno State Bulldogs. In this competitive national search, we looked for a football coach with a proven track record for success, a strong commitment to the development of student-athletes, and a passion for the Valley.
During our extensive interview with Jeff on Monday, he impressed the entire search committee with his extensive knowledge of football and, just as importantly, his strong interest in developing the leadership skills, the personal character, of our student-athletes, and, like Jim and me, he knows our Central Valley very well. Jeff, I know you’re not going to need a GPS to find the student-athletes here throughout the Central Valley and California.
Fresno State’s academic and athletic programs will continue to boldly rise together. Today is another step forward for our football program, our University and for the entire Central Valley.
Welcome Jeff and Donna, we’re so happy to have you back home with us. We know that we have a bright future together. I’m very excited that you’re here.
Athletic Director Jim Bartko
Today is a special day, football and athletics are a small part overall of what we do, what people have done to serve the country is more important. Games won and lost are important, but today was the right day for this to happen. We thank all of you for what you have done if you have served as well as you watching.
Also I want to thank Coach DeRuyter. A great family that’s put a lot of heart and soul into this program. And a lot of heart and soul into this community. He’s done a lot and it was not an easy decision and I know he is hurting, but he’ll bounce back on his feet. Coach [Eric] Kiesau – it’s not easy to come in as the interim head coach – what he’s done over the last three weeks is phenomenal and I want to recognize him for what he’s doing and he’ll continue to do that.
We have many members from the search committee here. We had a strong search committee from academics, athletics, donors … and it was a unanimous decision. We had a lot of resumes, I won’t go over who because that is not fair, but we had a lot of great people. And that shows what Fresno State can do. Our goal is to be bold, as the president said, win games, and graduate our kids. Having 8,000 fans in our stands is not right, all of us have to buy into this together – academically and athletically – and we’re here together as one team.
I want to reiterate one more time. The committee met and we searched and it was a unanimous process. We have the right person and I’ll say a few words about him in a minute. There was three criteria that we looked at. Having head coaching experience was important, not necessary, but important. Someone that has been in the position to rebuild a program from hopefully 3-9 – by winning our next two games. And someone that has Valley roots. Someone that knows what the Valley is about. If it’s a Bulldog, it was a Bulldog, that’s the added benefit – and we got all three.
About a year-and-half ago I came full circle, for the most part. I graduated from high school in 1983, this coach played in the first game in Bulldog Stadium [of the first full season], and he’ll be the first coach to coach in the new Bulldog Stadium when we get this thing done, right everybody?
This Bulldog means a lot to me. I took a jump from Oregon to come here because I knew this place was going to win. Win academically and athletically. We are going to do it together, all 21 of our programs. Athletics is the front door to this University. We’re not going to take short cuts, we are going to do it the right way. We are going to make the Red Wave proud.
I’ve known this guy since he came to Oregon in 1997 or whatever year it was… it’s a privilege … we have one of the best football coaching minds in America that wanted to come home to Fresno State. And that means a lot to me. Someone that wants to be here, not for a year, not for two years, not a stepping stone, but to build his roots. Bring this place back to what it needs to be. It is my thrill and my honor to bring back a Bulldog – he and Donna are great people who will be great ambassadors for this community, be great ambassadors for the University, they’re great people that have a great family, great ties, they know where the towns are, they know where Firebaugh is, they know where Modesto is, they know where Turlock is – but I am thrilled. Our goal is to hire the best coaching staff we can have and we have a great, great coaching staff. Top to bottom. Coach Tedford welcome.
Head Coach Jeff Tedford
It’s great seeing so many familiar faces, friendly faces, and I really appreciate you all being here today. I’d like to reiterate as well, as it is Veterans Day, all my thanks to the veterans for all their sacrifice and commitment.
I’m very proud to be here today and excited to be here today as a Fresno State Football coach. I want to take the opportunity to thank President Castro and Jim Bartko for their trust and confidence. This opportunity means a lot to us. It is coming full circle. When I first came here, I didn’t play in the first game, but I did play the first full season at Bulldog Stadium, so I have a long history.
My family and I have always loved Fresno and the relationships we have here, which we have quite a few. I have a great deal of pride and passion for the university and the football program. I appreciate the pride and tradition of Bulldog Football, having played and coached here. Under great leadership like Coach Sweeney and Coach Hill, I do want to take this opportunity to thank Coach DeRuyter for all his contributions to the program and wish him well.
This opportunity is a great fit for me because I do understand the tradition of Bulldog Football. I know where it has been and I know where it should be. I’m really looking forward to reconnecting with all the past players, the supporters, and the entire Red Wave to bring this program back to prominence. I really believe this is a special place without a doubt. Through my experience through the years, I’ve been able to see how it’s built and how it’s done and I look forward to that.
Our mission and goal will be to grow and develop young men. To reach their full potential in all areas; academically, athletically, socially, and spiritually. To compete at a high level in the classroom and on the football field, and while doing so with great character and high integrity. That is very important to me. That they are a representative of the community and all the alumni that have ever attended Fresno State or have ever walked down that ramp to play a football game in that stadium.
I’m excited about the future, and with that being said, there is a tremendous amount of work to do in a lot of areas. Just to name a few: APR, recruiting and scholarship numbers. I cannot wait to get after it. I’m going back tomorrow, for a big game against USC, but I will be back next week to start evaluating the program and all areas of the programs. I’m very excited to get started on this journey and this process.
Open Q&A with Head Coach Jeff Tedford
Q: What are some nuggets that have stuck with you from your years with Coach Sweeney and Coach Hill that have impacted you today?
For me, when I said great mentors, they were my mentors. Especially Coach Sweeney, I coached for Coach Hill for a year, but I played and coached for Coach Sweeney. What he has done for this program and this community is unbelievable. I will be forever grateful to him for the opportunity to come to Fresno State, to have him believing in me, and teaching me the values and what it takes to raise young men. I needed guidance and he absolutely did that for me. I think more than anything, if you took both of those guys, it would be the pride and tradition of Fresno State Football. After being a head coach for so long, seeing the energy that Coach Sweeney brought every day, with all his mantras like, ‘No Dogs Down’, ‘Run back to the ball’, and some other things I can’t say, but he bled Bulldog red. There’s no doubt about it. When I coached at Cal, I was there for maybe a week, and someone asked me, ‘Do you bleed Blue & Gold?’ and I said no. I had only been there a week. That has to be earned, there is a process in that. I can honestly say that I do bleed Bulldog red, because I’ve been here and I appreciate it. There’s so many things that they did, especially Coach Sweeney, in my life, and so many other players lives. That’s why we’re here. We’re here to develop young men and that’s what I’m looking forward to.
Q: How do you engineer a turnaround like this and getting the program back on top?
Well you start from day one. It all starts with evaluation of what’s going on with the program. I’m confident that we have the support of President Castro and Jim Bartko to do the things that we need to do. It’s not just about football and it’s not just on the football field. The number one thing I will do next week when I get here, is meet with the academic staff to find out what’s going on academically, first and foremost. Then from there, as far as hiring a staff is concerned, it’s really important that you surround yourself with guys who are great evaluators, master teachers, experts in their fields, can communicate with their players, and come to work every day positive, poised but demanding. Those are the things that we are going to have on our staff. It’s going to be a long process to understand who we are first, and then from there hire a staff. I am going to work long and hard to get that done in the next few weeks. The great thing about this is that being a consultant at Washington is that I don’t actually coach a position, I’m really a consultant to the coaching staff and the offensive staff and the head coach, helping put in game plans. The timing is perfect for me to get here and start right away and get to do this so that we can hopefully save as much of this recruiting season as we can. Recruiting is number one, and recruiting our type of guys is what’s important. We want guys who are accountable, have leadership, integrity and great attitudes. Those are the people that we’re going to be looking for.
Q: Where do you start with the players and getting them to buy into your coaching philosophies?
Well that’s a process that starts with trust. That’s what needs to be built is trust and confidence, when you’re someone new coming in obviously. I had an opportunity today to meet with the players and kind of explain what the schedule would be like and that they really need to finish strong in the classroom and the football field under Coach Kiesau’s guidance. I’m not going to come in here in the next few weeks and try to uproot anything or confuse them with my philosophies. Obviously they have had a mission that they have been on, they have goals and a message that this coaching staff has been relaying on to them. I want that to stay consistent. After that I want to know everything about them, their backgrounds, their families, what their goals are academically and athletically. Then once the season is over I will sit down with each and every one of them to find out what their concerns are, their goals and how the program can improve. I think you can get that information best from the people that are inside, which is the players. I’m looking forward to getting to sit down with each of them and getting to know them and build trust. That’s the first thing, is to create relationships with the players.
Q: How closely have you paid attention to Fresno State while you’ve been away for 20 years?
All the way. When Coach Hill was here, there was a long history here of, should we play them or not, when I was at Cal. He was always banging that drum, so we finally played them. And obviously, Derek Carr. I watched the growth and development on Derek Carr. I was here when David Carr was recruited and Derek used to come to practice as a little 5-year-old and I used to work with him and his little nerf ball doing drops. So I was very interested in Derek’s development here and he had a great career here. But I kept in touch with everyone. I was here as a player and I coached for six years here so those relationships never died. I always kept an eye on what was going on here. Obviously not from the back of the room by any means but I can’t begin to tell you about the number of text messages that I have received in the last two days from former players, both teammates and players I coached here, that are so fired up about the future. I’ve always kept a close eye on Fresno State Football. It does mean a lot to me and I have so many great relationships here that I have kept in contact with for many years.”
"Just the Ticket to Build Our Community" – Tickets for the 2016 Fresno State football season are now on sale at GoBulldogs.com or by calling 559-278-3647. 940 AM ESPN Radio and 1600 AM ESPN Deportes is the official home of the Fresno State Bulldogs.
Follow us on:
Twitter: @FresnoStateFB
Instagram: Fresno_State_Football
Facebook: FresnoStateAthletics
Snap Chat: FSAthletics
November 11, 2016 – 12:30 p.m. PT
University President Joseph I. Castro
I want to begin by expressing my personal gratitude to the men and women who served, and continue to serve, our country through their military service. We are especially proud of the over 900 currently enrolled veterans at Fresno State.
Today is an important milestone in Fresno State’s 105-year history. We welcome Jeff and Donna Tedford back home to the Central Valley.
We are ecstatic that Jeff will be the new head coach for our Fresno State Bulldogs. In this competitive national search, we looked for a football coach with a proven track record for success, a strong commitment to the development of student-athletes, and a passion for the Valley.
During our extensive interview with Jeff on Monday, he impressed the entire search committee with his extensive knowledge of football and, just as importantly, his strong interest in developing the leadership skills, the personal character, of our student-athletes, and, like Jim and me, he knows our Central Valley very well. Jeff, I know you’re not going to need a GPS to find the student-athletes here throughout the Central Valley and California.
Fresno State’s academic and athletic programs will continue to boldly rise together. Today is another step forward for our football program, our University and for the entire Central Valley.
Welcome Jeff and Donna, we’re so happy to have you back home with us. We know that we have a bright future together. I’m very excited that you’re here.
Athletic Director Jim Bartko
Today is a special day, football and athletics are a small part overall of what we do, what people have done to serve the country is more important. Games won and lost are important, but today was the right day for this to happen. We thank all of you for what you have done if you have served as well as you watching.
Also I want to thank Coach DeRuyter. A great family that’s put a lot of heart and soul into this program. And a lot of heart and soul into this community. He’s done a lot and it was not an easy decision and I know he is hurting, but he’ll bounce back on his feet. Coach [Eric] Kiesau – it’s not easy to come in as the interim head coach – what he’s done over the last three weeks is phenomenal and I want to recognize him for what he’s doing and he’ll continue to do that.
We have many members from the search committee here. We had a strong search committee from academics, athletics, donors … and it was a unanimous decision. We had a lot of resumes, I won’t go over who because that is not fair, but we had a lot of great people. And that shows what Fresno State can do. Our goal is to be bold, as the president said, win games, and graduate our kids. Having 8,000 fans in our stands is not right, all of us have to buy into this together – academically and athletically – and we’re here together as one team.
I want to reiterate one more time. The committee met and we searched and it was a unanimous process. We have the right person and I’ll say a few words about him in a minute. There was three criteria that we looked at. Having head coaching experience was important, not necessary, but important. Someone that has been in the position to rebuild a program from hopefully 3-9 – by winning our next two games. And someone that has Valley roots. Someone that knows what the Valley is about. If it’s a Bulldog, it was a Bulldog, that’s the added benefit – and we got all three.
About a year-and-half ago I came full circle, for the most part. I graduated from high school in 1983, this coach played in the first game in Bulldog Stadium [of the first full season], and he’ll be the first coach to coach in the new Bulldog Stadium when we get this thing done, right everybody?
This Bulldog means a lot to me. I took a jump from Oregon to come here because I knew this place was going to win. Win academically and athletically. We are going to do it together, all 21 of our programs. Athletics is the front door to this University. We’re not going to take short cuts, we are going to do it the right way. We are going to make the Red Wave proud.
I’ve known this guy since he came to Oregon in 1997 or whatever year it was… it’s a privilege … we have one of the best football coaching minds in America that wanted to come home to Fresno State. And that means a lot to me. Someone that wants to be here, not for a year, not for two years, not a stepping stone, but to build his roots. Bring this place back to what it needs to be. It is my thrill and my honor to bring back a Bulldog – he and Donna are great people who will be great ambassadors for this community, be great ambassadors for the University, they’re great people that have a great family, great ties, they know where the towns are, they know where Firebaugh is, they know where Modesto is, they know where Turlock is – but I am thrilled. Our goal is to hire the best coaching staff we can have and we have a great, great coaching staff. Top to bottom. Coach Tedford welcome.
Head Coach Jeff Tedford
It’s great seeing so many familiar faces, friendly faces, and I really appreciate you all being here today. I’d like to reiterate as well, as it is Veterans Day, all my thanks to the veterans for all their sacrifice and commitment.
I’m very proud to be here today and excited to be here today as a Fresno State Football coach. I want to take the opportunity to thank President Castro and Jim Bartko for their trust and confidence. This opportunity means a lot to us. It is coming full circle. When I first came here, I didn’t play in the first game, but I did play the first full season at Bulldog Stadium, so I have a long history.
My family and I have always loved Fresno and the relationships we have here, which we have quite a few. I have a great deal of pride and passion for the university and the football program. I appreciate the pride and tradition of Bulldog Football, having played and coached here. Under great leadership like Coach Sweeney and Coach Hill, I do want to take this opportunity to thank Coach DeRuyter for all his contributions to the program and wish him well.
This opportunity is a great fit for me because I do understand the tradition of Bulldog Football. I know where it has been and I know where it should be. I’m really looking forward to reconnecting with all the past players, the supporters, and the entire Red Wave to bring this program back to prominence. I really believe this is a special place without a doubt. Through my experience through the years, I’ve been able to see how it’s built and how it’s done and I look forward to that.
Our mission and goal will be to grow and develop young men. To reach their full potential in all areas; academically, athletically, socially, and spiritually. To compete at a high level in the classroom and on the football field, and while doing so with great character and high integrity. That is very important to me. That they are a representative of the community and all the alumni that have ever attended Fresno State or have ever walked down that ramp to play a football game in that stadium.
I’m excited about the future, and with that being said, there is a tremendous amount of work to do in a lot of areas. Just to name a few: APR, recruiting and scholarship numbers. I cannot wait to get after it. I’m going back tomorrow, for a big game against USC, but I will be back next week to start evaluating the program and all areas of the programs. I’m very excited to get started on this journey and this process.
Open Q&A with Head Coach Jeff Tedford
Q: What are some nuggets that have stuck with you from your years with Coach Sweeney and Coach Hill that have impacted you today?
For me, when I said great mentors, they were my mentors. Especially Coach Sweeney, I coached for Coach Hill for a year, but I played and coached for Coach Sweeney. What he has done for this program and this community is unbelievable. I will be forever grateful to him for the opportunity to come to Fresno State, to have him believing in me, and teaching me the values and what it takes to raise young men. I needed guidance and he absolutely did that for me. I think more than anything, if you took both of those guys, it would be the pride and tradition of Fresno State Football. After being a head coach for so long, seeing the energy that Coach Sweeney brought every day, with all his mantras like, ‘No Dogs Down’, ‘Run back to the ball’, and some other things I can’t say, but he bled Bulldog red. There’s no doubt about it. When I coached at Cal, I was there for maybe a week, and someone asked me, ‘Do you bleed Blue & Gold?’ and I said no. I had only been there a week. That has to be earned, there is a process in that. I can honestly say that I do bleed Bulldog red, because I’ve been here and I appreciate it. There’s so many things that they did, especially Coach Sweeney, in my life, and so many other players lives. That’s why we’re here. We’re here to develop young men and that’s what I’m looking forward to.
Q: How do you engineer a turnaround like this and getting the program back on top?
Well you start from day one. It all starts with evaluation of what’s going on with the program. I’m confident that we have the support of President Castro and Jim Bartko to do the things that we need to do. It’s not just about football and it’s not just on the football field. The number one thing I will do next week when I get here, is meet with the academic staff to find out what’s going on academically, first and foremost. Then from there, as far as hiring a staff is concerned, it’s really important that you surround yourself with guys who are great evaluators, master teachers, experts in their fields, can communicate with their players, and come to work every day positive, poised but demanding. Those are the things that we are going to have on our staff. It’s going to be a long process to understand who we are first, and then from there hire a staff. I am going to work long and hard to get that done in the next few weeks. The great thing about this is that being a consultant at Washington is that I don’t actually coach a position, I’m really a consultant to the coaching staff and the offensive staff and the head coach, helping put in game plans. The timing is perfect for me to get here and start right away and get to do this so that we can hopefully save as much of this recruiting season as we can. Recruiting is number one, and recruiting our type of guys is what’s important. We want guys who are accountable, have leadership, integrity and great attitudes. Those are the people that we’re going to be looking for.
Q: Where do you start with the players and getting them to buy into your coaching philosophies?
Well that’s a process that starts with trust. That’s what needs to be built is trust and confidence, when you’re someone new coming in obviously. I had an opportunity today to meet with the players and kind of explain what the schedule would be like and that they really need to finish strong in the classroom and the football field under Coach Kiesau’s guidance. I’m not going to come in here in the next few weeks and try to uproot anything or confuse them with my philosophies. Obviously they have had a mission that they have been on, they have goals and a message that this coaching staff has been relaying on to them. I want that to stay consistent. After that I want to know everything about them, their backgrounds, their families, what their goals are academically and athletically. Then once the season is over I will sit down with each and every one of them to find out what their concerns are, their goals and how the program can improve. I think you can get that information best from the people that are inside, which is the players. I’m looking forward to getting to sit down with each of them and getting to know them and build trust. That’s the first thing, is to create relationships with the players.
Q: How closely have you paid attention to Fresno State while you’ve been away for 20 years?
All the way. When Coach Hill was here, there was a long history here of, should we play them or not, when I was at Cal. He was always banging that drum, so we finally played them. And obviously, Derek Carr. I watched the growth and development on Derek Carr. I was here when David Carr was recruited and Derek used to come to practice as a little 5-year-old and I used to work with him and his little nerf ball doing drops. So I was very interested in Derek’s development here and he had a great career here. But I kept in touch with everyone. I was here as a player and I coached for six years here so those relationships never died. I always kept an eye on what was going on here. Obviously not from the back of the room by any means but I can’t begin to tell you about the number of text messages that I have received in the last two days from former players, both teammates and players I coached here, that are so fired up about the future. I’ve always kept a close eye on Fresno State Football. It does mean a lot to me and I have so many great relationships here that I have kept in contact with for many years.”
"Just the Ticket to Build Our Community" – Tickets for the 2016 Fresno State football season are now on sale at GoBulldogs.com or by calling 559-278-3647. 940 AM ESPN Radio and 1600 AM ESPN Deportes is the official home of the Fresno State Bulldogs.
Follow us on:
Twitter: @FresnoStateFB
Instagram: Fresno_State_Football
Facebook: FresnoStateAthletics
Snap Chat: FSAthletics