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This saddened me. I am a closet Cal fan, and always root for them in the Big Game, as is my duty, having done my residency at UCSF. Tedford is a really smart coach. His firing reminds me a bit of Bruce Weber's. I am reminded of Lear's quote, "How more wicket than a serpent's tooth an ungrateful child."
Tedford's "failure" was that the alumni and the administration became unreasonably impatient for him to recruit elite quarterbacks and linemen. The dilapidated Memorial Stadium reconstruction is long overdue, and Cal has Tedford to thank that it happened at all. How about waiting until fall before replowing the field? The stadium renovation should bring a host of new recruits, but it may discourage potential NFL QBs who were considering wearing the Blue and the Gold, because one of the main attractions was Tedford, arguably one of the finest QB coaches in the country.
Tedford's other "sin" in the eyes of many alums was to rely too heavily on the running game. Perhaps they want to go back to the days of Gale Gilbert when virtually every play was a pass, with quarterback sacks and interceptions galore. Cal will survive this debacle, but it is another setback for the program, and the callousness of the administration should give most coaches considering the post the willies.