Conference Pac-12 Conference 2012 record 3–9 (2–7 Pac-12) | Division North Division | |
Head coach Jeff Tedford (11th year) Offensive coordinator Jim Michalczik (3rd as oc; 9th overall year) Defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast (3rd year) | ||
The 2012 California Golden Bears football team represented University of California, Berkeley in the 2012 NCAA Division I FBS college football season. The Bears were led by eleventh-year head coach Jeff Tedford and played their home games at Memorial Stadium after having played at home the previous season at AT&T Park due to reconstruction on Memorial Stadium. They were members of the North Division of the Pac-12 Conference.
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Coming off a 7–5 previous season, the Bears fell to 3–9 (2–7 in the Pac-12), the second losing season in three years and the worst of the Tedford era. Despite a decisive win over eventual Pac-12 South winner UCLA, Cal closed out the season with five consecutive losses. While wide receiver Keenan Allen became the team's all time leader in career receptions, no receiver posted a 1,000 yard season and no running backs broke the 1,000-yard rushing mark. Tedford was subsequently fired as head coach on November 20.
Coaching staff
Postseason
Three days after the close of the season Tedford was let go on November 20. On December 5, Louisiana Tech head coach Sonny Dykes was announced as his successor. On the same day, wide receiver Keenan Allen, who had become Cal's all-time leader in receptions during the season, announced that he would forgo his senior season and enter the 2013 NFL Draft. Several members of Dykes' coaching staff at Louisiana Tech joined him at Cal for the same positions they had coached with the Bulldogs: offensive coordinator Tony Franklin, assistant head coach/wide receivers coach Rob Likens, running backs coach Pierre Ingram, and special teams coordinator/inside receivers coach Mark Tommerdahl. Longtime running backs coach Ron Gould, who had been with the program since 1997 and served under Tedford's predecessor, Tom Holmoe, left to become the head coach at UC Davis.