Dykes left Louisiana Tech to replace Jeff Tedford and took over the struggling Cal program in 2013, but could never get the Bears turned around. They went 8-5 in 2015, but then slid back to 5-7 this season.

”This was an extremely difficult decision and one that we take very seriously,” athletic director Mike Williams said in a statement. ”There was no rush to judgment; we wanted to be thorough and thoughtful. Ultimately, it was a combination of factors that brought us to this outcome. … Primarily, we want what’s best for our student-athletes and have a head coach in place who is fully committed to our program and our university.”

Fox Sports first reported Dykes had been fired.

Dykes and the administration seemed to be at odds after that 2015 season during a prolonged negotiation of a contract extension. The deal was finally worked out and Dykes’ deal was extended through the 2019 season. Dykes is owed more than $5 million under terms of the deal finalized in March.

Dykes finished his tenure with a 19-30 record, including 10-26 in the Pac-12.

He said he was ”surprised and disappointed” by the move and called Cal a special place.

”I am comforted, however, that I leave this program in much better shape than when I arrived four years ago,” he said in a statement. ”I am confident Cal will find a great coach to lead these great young men, they deserve nothing less. As for me, change is unfortunately a constant in this profession. I have great passion for what I do and how I do it. I look forward to the next chapter.”

Offensive coordinator Jake Spavital will serve as interim coach.

Speculation will now turns to Dykes’ successor, with former Oregon and San Francisco 49ers coach Chip Kelly’s name likely to be linked to the job. After a dominant run at Oregon, Kelly had less success in the NFL and was fired earlier this month by the 49ers, a year after being dismissed by the Philadelphia Eagles.

Wisconsin defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox, a former assistant at Cal, is also a likely candidate.

The Bears had been consistent winners for nearly a decade under Tedford, with only one losing season from 2002-09. Things started to slip after that. The athletic department struggled financially and the football team’s Academic Progress Rating of 930 was the worst in the Pac-12 at the end of Tedford’s tenure.

The academics bounced back under Dykes, posting APRs of 969, 946 and 997 the past three years to raise the four-year average to 960 – the program’s highest since 2008-09. But on the field there were few victories, despite record-breaking offenses. With quarterback Jared Goff, the Bears were one of the most prolific teams in the country but only managed one bowl appearance. Cal beat Air Force in the Armed Forces Bowl last season.

”Coach Dykes clearly built up our program – both on the field and in the classroom – and he leaves Cal in a stronger position than when he arrived,” Williams said. ”For that alone, he deserves credit and our thanks. After our bowl win last season, we showed our commitment to him with a contract extension. But after looking at a number of factors after the end of this season, I felt that we needed a change of direction for the good of our student-athletes and our program.”

Goff went first overall in the NFL draft last year and transfer Davis Webb stepped in to keep Cal’s offense rolling. The defense, however, was again one of the worst in the country, ranking 122nd in yards per play.

In four seasons under Dykes, the Bears never ranked better than 102nd in the nation in yards per play allowed.

”We want to win championships,” Williams said. ”The success of our football program is vital to both our department and our university community, and its influence can be felt well beyond Berkeley.”

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AP College Football Writer Ralph D. Russo in Tampa, Florida, contributed to this report.

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More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25

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The quick turnaround and short week following Friday’s double-overtime win against Oregon forced Cal to condense its normal schedule, something that wouldn’t bother Dykes so much if there weren’t so many other factors involved.

The Bears already had to trim a day off their regular routine because Thursday night’s game is on the road. On top of that, several Cal players are in the middle of midterm exams, reducing their availability for practice even more.

It’s a topic that Dykes has been simmering over for a few weeks now and one he wasn’t ready to back off of Tuesday.

”When you sit down and look at the schedule, clearly it’s not ideal,” Dykes said ”It’s one of those deals where you just go, `How in the world did this ever happen? How could somebody let this happen?”’

Cal (4-3, 2-2 Pac-12) was coming off a 12-day break when it beat Oregon in Berkeley on Friday night in a game that lasted nearly 4 + hours and didn’t end until almost midnight local time. The Bears ran 118 plays offensively against the Ducks, which Dykes said was the equivalent of playing two games.

On the other hand, USC (4-3, 3-2) hasn’t played since thumping Arizona 48-14 on Oct. 15.

While some team would have had to play the Trojans coming off a bye, Dykes can’t understand why the Bears were selected to do it on short rest – and on the road.

”We’ve had to make a lot of schedule changes and do a lot of different things out of the norm,” Dykes said. ”It’s one thing to do it on six days’ notice. It’s another to do it on the road. But our guys have handled it well.”

The Bears shortened their work week to try to get everything in.

Players were given Saturday off but were back on the field Sunday afternoon. Cal practiced on its normal day off, Monday, but several players were unable to attend due to academic responsibilities.

”The challenge you always face is making sure that you balance keeping them fresh with getting enough reps and developing your young players,” Dykes said. ”Just teaching them all the things you need to teach them about your opponent in a limited amount of time. We’ve got to balance getting some work done but at the same time making sure we’re fresh.”

Cal’s players don’t seem bothered by the quick turnaround.

Defensive back Cameron Walker and left tackle Aaron Cochran said the short week means more emphasis on studying USC and doing extra film work.

Quarterback Davis Webb, on the other hand, doesn’t think it will be much of an issue at all.

”It’s a challenge but I think it’s a mindset at the same time,” Webb said. ”We understand that’s how the schedule rolled for us this year and there are no excuses. We have to play a tough team on Thursday night and we look forward to the challenge. If you don’t know the game plan and what they’re going to do by Thursday then you’re in trouble.”

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