Jeff Tedford Relieved of Coaching Duties by Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Jeff Tedford's tenure as Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator never got off the ground, and it reached an inevitable end Friday.

According to Jenna Laine of SportsTalkFlorida.com, the Bucs have officially released Tedford from his contract:

Laine also reports that it was only a matter of time before the two sides parted ways:

The long-time University of California head coach was chosen by Buccaneers head coach Lovie Smith to lead a new-look offense in 2014. Unfortunately, the 53-year-old coordinator was forced to take a medical leave of absence after undergoing a heart procedure.

Tedford never returned to the team, but he claims that his condition has now improved significantly, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport:

Following the termination of his contract, Tedford expressed gratitude toward the Bucs for helping him work through a difficult time, according to Buccaneers.com:

"

My wife and I want to thank the entire Buccaneers organization—from the Glazer family, to head coach Lovie Smith and general manager Jason Licht—for all the faith and confidence they expressed in me. I will always be grateful to them for the opportunity to participate in the off season program, the draft, free agency, training camp, the preseason and the beginning of the regular season. I have built friendships here with administration, coaches and players that will last a lifetime.

"

Now that he is free to explore other opportunities, Mike Garafolo of FoxSports.com is reporting that he has interest in once again becoming a head coach at the collegiate level:

Tedford coached the Golden Bears from 2002-2012, going 82-57 and winning the Pac-10 championship in 2006.

He is widely regarded as an offensive guru, which could make him an attractive candidate. It is unfortunate that Tedford never had a true chance to prove his worth in the NFL, but he has a bright coaching future ahead of him nonetheless.

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