Charles Fischer

Martinez is another Bucky....he is pretty good.

Dano will go anywhere to improve the coaching staff, and take from anyone...including probably his best coaching buddy!

The official press release below offers more information...and is interesting. Assistant HC? Jumping past a ton of veteran coaches on the staff? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EUGENE, Ore. — Oregon football head coach Dan Lanning officially announced the hiring of Ra'Shaad Samples as the Ducks' new assistant head coach and running backs coach on Tuesday. Samples joins the Ducks after spending the 2023 season as the wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator at Arizona State. He was the running backs coach for the Los Angeles Rams in 2022, after being hired as the youngest position coach in the NFL. Still just 29 years old, Samples will be an FBS assistant head coach for the third time in his career. He spent time as the assistant head coach and running backs coach at TCU in 2021 before joining the Rams, following three seasons at SMU. He began at SMU in 2019 as an offensive assistant with an emphasis on recruiting, and was elevated to running backs coach and recruiting coordinator before being promoted to assistant head coach. "We are thrilled to be able to add a coach of Ra'Shaad's caliber to our program," Lanning said. "Coach Samples is one of the brightest young coaches in all of football, and it is easy to see why he has had such a rapid rise through the coaching ranks. He is a dynamic personality who will bring out the very best in our student-athletes both on and off the field, and he will recruit relentlessly to bring the best young men we can find to our program." "I am excited to see the impact Ra'Shaad has on our players' development as we continue to build upon the storied history of running backs here at Oregon." A former receiver, Samples spent 2013 and 2014 at Oklahoma State before transferring to Houston for 2015 and 2016. He joined Houston's staff as an offensive assistant for 2016 and 2017 after dealing with injuries, and then went to Texas as an offensive assistant and on-campus recruiting coordinator in 2018. While at Texas, Samples worked with current Oregon tight ends coach Drew Mehringer, who was the Longhorns' receivers coach at the time. "First, I want to thank Kenny Dillingham and the opportunity he gave me at Arizona state," Samples said. "He played a big part in my growth but I am tremendously excited and grateful join Dan Lanning and his highly regarded staff at Oregon. The chance to learn from some of the best minds in football is invaluable. I am looking forward to adding value and becoming a part of the championship culture Oregon is continuously building on." While at Arizona State, Samples oversaw the development of receiver Elijhah Badger, who was an all-Pac-12 honorable mention selection in 2023 after racking up 65 receptions for 713 and three touchdowns. Upon being hired by the Rams as the NFL's youngest position coach, Samples was instrumental in the evaluation, draft selection and development of running back Kyren Williams, who went on to make the Pro Bowl in his second season after rushing for 1,144 yards. In his stint at TCU, Samples played a key role in the signing of Emani Bailey, who went on to rush for 1,209 yards on 223 carries in the 2023 season. Samples developed a relationship as one of the nation's elite recruiters while at SMU, where he received a promotion each year on his way to being named assistant head coach. The Mustangs' 2021 recruiting class was the highest-ranked in program history, and Samples finished as the No. 1 recruiter in the conference (247Sports) after the December Signing Day period. During the 2020 season, Samples was listed among 247Sports' 30-under 30 list and was on Dave Campbell's 40-under-40 list in 2021. He mentored Ulysses Bentley IV to FWAA Freshman all-America honors and AAC Rookie of the Year honors, after he led the league with 913 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns in 10 games. In his first season at SMU, Samples coached FWAA second-team all-American and first-team all-AAC selection James Proche to a nation-leading 111 receptions for 1,225 yards and 15 receiving touchdowns. Proche was selected in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens. A native of Dallas, Texas, Samples caught 62 passes for 1,072 yards and 23 touchdowns as a senior while playing for his father, Reginald Samples, at Skyline High School. He also had 65 catches for 1,369 yards and 19 touchdowns as a junior, and would go on to be a consensus four-star prospect and a top-20 receiving prospect in the nation.

I like your observations Ryan, and for me--it is so hard to predict. I do agree with most on the forum, in that he has to end up in the right place that matches up well with him. We wish him the very best!

Wish I had a reaction icon for....

But wait....isn't Dan Lanning a Defensive Coach? Not here! He wants it all on both defense AND offense!

I will have some analysis and update Baseball stuff later this week. Some very interesting developments from this last weekend, and the weekend before. I keep an eye on D1 Baseball, and their No. 18 ranking has me excited for Our Beloved Ducks. As you look at their top-25...how many teams are in the 2025 B1G? Only Oregon and Nebraska! We will be the BIG DUCK in that cold-weather pond, and can kick-butt. (But we are off to a good start in the last year of the Pac-12) D1Baseball Top 25: Ducks, Cajuns, Pokes leap into rankings • D1Baseball D1BASEBALL.COM The top five remains the same, led by No. 1 Arkansas, but there is plenty of upheaval elsewhere in the D1Baseball Top 25, which features three new teams in the rankings.

Just the beginning BABY!

Wow. I DARE anyone to read the article below and NOT get excited! Evan Stewart makes strong impression during his first week of Oregon practice 247SPORTS.COM Texas A&M wide receiver transfer Evan Stewart has shown flashes of his 5-star talents during his first week with the Oregon Ducks. Are you sure now about your pick Alex? (What great choices to have!)

There have been rumblings about him....speed concerns, and other concerns on other sites. Once in a while a player may have a better chance at playing for the Hated Huskies, or the Bastard Beavers and with Dan Lanning's incredible recruiting nationally--that will get even better being in the B1G...I say this is a reasonable negative that can occur. Or I trust Lanning with his analysis, that perhaps the player is not what others think. Or I realize that this is a sophomore in High School, and a lot can happen over the nearly two years before signing day...if the player is really good.

Alex, I think you make a great pick, as his interviews recently indicate a real passion for improving across the board. Dan Lanning has guaranteed a great receiving corps this year. Why? Because of all the depth he builds at all positions, and WR is now loaded. Think of it...we typically have three wide receivers on the field at a time, and we have veterans in Holden, Tez Johnson, and Gary Bryant. (Who I believe is due for a break-out) But when you add transfer Evan Stewart and freshman Jurrion Dickey...and I would bet that a true freshman will emerge in either Jerimiah McClellan or Ryan Pellum....you have more talent than positions. Whoever is starting is going to be pushed by someone really good, and frankly--it feels that one of first four I mentioned is not going to be starting, and will be torqued. Thus he will work hard and push for playing time. Too many times in the past we had a great player at a position who was NOT pushed by additional talent at that position. But now...Lanning is actually pulling it off, and loading up talent at every position to assure success with that position group. This receiver group is starting to look like the talented and deep corps of 2014... Evan Stewart

I'm sure a few of you wonder that, and first of all, it is not always yours-truly doing it, although I am the guilty party a good bit of the time. Why? To make it easier on the readers...is the short answer. Readers want to know what they are opening in a thread, or they won't open the thread if they do not know the topic or are unsure of it. Web behavior studies have confirmed this, so if someone posts a lame title that tells us very little--one of us on the staff will improve it to help our readers. (Or nobody will read it) And we add some sizzle to the title to attract Google searches, and thus new readers. Sizzle is what makes people want to open the thread, and you cannot do bait-and-switch on the readers. The sizzle must be accurate about the topic of the post, as that is what builds trust by the readers in our forum. It is an acquired skill, to tell us in the title what the thread is about, AND to create some sizzle in the title. Make it easy on us, and do your best...and please keep posting!

Oh geez. Of course you cannot change your base speed, as either you are fast or not...but you can improve your first step quickness and acceleration with better running technique and emphasis. What do you think WRs and DBs are doing prior to the NFL Combines? You can lower your 40 yard dash time, from typical to above average, for example. How do I know? Because as a offensive lineman in the summer of 1973....I did specific sprint and weight workouts to improve my speed in order to help make downfield blocks in the upcoming season. It worked, even back then. Was it dramatic? No, as I went from slow, to not-as-slow...and that was enough to get me in position on a number runs that created explosion plays and helped us win. And that was in 1973? So yeah...I imagine they have ways to coach them up a little faster 50 years later. How to Get Faster: Four Simple Rules for Training Speed (Plus Two Speed Workouts) - Therapy Partners Group THERAPYPARTNERSGROUP.COM The two fastest teams in the NFL last season were the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs. They also happened to be the top two teams in the NFL, meeting each other in the... 10 Drills for Improving Speed — Raymer Strength & Rehab RAYMERSTRENGTH.COM Looking for ways to help your athletes to improve their speed? Learn some beginner rules of thumb and 10 drills that take little-to-no equipment. My apologies for my 'tude, but at times...it feels like people want someone else to do all the work for them, and frankly--my plate is full.

This is like Lincoln Riley leaving Oklahoma before things caught up with him, and he would be eventually shown the door. Strike for your biggest contract while you still have the cachet, and the going is good... From one SEC team to another? Should be some interesting games later...

Always interesting to see what opposing fans feel; I thought I'd skip the usual, "Phil Knight buys whatever he wants," and focus on what the fans thought of Samples as a coach. After reading quite a bit...it seems there is more to the story about where Samples ends up on the staff? Or simply a brief stepping-stone that Oregon is OK with? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "His recruiting prowess is off the charts. Keep him on the staff for at least a couple more years as a result of a large pay bump with the OC title. Dilly has stated he’s already capable of running his own program... It’s moot given that we have an OC, but Samples runs the TX recruiting market. He’s pretty important to everything ASU football, but especially key in TX recruiting circles." "His stated goal is to become a Head Coach within the next 5ish years. Does an Oregon RB coach title get him closer to that? I’d understand if he left for an OC role but this move doesn’t appear to align with the career trajectory of a head coach." "Hopefully nobody follows him in the portal. He recruited a lot of our younger/transfer skill position guys." "Samples played receiver in college though. He only took the RB job because it was what was available at SMU when he was getting elevated from a GA role. He wants to be coaching receivers unless he's calling plays. Only reason to take this Oregon job is the allure of the Duck." "This is the funny part. KD has said he intentionally didn’t try to poach Oregon staff or players because he didn’t want to betray Lanning. Now Lanning is targeting our ace recruiter lol." "Honestly, it sucks to lose Coach Samples, but we all knew he was leaving at season's end for something bigger and better. He is a beast and will do great at Oregon."

You are welcome to Google-search it and let us know, as obviously there must be skills that they can learn.

OK....Mike...like below--that was funny!

Six-Run Fifth Keys Comeback Win EUGENE, Ore. – For four and two-thirds innings Sunday, Washington ace Ruby Meylan kept No. 22 Oregon off the scoreboard as the Huskies built a 3-0 advantage into the fifth inning during the series-deciding game three. But the ninth-ranked Huskies gave the Ducks an opening – in this case an error at shortstop that allowed Kai Luschar to reach base – and Oregon took advantage with six two-out, unearned runs to rally for a 6-4 come-from-behind victory in front of 1,985 fans at Jane Sanders Stadium. “The PAC is tough,” said coach Melyssa Lombardi. “To come in and get one from a team that’s ranked top-10, we want to win the PAC. In order to win the PAC, we have to beat teams like Washington and find a way to win the series." “What I was really excited about was, if you looked at each game, we got better and better as the series went on, which to me is a really good sign,” said Lombardi. With two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the fifth, Alyssa Daniell came through with the biggest hit of the series, a bases-clearing double that tied the game at 3-3. Emma Kauf followed with another double that scored Daniell for a 4-3 advantage. Freshman Katie Flannery then hit her first career home run at Jane Sanders Stadium, a two-run shot that made it 6-3. The Huskies wouldn’t go quietly, loading the bases in both the sixth and seventh innings, but Morgan Scott got the final five outs to save her second game in a row as the Ducks won the series, two games to one. It was the first series win for Oregon (22-13, 9-5) over Washington (26-7, 10-5) since a sweep in 2018. “It feels amazing,” said Daniell, a Happy Valley, Ore., native. “This team deserves it. This team works hard every single day. We know what we are capable of, and we are very happy it showed today.” http://goducks.com/images/2024/4/7/2024-04-07_SB_OR.vs.WA_03670_DliQD.JPG How it Happened: Washington opened the scoring with a two-out, two-run home run by Alana Johnson in the top of the first. The Huskies got a runner on following the home run, but Vallery Wong threw the runner out at second to end the inning. The Huskies added a run on an Oregon throwing error in the top of the second for a 3-0 lead. After that, it was an outstanding effort in relief from Elise Sokolsky, who kept the Huskies scoreless for four innings. Sokolsky scattered five hits over four innings to improve to 5-1 on the season. She struck out four, including the final out in the third and fourth innings. Oregon’s rally in the fifth inning began with Paige Sinicki’s double. After Luschar reached on an error, Hanna Delgado’s ground out to the right side moved both runners up a base. Ariel Carlson was then called out on a third strike penalty assessed for not entering the batter’s box in a timely fashion for the second out of the inning. Meylan then plunked Wong on the first pitch of her at-bat to load the bases. “When I saw (Carlson) walk off, that fired me up,” said Daniell, after the bat was taken out of the hands of Carlson, the Ducks’ RBI leader. “I was thinking there was no way I would let that go. That at-bat was for Ariel, for Val, it was for everyone. That fired me up.” Daniell laced a 2-0 pitch into left center to drive in all three runners. Kauf jumped on a 2-2 pitched and doubled to almost the identical spot as Daniell in left center. Daniell scored easily with the go-ahead run. Flannery also drilled a 2-0 pitch to left center, but hers soared over the outfield wall and just like that, the Ducks went from a 3-0 deficit to a 6-3 lead. “They aren’t allowing the moment to get too big,” said Lombardi. “If past at-bats that didn’t go their way, they can let it go and move on to the next." “Think about the times this year where someone hasn’t gotten their way in the first couple at-bats, but they stayed the course and came up big in their last at-bat,” said Lombardi. “They are really, really starting to understand when we talk about staying neutral and having the ability to reset, you could really see that today.” http://goducks.com/images/2024/4/7/Sokolsky_UW_EE__4__bS5nh.JPGhttp://goducks.com/images/2024/4/7/2024-04-07_SB_OR.vs.WA_03845_cPGu8.JPGhttp://goducks.com/images/2024/4/7/Sokolsky_UW_EE__4__bS5nh.JPGhttp://goducks.com/images/2024/4/7/Sokolsky_UW_EE__4__bS5nh.JPG Sokolsky struck out the first Washington batter she faced in the top of the sixth, but back-to-back hits prompted a call to the pen for Scott. She walked pinch-hitter Jadyn Glab on a 3-2 pitch to load the bases, but then retired both Rylee Holtorf and Avery Hobson on swinging strike threes to end the inning. The Huskies again kept the home crowd on edge in the top of the seventh. Scott yielded a leadoff single but retired the next two batters. Olivia Johnson singled and Jillian Celis walked as Washington loaded the bases for the second consecutive inning. Sydney Stewart ripped a line drive to the right side that Daniell dove at and knocked down, but Stewart reached as a run scored to make it 6-4. “I know my role and I know what my job is and I wasn’t going to back down to anyone,” said Scott. “I knew they had good hitters, but I had better abilities. Today it was all about spinning the ball.” With the tying run at second, Scott induced Giselle Alvarez to hit a chopper to Sinicki at short, who fired across the diamond to Daniell for the final out of the game. It was Scott’s third save of the season and her second in as many days. “As we kept going into the weekend, we kept getting better with what we were doing,” said Lombardi. “(Scott) came in and she was not going to be denied." “Last night even, and today, she was not going to be denied,” said Lombardi. “She came in today and knew exactly what she wanted and was able to execute it.” Quotable Winning pitcher Elise Sokolsky on the top of the seventh inning “From the dug-out it was intense, but there was never a doubt in my mind we weren’t going come out on-top. I know Morgan, I know my defense. I knew they weren’t going to let that win slip away from us.” Pitcher Morgan Scott on being a part of her first series win against Washington “It feels amazing, especially for this program. This is my second year here and being able to go against the top dogs is a great feeling.” http://goducks.com/images/2024/4/7/2024-04-07_SB_OR.vs.WA_02582_ACunY.JPG Coach Melyssa Lombardi “These guys played hard for each other all weekend long. You can really see that. You can see their confidence. You can see them wanting to do well for each other.” Notable: Oregon scored 14 of its 18 runs in the series with two outs … Delgado had a hit in all three games and extended her hitting streak to six games … Luschar stole her team-leading 19th base of the season, while Carlson swiped her 11th bag of the year … Kauf and Luschar both had two hits on Sunday … Duck pitchers stranded 11 Huskies on base on Sunday. On Deck: Oregon hits the road for a four-game trip through Arizona. The Ducks will play Grand Canyon in Phoenix on Wednesday (6 p.m., ESPN+), before a three-game series at Arizona that begins Friday (5 p.m., Pac-12 Network).

I was watching the video of Traeshon Holden, (thank you NJDuck!) and he mentioned how his speed and explosiveness has improved with "the new speed coach." Huh? Now there is stuff announced all the time that I only half read, or notice. Apparently this hire occurred in late December, and if it is helping our receivers and DBs get even faster? Fantastic! SIDEARM Integrations GODUCKS.COM The Oregon athletic department announced the hiring of Kyle Bolton as the new director of speed and performance for the Oregon football program on Dec. 27, 2...

Walsh Makes History as Ducks Down Bruins LOS ANGELES — Jacob Walsh became the Ducks’ all-time leader in home runs with a right-field blast to open a five-run third inning that powered Oregon baseball to a 6-3 win over UCLA to claim its fourth Pac-12 series of the season on Sunday. After back-to-back shutout innings from Kevin Seitter to open the game, Walsh opened the scoring with a no-doubter to right field that put the Ducks (22-8, 8-4 Pac-12) on top of the Bruins (12-17, 5-10 Pac-12). Drew Smith and Chase Meggers each connected on RBI doubles before Maddox Molony mashed a two-run shot to left field to cap a five-run third inning for UO. UCLA tacked on three runs across the fourth and fifth innings, but the Ducks’ pitching combined for four scoreless frames across the remainder of the game to win the rubber match and take the series in UCLA for the first time since 2014. How It Happened: Seitter started the game on the mound for Oregon and struck out four batters while holding UCLA scoreless across the first three innings. With a scoreless game entering the bottom of the third, Walsh stepped up to the plate with one out and crushed the 3-1 pitch for his program-record 32nd career homer. Jeffery Heard connected on a double in the following at-bat and scored the second run of the day off of a Smith double on the very next pitch. The doubles continued as Meggers hit the first pitch he saw to score Smith, and Molony sent a ball over the left field wall to tack on two more runs and open up a 5-0 lead. The Bruins responded with a run in the fourth and two in the fifth, cutting into the Duck lead 5-3. The bullpen took over for Oregon in the sixth inning as Turner Spoljaric struck out two on his way to retiring three-straight UCLA batters. In the top of the seventh Dominic Hellman stepped up to the plate with runners on first and second and poked a single through the right side of the field to score an insurance run for the Ducks. With a three-run lead, Logan Mercado entered the game in the eighth inning and inherited two runners on base. The senior righty was un-phased as he retired three-straight Bruin batters to get the Ducks out of the jam, and proceeded to sit down three-straight again in the bottom of the ninth as Oregon clinched the series win. Notables: Bryce Boettcher earned his fourth outfield assist of the year…Walsh made his first-career start in left field…Outfielder Justin Cassella missed his sixth-consecutive game. Up Next: The Ducks open up a six-game homestand against Sacramento State on Tuesday at 5:05 p.m. PT.

Oregon is now 22-8 (.733) and in a clear second place in the Pac-12 at 8-4 behind the Bastard Beavers (7-4) and only a game ahead of a cluster of teams. We place Sacramento State on Tuesday and Wednesday, and then host a BIG series next weekend against USC, who is hot right now.

You know, I would have thought by now that we would see some Beaver fans owning it...placing the responsibility where it belongs. It always fascinates me to see intelligent people absolve themselves of any accountability. I can see that this is a delusion that will never die. So often "Little-Brother" makes you cringe...

Oregon beating the Bastard Huskies at any sport is sweet, it is especially nice when they are ranked in the top-10, as Our Beloved Ducks were No. 24th ranked. It must have been fun at "The Jane" today, and more details are forthcoming. Winning clutch games Saturday and today!