Tedford Has His Heart Fixed on Coaching

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Blitz
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Iain MacIntyre: Jeff Tedford has heart fixed on coaching


Healthy again: Rarely do NFL coordinators leave to accept a CFL job, but a health scare made the Leos’ new bench boss re-evaluate everything in life

By Iain MacIntyre, Vancouver Sun May 29, 2015

B.C. Lions head coach Jeff Tedford talks about his move to Vancouver and the differences between American and Canadian football as he begins his first season as the club's 25th head coach.

The first time Aaron Rodgers met Jeff Tedford, they played checkers, not football.

“It was a way of teaching an offence,” Rodgers, the Green Bay Packers’ star quarterback, explains on the phone. “The pieces were marked for certain positions. He moved the defence and I aligned the offence, and it was just a little example of what a great teacher he was.”

B.C. Lions general manager Wally Buono swears Tedford and John Hufnagel, the offensive minds behind Buono’s Calgary Stampeder teams at the start of the 1990s, revolutionized football on both sides of the border when they designed plays with empty backfields and flooded the field with receivers.

“That changed how defences played — what you did with your quarterback, what you did with your protection, everything,” Buono says.

“Not having tight ends, not having fullbacks, not having quarterbacks under centre — everything you see today. It kind of changed your whole mindset of everything.”

A journeyman quarterback during six seasons in the Canadian Football League in the 1980s, Tedford has long been regarded as a brilliant football scholar, an innovator who thinks the offensive game on a different level. But for all his brainpower, it was Tedford’s heart that caused a U-turn in his coaching career and brought him back to the CFL.

Last summer, the 53-year-old from Downey, Calif., was wearing a whistle and lab coat for the National Football League’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Hired as offensive coordinator by head coach Lovie Smith after two decades in major college football, Tedford was finally working in the biggest league in the world.

On Sunday, he opens the B.C. Lions’ training camp in Kamloops as the team’s new head coach.

Heart surgery changed plans

NFL coordinators don’t leave that league for CFL jobs. This career move was unthinkable last summer. But for Tedford, so was heart surgery and two stents implanted to keep his arteries open, a leave of absence just as the NFL regular season was starting last September and a termination agreement with the Buccaneers only three months later.

“I passed out before the final pre-season game,” Tedford says. “It was in my hotel room in Buffalo. My arm was shaking. You’re wondering what’s going on and the next day (you see the doctor) and he tells you you have major blockages and you need stents. And you go: ‘What?’

“Then it’s all the things after it. Every time you have a chest pain, you think about this or think about that. At age 53, you start thinking: What is this all about? And you start looking at life a little differently. At least I did. It changes things.”

Tedford tried to return to work in an advisory role only a couple of weeks after surgery, but struggled under heavy medication. Then he struggled more as he tried to reduce it on order to be sharper at work.

The Bucs, who went on to a 2-14 season and finished 30th among 32 teams on offence, announced last Sept. 24 that Tedford was taking an indefinite leave of absence. On Dec. 5, he agreed with the Bucs to terminate his contract.

After three season on the Stampeders’ staff with Buono, six seasons at Fresno State, four at the University of Oregon and a career-defining 11 at Cal-Berkeley, Tedford never coached a regular season NFL game.


“I think there’s some guilt that goes along with letting the players down or letting your coaches down,” Tedford says. “I felt obligated to be there, but I just couldn’t.

“It was a great experience to get to know the players, a great experience to get to know the staff. But the NFL really wasn’t any different as a coordinator. Football is football, whether it’s NFL or college football or the CFL. To me, it’s not an ego thing. It has nothing to do with that.”

Buono hired Tedford on Dec. 19. Coming one month after Mike Benevides was fired by Buono, it was a surprising hire because nobody expects a coach who earned more than $20 million US during a decade at Cal to take a two-year CFL contract.

Equally surprising, it was Tedford who reached out to Buono, not the other way around.

“I was flabbergasted that he called me,” Buono admits. “Here he was the offensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Bucs and I get a phone call and he says: ‘I see you made a coaching change. Would you be open to discussing that with me?’

“The funny thing about it is two years ago, he came to one of our games. He was going up to Whistler and called me, so I hosted him and his wife, Donna, at the game. I asked him: ‘Jeff, would you ever consider coming back to the CFL?’ He said: ‘Coach, if everything was right, I’d love to come back. My wife’s Canadian, my kids were born in Canada. I would welcome that.’ “

Thrilled to be in Canada

Rodgers, drafted by the Packers in 2005 and the best of a long string of quarterbacks groomed by Tedford and sent to pro football, says he is not surprised his friend took a head coaching job in Canada rather than wait for another position in the U.S.

“Coach Tedford is a head coach,” Rodgers says. “He can command a room. In front of the room he’s an incredible speaker, and he’s a great teacher of the game. So I wasn’t surprised that he got a head-coaching gig. I was actually one of his references and talked to Lovie Smith in Tampa before he hired Jeff. I gave him as rave a review as I possibly could because I owe so much to him for giving me the opportunity to be in the position I’m in.

“He can grind and be a coordinator somewhere, but he has a commanding, charismatic presence at the front of the room. He used to speak fondly of his time in the Canadian league. He’s a ball coach; he loves a new challenge and I think that’s how he views this.”

Tedford resuscitated the football program at Cal, taking a Golden Bears team that won only four games in three seasons before he arrived and turning it into a consistent winner and conference power. Tedford went 82-57 and won five bowl games before the university fired him in 2012 after a 3-9 season.


But the CFL game, with one more player, one fewer down and an expansive field, is an entirely different brand of football. Before promoting Benevides from defensive coordinator in 2011, Buono said American football coaches were typically unqualified to becoming head coaches in the CFL.

It has been 24 years since Tedford worked for Buono in Calgary.

“Jeff had nine years of experience both playing and coaching in the CFL,” Buono says. “That nine years, even though it might be a little further in the memory bank, is still there. He has just increased his coaching resume since then.”

Preparation is Tedford’s forte

Tedford acknowledges he is climbing a steep learning curve, but notes that his coaching staff has immense CFL experience. His offensive coordinator, George Cortez, has won five Grey Cups during 20 seasons in Canada. Cortez was Tedford’s offensive coordinator at Cal from 2002 through 2005.

“We knew when we stepped on the field that we were going to be the most prepared team,” Rodgers recalls. “We beat teams on the scoreboard on Saturday at Cal. But we actually beat them Sunday through Friday with preparation because Jeff and George … were sticklers about details and making sure their players were as prepared as possible.”

Tedford met his wife in Calgary, and his two sons, Quinn and Taylor, were born in this country. Quinn, 26, is on the Lions’ staff as a offensive quality control coach — a catch-all title that means he’ll be assisting in a lot of areas. Quinn sees a change in his dad since the health scare.

“I definitely do,” he says. “I think it was an eye-opener, not only for him but everyone around him as well. Being a coach, you get locked into long hours and not eating right. I think he knew he had to balance his life a little better. I definitely think he’s more energized.”

Jeff Tedford admits there was a significant lifestyle component to coming to the Lions. He bought a house in Langley big enough for Donna’s parents to stay with them on visits from Calgary.

“I’m coaching a great brand of football, very competitive and exciting,” he says. “At that point, it really wasn’t about money, it was about lifestyle.

“I’m actually more excited to have this opportunity again and get back at it. Because when you go through something like that (medically), you wonder, ‘OK, what am I going to do?’ Are you going to get the opportunity to do this again? So to get this opportunity is awesome. I’m re-energized and feel very fortunate to be around the players and other coaches, and compete and prepare and do all those things that making coaching so much fun.

“I’ve never been good at forecasting or planning where I want to be. Things have just happened to me over my career and I’ve landed in certain places. I’ve only had a couple or three jobs. I’m not a big mover. Things just kind of happen.”

Some interesting takeaways from this article.

The first is that it was Tedford who approached the B.C. Lions, following the firing of Benevedes, to inquire about the Head Coaching job. Wally had asked Tedford two years earlier if he would ever be interested in coming back to the CFL and Tedford had said he would love to return to Canada if the situation was right. Wally was 'flabergasted" that a coach with Tedford's resume would be interested in our Leos.

Its interesting, in the article that " Wally Buono swears Tedford and John Hufnagel, the offensive minds behind Buono’s Calgary Stampeder teams at the start of the 1990s, revolutionized football on both sides of the border when they designed plays with empty backfields and flooded the field with receivers.“That changed how defences played — what you did with your quarterback, what you did with your protection, everything,” Buono says.“Not having tight ends, not having fullbacks, not having quarterbacks under centre — everything you see today. It kind of changed your whole mindset of everything.”

Yes, Tedford and Hufnagel introduced the spread offence to the CFL..an offence that would be continued by Cortez and Chapedelaine and a host of other CFL coordinators who followed Tedford and Hufnagel's lead. But Tedford's return will not be a return to the spread offence. Instead he will return to the CFL with more of a pro-set offence using an H Back. The H Back will be a hybrid tight end/fullback who can be used in motion, as a lead blocker, as a tight end, or even spread out. Chap, in 2011, moved away from the spread offence to utilizing more pro sets. He often used Lumbala as an H Back, off-set as a fullback and lined up as a tight end. Chap also used an offensive lineman as a second tight end in a double tight end set.

That helped our running game and our pass protection. However, Lumbala was not a player who had tight end pass catching skills and the extra offensive lineman in double tight end sets was never accounted for as a reciever by defenses. The H Back that Tedford will utilize will change that. The H back will be big..in the 250 pound area and have pass catching tight end skills...a player who can go downfield and over the middle in the pass game as well as block for the run/pass game.

~Another takeway is that Tedford's wife is Canadian and his children were born in Canada

~I was impressed with what Aaron Rogers said about Tedford.

Coach Tedford is a head coach,” Rodgers says. “He can command a room. In front of the room he’s an incredible speaker, and he’s a great teacher of the game. So I wasn’t surprised that he got a head-coaching gig. I was actually one of his references and talked to Lovie Smith in Tampa before he hired Jeff. I gave him as rave a review as I possibly could because I owe so much to him for giving me the opportunity to be in the position I’m in.

“He can grind and be a coordinator somewhere, but he has a commanding, charismatic presence at the front of the room. He used to speak fondly of his time in the Canadian league. He’s a ball coach; he loves a new challenge and I think that’s how he views this.”
Its going to be an interesting season and it will involve a new way of doing things in B.C. Lions land. One thing for sure, win or lose, I feel confident that we have an experienced, bright, and very professional man in the Head Coaching spot. Mike Benevedes would be wise to watch Tedford coach from this TSN broadcasters booth. He can learn a lot of things in terms of being professional. Tedford would never say he got rid of the 'trash'. Aaron Rogers says 'Tedford can command a room". Benevedes made players wince with his pre-game speeches and his sideline antics. I feel optomistic that our Leos will be moving in a postive direction again in 2015.
"When I went to Catholic high school in Philadelphia, we just had one coach for football and basketball. He took all of us who turned out and had us run through a forest. The ones who ran into the trees were on the football team". (George Raveling)
Dusty
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For the first time in at least 2 years I am excited about the season ahead. My sense is that mediocre is not going to be accepted. We have heard those platitudes before, in fact the Leo's often "said" things like that before, but I do believe that Tedford "does" it.... he lives it. I am also optimistic that the sideline professionalism will translate to the players in the form of them being more determined on the field.
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B.C.FAN
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Watching the minicamp this spring, it was fascinating to see Morrah and his backup, Leonard, deployed all over the field as 250-pound receivers and blockers from the H-back position. This isn't your typical CFL spread offence, where slotbacks or converted fullbacks or backup linemen are enlisted as blockers in the running game, pulling extra defenders into the box. With their personnel, the Lions can shift from double tights or spread formation without making a substitution and keep defences off balance.
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SammyGreene
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Excellent read from Iain McIntyre and great insight Blitz.

Super stoked for this new era under Tedford. No longer am I worried about are schemes becoming stale or being out coached. Of course, a lot will depend on Lulay's health but I'm sure all eyes around the league, especially with other coaching staffs, will be on what Tedford brings to BC.

This story by McIntyre will help but the Lions need to be marketing the heck out of Tedford. I'm usually all for putting players front and centre but this is a unique situation with quite frankly an over qualified coach that could be making a whole lot more money down south if he chose to as an NFL coordinator or heading an NCAA Division One school. Get him in print ads and take advantage of such high profile players like Aaron Rodgers heaping praise on him. Let all the Seahawk bandwagon fans know who Marshawyn Lynch's college coach was.
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David
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I've never met Jeff Tedford. But I get a good read on people very quickly and in the dozen or so times I've seen him in front of a camera, this guy is a natural leader. He gives thoughtful, measured responses and has an aura; someone that will walk into a room and immediately command respect. He kind of reminds me of a US military general. Confident, no nonsense, and in complete control.

When you have a HC who's a natural leader; one who commands respect and has an established, winning pedigree, it bodes really well for this team. Players (veterans and rookies alike) will very quickly sense he's the real deal and want to perform well so as to live up to his expectations and not let him down.


DH :cool:
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WestCoastJoe
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It is a great lifestyle story, and a great football story.

People that live here can understand the attraction of B.C. and of the CFL. One could say Tedford is downsizing in football. Less money. Less pressure. Smaller pond. But an absolutely great game.

With his wife and kids born in Canada, this is a natural move for Tedford. And we are the beneficiaries.

Like everybody else around here, I am stoked at this development.

H Back? Awesome. Very exciting prospect.

And Cortez to work with Tedford? Doubly awesome.

Great article, Blitz. Thanks for posting.
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Jimmy Johnson's Game Keys: Protect the ball. Make plays.

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Toppy Vann
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Great story and it seems like he's not stuck on his ways versus what works.

Glad he wants to be in the CFL and you'd have to be a dummy not to know that Wally has suggested to the owner etc that JT would be his call for his replacement. I think that is a no brainer.

The Stamps today are the organization setting the benchmark for professionalism.
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TheLionKing
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Had an opportunity to meet Jeff Tedford. What others have said about his command of the room is true. As well, he is a very articulate speaker.
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DanoT
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Toppy Vann wrote:Great story and it seems like he's not stuck on his ways versus what works.

Glad he wants to be in the CFL and you'd have to be a dummy not to know that Wally has suggested to the owner etc that JT would be his call for his replacement. I think that is a no brainer.

The Stamps today are the organization setting the benchmark for professionalism.

I guess I'm a dummy because I consider McAvoy (sp?) and Simon to both be possible GM replacements when Wally retires. I would expect that JT has a lot more say or will have an ever increasing say in personnel decisions than other head coaches.
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WestCoastJoe
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DanoT wrote:
Toppy Vann wrote:Great story and it seems like he's not stuck on his ways versus what works.

Glad he wants to be in the CFL and you'd have to be a dummy not to know that Wally has suggested to the owner etc that JT would be his call for his replacement. I think that is a no brainer.

The Stamps today are the organization setting the benchmark for professionalism.

I guess I'm a dummy because I consider McAvoy (sp?) and Simon to both be possible GM replacements when Wally retires. I would expect that JT has a lot more say or will have an ever increasing say in personnel decisions than other head coaches.
Dano, I agree with Toppy on this one. I would say it is a slam dunk that JT replaces Wally when the time comes. Re McAvoy, IMO he does a very good job as assistant GM. Geroy is inexperienced in football management work. Tedford just might get the chance to hold both GM/HC dual roles as Hufnagel has done in Calgary, and as Wally did throughout his career. And this is assuming that Tedford will be quite successful as HC. No reason to expect other than that.
John Madden's Team Policies: Be on time. Pay attention. Play like hell on game day.

Jimmy Johnson's Game Keys: Protect the ball. Make plays.

Walter Payton's Advice to Kids: Play hard. Play fair. Have fun.
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