http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/newmedia/public/rates/index.html

1999 – 44%
2000 – 52%
2001 – 53%
2002 – 64%
2003 – 65%
2004 – 54%
2005 – 48%

They did climb initially for the first few classes that were fully under Braun’s tenure, but they have fallen off in the past couple seasons. It may sound like an empty rationale, but Barbour can actually point to data showing why this may have been a concern. However, this runs counter to the reason she gave for firing Ben Braun a few years ago.

Here are the numbers for the Cal Basketball program over the same period:

1999 – 38%
2000 – 33%
2001 – 30%
2002 – 20%
2003 – 30%
2004 – 33%
2005 – 50%

Those graduation rates were always much, much lower than those of Tedford’s program (note the 2005 class actually were calculated against the 2011-2012 season, which was the third under Montgomery’s watch, not Braun).

At the time, Barbour made no mention of the performance in the classroom, however. Per a quote from an article on ESPN at the time of Braun’s firing:

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=3313928

“Ultimately, the bottom line is we just didn’t win enough basketball games,” Cal athletic director Sandy Barbour told the Associated Press. “I believe this is a very talented team and I believe they underperformed. … It concerns me not to put the student-athletes in position to have outrageous success.”

While I do think that graduation rates are a concern for the institution at large, it does sound like a convenient excuse made to avoid trampling on the grave of the man who helped bring Cal a new football stadium.

But, that said, the team had been drifting for several years and the last half of this season was almost pathetic– the jaw dropping blowout losses week after week. There’s no way I could see Tedford turning things around after those morale-killing debacles.

It’s too bad, because I don’t see Cal getting a better coach. If not for those lemon-sucking losses this year Tedford would likely have gotten another shot in 2013. He won’t starve at least. Thanks for the memories Jeff and best of luck in future endeavors.

The graduation rate has not been an issue
when Cal makes a bowl appearance.

Tedford’s record with regard to the importance of academics is well documented. For example, when Cal played Maryland on the east coast a fews years back, they had a 12 noon kickoff. Citing the need to attend class, Tedfor refused to take the team out a day early to allow them to adjust to the time change. In essence, Cal played a game with a 9 AM kickoff. They lost.

Also if you recall, Tedford bused the team down to LA for the UCLA game rather than flying. He said he could save the University about $100,000 by doing it. Of course, the move was largely symbolic, but it showed he was sensitive to the econonmic crisis facing the University.

Barbour also said Tedford was a “good man.” At least she got that right.

My mother took me to my first Cal game when I was 8 yrs old. She told me that rooting for the Bears wasn’t about winning. It was more important than that. It was about being proud of the University. Now for the first time, I’m ashamed of it.