Confirmed (AP): Tedford 4-year contract extension

In an Associated Press report, it has been confirmed that Coach Jeff Tedford‘s contract has been extended for 4 years, through 2013. This great news comes in an article celebrating Tedford’s success and the emergence of the program as an annual contender, giving Cal some more exposure and recognition nationally. Some excerpts:

Tedford is 43-20 in five seasons, leading the Bears’ longest sustained period of excellence in a half-century. He led Cal to a 10-3 record, a Pac-10 co-championship and a victory over Texas A&M …

Tedford annually appears on the coaching wish lists of big-school athletic directors and NFL general managers. This winter alone, he was linked him with openings at Alabama and with the Atlanta Falcons. …

But Tedford seems comfortable at Cal, where he has transformed a once-struggling program into a West Coast power with burgeoning fan support and new facilities on the way. …

The Bears have reached the top 10 in three straight seasons while appearing in four consecutive bowl games — winning three — for the first time in school history. Cal’s share of the Pac-10 crown this season was its first conference title since 1975, and Tedford also has beaten archrival Stanford five straight times.

This also grants the Cal program additional stability and quashes any rumors of Tedford looking to bolt to other programs or NFL positions. This stability is crucial for Tedford’s continual success in recruiting top-tier talent. Plus, Tedford until 2013 and world-class facilities underway… it can’t get better than this.

EDIT: The Contra Costa Times has an article about the contract extension with some quotes from Tedford:

“I’ve never had a hidden agenda of moving anywhere else. We have been fortunate to have had some success here and I believe we have put ourselves in the national spotlight. I’m very excited about the future of this program, and I feel it’s a privilege to be a part of it.”

Tedford said his biggest desire in landing a contract extension was having job security. “I know that Cal can’t compete (with the NFL) in money,” he said.

Barbour acted quickly and Tedford said he never met personally with an NFL team. He said he also has received several calls from universities interested in luring him away from Cal and that he isn’t interested.

“I have a lot invested in this program,” he said. “There has been a lot of work done by a lot of people. I don’t want to take a step backward.”