With its glory days behind it, the old football program faces scandal, disarray, and a potential 1-win season. The current head coach is about to leave, giving the job to a new face on campus instead of promoting someone from within. Jeff Tedford has turned the trick once. Can he do it again?

The 2001 football season at Cal was a disaster. The team won only once, in its final game against Rutgers. Tom Holmoe, a master at recruiting, couldn't coach at all and was removed after a long 5 years. To make matters worse, an academic scandal erupted after class credit was given where it was not due. The penalty was there would not be a bowl for the team the next year, something laughed at after seeing the 1-win campaign just completed. Former Cal AD Steve Gladstone led the coaching search. We could've had Marvin Lewis or Art Shell, but he went with the unknown. Jeff Tedford had just completed a stint as offensive coordinator at Oregon. Nobody knew what was about to come, right down to the first game against Baylor. When the first play was a long completed touchdown pass, you knew something was different about the team. A previously inept Kyle Boller was now a QB wonder, leading his team to an unthinkable winning season. Boller would leave for the NFL the next season, but Tedford stayed and it seems that was all that was needed, leading Cal to a bowl victory.

Here we are this year. Coach Tedford is currently leading his team to the first Rose Bowl since 1959. Two Heisman candidates are playing as QB Aaron Rodgers is deadly accurate and RB J.J. Arrington racks up at least 100 yards every game. The defense is also doing its job, recently posting back-to-back shutouts. But while football is successful, a gathering storm brews above crumbling Memorial Stadium. UC Berkeley, with a new chancellor and athletic director, is just getting its feet wet in trying to renovate the stadium on Strawberry Canyon. With the price tag going well above $100 million, the money isn't coming in fast enough, fueling speculation that the savior of Cal football may leave for greener pastures. Clauses in Tedford's contract state that the penalty for leaving early will be reduced and a restriction to coach at another Pac-10 school will be lifted if the football facilities aren't upgraded.

While no Cal fan wants to see Tedford leave, if he does, it'd be best if he goes east to Florida or moves up to the NFL. But all the rumors seem to have him going to Washington. Faced with rebuilding after a gambling scandal involving former coach Rick Neuheisel, former Cal coach Keith Gilbertson has led the Huskies to a one-win season this year with 2 games left. Gilbertson has already submitted his resignation, leaving the administration looking for a new coach.

I went to Memorial over the weekend to see the nail-biter against Oregon, and yes, the stadium could use a remodel. After all, it sits right on top of a fault line. But the glacial pace it is progressing is what is fueling all the rumors. If they want to delay for the sake of the players not having a distraction, it's too late. With a source claiming only $11 million being raised, there's a long way to go before the rumors die and we find out who's going where. Bottom line is for Cal to be successful, the coach needs to stay.