Barbour talks Sunday meeting

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CORVALLIS, Ore. -- After California's 62-14 loss to Oregon State on Saturday, Athletic Director Sandy Barbour walked 11th-year head coach Jeff Tedford off the field, and patted him on the back. After Tedford was done addressing the media, Barbour made herself available to answer questions in advance of her Sunday meeting with the Bears' all-time wins leader, who just finished his second losing season in three years.

"We're going to start the conversation about how we get better. We'll go from there," Barbour said.

Asked if the decision had been made as to whether Tedford would return next season, Barbour did not give a specific answer.

"We'll start looking [at the program] that the season is over now," Barbour said. "Jeff and I will sit down tomorrow and start looking at how we get better, what the answers are, what the solutions are to put us on the right path to be a better football program."

Pressed on whether or not a decision would be announced on Sunday, Barbour also demurred.

"Guys, that's what we're going to do. That's what I'm focused on -- how do we get better? -- and we'll start on that tomorrow," Barbour said. "We're going to get home late. It really doesn't matter what time tomorrow, we're going to get started."

While Tedford's record since losing to Oregon State with a No. 1 ranking on the line on Oct. 13, 2007 has been middling -- 33-37 overall, 21-30 against conference opponents -- Barbour said that the decision is more than just about results on the field.

"It's a football program analysis -- how do we get better?" Barbour said. "Football is really, really important to Cal, and there are a whole myriad of things that are impacted by it, and there is a whole complex formula on what impacts the results. And that's what we've got to start a conversation on."

As for the recent graduation success rate that came out recently, Barbour, like Tedford, said that "none of us are satisfied with that."

"That starts with Jeff and I, to every player, to everyone involved in the program, to every member of our community," Barbour concluded.