FRESNO, Calif. - As Fresno State head coach Jeff Tedford temporarily steps away to address health concerns, Tim Skipper, current assistant head coach and linebackers coach, will lead the Bulldogs through the upcoming bowl game. Fresno State will learn its bowl game designation on Sunday.
Skipper is in his second season back with the Bulldogs, having been on staff at Fresno State previously from 2006-11 and playing in a Bulldog uniform from 1997-2000.
He has also had coaching stints at Florida, Colorado State, Sacramento State, UNLV and Western New Mexico.
He comes from a family of coaches. His father, Jim, coached for four decades before his retirement in 2019. Tim's brother, Kelly, has been in the profession since 1989 and currently coaches running backs for the Buffalo Bills. Kelly was an All-American RB at Fresno State.
Skipper played his collegiate career at Fresno State. He was a four-year starter at Fresno State at middle linebacker from 1997-2000, he earned an appearance on both the 1999 and 2000 watch lists of the Butkus Award, presented annually to the nation's top linebacker. A two-year defensive captain and three-time All-WAC selection, he ranks second in school history with 418 career tackles, including 117 in his first campaign, when he earned freshman All-America recognition. He was voted the team's most inspirational player as a senior in 2000.