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The Oregon Ducks have hired Rip Rowan to their defensive coaching staff, an experienced coach at both the NFL and collegiate levels. How can the addition of Rowan help Oregon's defense that returns several key players for the 2026 season? What Rowan Brings to Oregon Ducks DefenseRowan’s experience coaching at both the collegiate and the NFL level makes him a valuable addition for an Oregon defense that looks to remain consistent under new defensive coordinator Chris Hampton, who takes over for Tosh Lupoi after his departure to become the coach for the California Golden Bears. Oregon Ducks On SIOregon's New NFL Coach Hire Is Bigger Than It AppearsThe offseason additions to Oregon coach Dan Lanning’s coaching staff continued on Monday, as the Ducks are expected to hire Rip Rowan as a member of their defen

Thank you for the info, H. Direct payments and NIL have leveled the CFB and CBB field talent wise. They have also reduced the depth and quality of the rosters. Amen on hiding mistakes. A basketball bench is much shorter than a football bench. And with the bigger NIL deals and direct payments being dedicated to football, once you have spent what is needed to take care of the starting five in basketball and maybe one or two other capable players, there is a substantial drop-off when starters are injured. Perhaps I'm just an old guy waving his cane, but today's players with better nutritional guidelines and strength and conditioning programs are more often injured than those of us raised by The Greatest Generation. And members of The Greatest Generation thought that starting both games in a doubleheader was no big deal. When basketball players competing in the NCAA and NBA today are dinged, many of these 'injured' players look like 'injured' professional soccer players who are at death's door and then back on their feet without going to the sidelines. When the guys who are being paid top dollar can't go, no matter how good the coaching, good luck. I think this disappointing season for Men's basketball has more to do with systemic issues than with Dana's coaching. The spirit is still there with this team, and the flesh is willing. But the flesh of healthy players is not ready for B1G-time ball.

At Michigan State, Garrett Briningstool is Chief of Staff/General Manager NIL. But, it may be akin to football where the head coach has an O-Coordinator but the head coach calls all the plays? Across college basketball a lot of head coaches are pretty insular about giving up any authority relative to recruiting and the portal. It would take a great personal relationship between a head coach and a GM for a head coach to trust him. It is easier to "hide mistakes" on a football roster than it is on a basketball roster - fewer guys play regularly, and more games for critics to snipe at.

The "GM slot" is there, but not sure the duties are: https://goducks.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coaches/josh-jamieson/5409

Thanks, Jon. I've noticed the same thing about basketball players these days, especially my Trail Blazers, these guys are always hurt!!! Give me a break, wimps!

Agreed. NIL Money is being tossed at high school kids, and the amount is increasing at hyper-inflation rates. Anytime costs double in just a few years there are problems that need to be addressed for the long-term well being of the sport. As far as a full time GM for men’s basketball. The team has an executive director/assistant coach, and 4 assistant coaches. If you include DA, that is 6 people managing a roster of 16 to 18 players. Although, I have know idea of what an executive director does for the team.

Sounds like Altman does not want one, but perhaps he's changing he's views on this. Otherwise, the powers that be may have to impose one on him.

Yes, seems very odd that we were not, but apparently, Altman did not want it.

With Altman's tenure, is Rob Mullens prepared to force Altman into something that the coach doesn't think he needs? A lot of assumptions in this question, no doubt. Perhaps Dana asked for a GM, and Rob said no? Even without a GM, I cannot imagine that Dana is not receiving help on the direct payment and NIL fronts. I look at where Dana is in his career, and I think of Michigan State's Tom Izzo, another veteran coach who is not happy with the state of college athletics. While I am certain Izzo receives help on the transfer and NIL front, from what I can determine using a modest search engine being deployed by a guy with modest tech skills, Michigan State basketball does not have a GM. Thanks for another thought-provoking article, Darren. Are you or any of us certain that the money for a GM is available? The cash king is football. Rob Mullens says football ticket prices are going up in 2026 because the athletic department needs more money. This is happening at Oregon, one of twelve B1G athletic departments that is in the black. (Private schools USC and Northwestern do not have to file a financial statement with the Department of Education.) But dig deeper: many profitable programs, mostly due to football, student fees, and state support, are revenue-wise in the black but carry significant debt and debt service obligations. From a liquidation analysis, many of these 'profitable' athletic departments are functionally insolvent. According to Big Ten Network, across the Big Ten and its panoply of varsity sports, one team outside of Football and Men's Basketball is profitable. The Minnesota men's hockey team. The injuries are troubling. Are the strength and conditioning programs for varsity sports at Oregon and elsewhere across the conference operating at the top level? Perhaps it is generational, but athletes today seem to be injured and unable to play more than back in the day when boo-boos were cured by rubbing some dirt on them. GM or not, the majority of B1G Men's basketball teams have not had their full complement of athletes available this season, including OBD, UCLA, USC, and UW. You can bring players in with NIL, but with bigger bodies banging together at faster speeds, can you keep them healthy? A GM would likely help with the roster, but would be of no help with keeping the roster at full strength. Win the opening game in the B1G CBB tournament on Tuesday, March 10th, and advance. The team is down this year, but the team has not given up, a testament to Dana Altman. Thanks again, Darren, for the terrific and timely article. The cost of fielding varsity college programs is unsustainable. But can this problem be fixed?

YES! This progrum needs all the help it can get . Seems to be treated like the redheaded stepchild of a dead beat dad as of late.

For the women, the 1 point loss to UW yesterday was a drop from No. 8 to No. 11 in seed. And, the No. 8 seed in the bracket would not have been cozy either. 2026 Allstate Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament Bracket Announced

As usual, good article Darren . . . but a GREAT point to cover. I hope Mullens has a subscription to the Forum.

I'm with you Darren...I never could have imagined the program declining like this. I was encouraged to see the Women get 20 wins, and then I see that they are the No. 11 Seed in the B1G tournament? Wow. How far we have fallen...

Oregon Ducks Baseball Turns Heads With Live Like Lou Vegas Classic VictoryWith the Oregon Ducks undefeated entering the Live Like Lou Vegas Classic, they leave victorious with only one loss of the tournament, their first against UC Irvine. Plus, eight Ducks made the all-tournament team. Oregon Ducks On SIOregon Ducks Baseball Turns Heads With Live Like Lou Vega...Only 11 games into their 2026 season, the Oregon Ducks baseball team is on a roll in an attempt to capture the College World Series glory that last years' squad

What's new with the Oregon Ducks' QB room ahead of 2026 spring season? https://duckswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/ducks/football/2026/03/02/oregon-football-spring-quarterback-preview/88933898007/

STACKED: Oregon’s Dante Moore, Dylan Raiola, Brock Thomas Lead ELITE College Football QB Room

YES! Agree to getting a GM for basketball. Dana needs help! Oregon should have been at the forefront in this matter. Thanks Darren

Has it really been nine years since Oregon’s 2017 Final Four team? Dana Altman is in Year 16, and as steady as the program progressed from his first year in 2010 to the high point of the Final Four in 2017, the program has steadily, and equally, regressed. Injuries have decimated the Ducks this year, and when one of the ... Does Oregon Need a Basketball GM?

OREGON ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | SUNDAY, MARCH 1, 2026 BASEBALL | @OregonBaseball Ducks Finish Las Vegas tournament With a Win over Vanderbilt LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Devin Bell bounced back from a tough outing on Saturday getting the final two outs with the bases loaded to help Oregon clinch a 6-4 win over Vanderbilt at the Live Like Lou Las Vegas Classic on Sunday at Las Vegas Ballpark. The Ducks (10-1) went 2-1 in the tournament, while Vanderbilt (7-5) finished 0-3. Cal Scolari (2-0) picked up the win after giving Oregon a quality start. He did not allow a run while surrendering just two hits with two walks and eight strikeouts. Five Oregon pitchers combined to strike out 14 Commodores. How It Happened: Maddox Molony gave Oregon an early lead belting his third home run of the season, a solo shot in the second inning. The Ducks added to the lead, scoring a pair of runs in the third inning. Angel Laya led off the inning with a base hit before moving to second on a sacrifice bunt and scoring on a Ryan Cooney double. Jax Gimenez followed with a run-scoring single plating Cooney for a 3-0 lead. Oregon tacked on another urn in the fourth with another long ball. Burke-Lee Mabeus went the opposite way lofting a ball over the left-field wall for a 4-0 lead. Gabe Miranda Oregon pushed the lead to 6-0 in the sixth inning with back-to-back home runs. Dominic Hellman pulled one to left field 396 feet for a five-run lead. Gabe Miranda followed with a 398-foot shot to right-center field. Vanderbilt cut the lead to 6-4 in the eighth behind three home runs. Box Score Notes: Molony moved into solo possession of fourth on Oregon’s career home run list with his 28th … He needs two more to tie Tom Dodd (1977-79) for fourth … Oregon’s last back-to-back home runs came at Texas A&M on June 9, 2024 … Hellman’s homers in consecutive game marked the first time a Ducks’ hitter homered in consecutive games since Anson Aroz did it on June 8-9, 2014 at Texas A&M. On Deck: Oregon returns home for its first of three games against in-state rival Oregon State on Tuesday (3:05 p.m./B1G+) before hitting the road again for a three-game series at Purdue in the Ducks’ Big Ten Conference opener.

The Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament starts on Tuesday, March 10th. The games will be played at the Chicago United Center. As of March 1, 2026, No. 16 seed Oregon would open against No. 17 Maryland. Seedings for the entire field as of March 1st are shown below. Oregon suffered a bad beat at Northwestern on Saturday. Down by one point, the conference's leading scorer, Northwestern's Nick Martinelli, overcame solid Oregon defense and scored the winning basket with 1.5 seconds left to be played. Martinelli's winning bucket came on Nick Martinelli Bobblehead Night. Martinelli leads B1G scoring and is odds-on to be only the 5th B1G men's CBB player to win back-to-back scoring titles. If Oregon wins six games in a row, the Ducks would win the championship and advance to the NCAA Tournament. So, you're saying there's a ... 😁 On32026 Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament Bracket: Updated...With just one week remaining in the regular season, the latest seeds/bracket for the 2026 Big Ten Tournament in Chicago has been revealed.

Ducks win 6-4. Blake Crawford was brought into the most intense situation...and this was his first college appearance? He walked a batter, as did Luke Morgan before him. Devin Bell, who had horrible control issues yesterday comes in, and I'm rummaging through drawers looking for stronger blood-pressure medication. He walked a batter to load the bases....three walks by three different pitchers, but Bell, this time, got the save with fly-balls generated. Wow!

6-4 Ducks after eight innings. I wrote too soon about relievers being OK, as Toby Twist gave up a HR, and then another that scored two runs. But wait! There's more as Luke Morgan comes in and gives up an HR before finishing the inning. Oregon strands two on base...

6-0 Ducks after seven innings. After the disaster with relievers yesterday...I was holding my breath when Oregon's reliever Toby Twist came in, but he did fine and kept them scoreless. Aaarg! Ducks had bases loaded and left them stranded.

6-0 Ducks after six innings. Cal Scolari returned and put them down! Dominic Hellman hammered a homer so hard that it hit the scoreboard, and then Gabe Miranda is getting his confidence back with a RF home run!

4-0 Ducks after five innings. Cal Scolari has 75 pitches, not what I reported before, and he may yield to a reliever.