Grandpa Duck

While I cherish the past, and the schemes Charles’ library holds on this site, that success was dependent upon tempo and facing outdated defenses that current teams trashed long ago. We need a team that is at the cutting edge of what is happening today, not ten years ago. My expectation is that this eager young staff will bring their own innovative changes that surprise opponent coaches the way our “brand” once did so well. That surprise factor coupled with speed is the Oregon football I hope to see.

As my son, a football fanatic, texted during the game, “Hard not to be excited about Lanning.” I replied, “ I found the clip of him talking to his players very interesting. Totally engaged.” He cannot do it alone. Hopefully he is hiring a staff that duplicates his enthusiasm.

David, with all due respect, I can stand to be bored if the Ducks put points on the board every possession.

I once worked for a lousy boss and left a very good job because of him. After some others at my level also quit, the lousy boss was canned. Then the company hired all of us back. None of us picked up his offensive behaviors.

Maybe some recruits will recognize the opportunity for early playing time.

Not over til . . . it’s the end of the 4th quarter. p. s. OT not likely with missed extra point.

Hayward, I suspect there are more than a few Duck fans with emotions displayed toward players in a manner you find abhorrent. Even worse than your little league parents, far worse. From before Autzen opened until the second year alcohol was served there, I had reserved seats, the last nearly 50 years in the donor section. Parking pass, tailgate in the grass at the northeast corner where there used to be cable TV connections, the whole deal on game days. We and the rest of our group planned our lives around the Duck football schedule. Not anymore. Maybe it’s age, but the behaviors of many Duck fans is such that I don’t want to be anywhere near them. It didn’t use to be that way. But, neither you nor I will be able to silence the negative screamers. My refuge is being a TV fan. I have tried going back to Autzen. It will never be what it was, and the bad fan emotional behavior is a huge part of why it changed.

Agree with Annie. Rose Bowl is not fan friendly. Built in 1920, when people were much smaller, the distance between rows, and the extreme length of the rows between stairways, make getting in and out a people moving process. many fans at bowl games are only occasional followers of football for whom trips to the concession stand have as much or more importance than the play on the field. So you spend a great part of your game time accommodating that, not only for their food gathering, out then back in, but also the subsequent round trips to the loo for depositing the food and drinks they bought. Then there is the extremely low rake on the first 20 or so rows. Hard to see over anyone taller than about 5’ 10”. Rose Bowl is not a stadium I will again visit.

I must have missed the evidence that Justin Wilcox was offered the job. Is there a Mullins or Wilcox quote out there? Maybe the two of them allowed a face-saving rumor to circulate to also soothe the egos of the former player letter writers.

Adding to McDuck’s comment about a philosophy of an aggressive approach with explosion plays, Lanning said he would attack the entire field in offense, defense and special teams. The story yesterday about his progressive increase in linebacker blitzing is revealing. I suspect we will see innovation like has not been there since Chip was the OC. A willingness to try he unusual and surprise.

Axel, some of us have grown very weary of "gotcha" questions from reporters seeking only a sensational headline. Who really needs that kind of "news" and for what purpose?

My spouse picked up on a related comment. Like Lanning, she started as an elementary PE teacher and coached little girls basketball. She says: "Anybody who plays kick ball, dodge ball and scooter tag with third graders knows how to have fun." Watching Lanning today I felt like he was in his element, having fun, enjoying himself and like he says, not having to work at his "job".

Usually avoid posting in a thread I began, but I forgot something "If William Jewell College comes calling, I'm staying at Oregon." The guy definitely know how to soften a touchy spot with humor.

eu GENE and ORY gun So many people who have not been here fail that elementary test. This Lanning guy has a vocabulary, ideas based on experience and a presence that few people, not just coaches, acquire. The most important question was about his age. Paraphrasing, "How does a young pers like yourself get to where you are today?" He said: "I'm a good listener." Next most important question: "How will you go about chosing your staff?" Answer: "When I was a graduate assistant at Arizona State I started puting down names on that Notes App in the iPhone." We're in for an exciting ride.

Well done, Charles. Lots to chew on there. So far, Lanning bringing the whole family her yesterday is a good start.

I'm wondering just why did the Joey group bother to send a letter like that anyway? It sounds like they are feeling left out over the past several years because the Oregon Head Coach was an outsider, "Slick" and then Cristobal, who did not give them their expected respect that they got from Chip and Helfrich. They wanted a familiar Head Coach rather than another "outsider". It's not that they don't deserve respect and recognition for their past contributions. They most certainly do. It's that they are not as likely to get those acknowledgments from someone who was not part of what they did.

Nice thought, McDuck. Instead of "and offer he couldn't refuse" it was "an offer he couldn't accept" because he couldn't meet the qualification.

The timing, "so close to early signing day", was not Oregon's choice. Once Cristobal left the alternatives were to hire or leave the position vacant. Mullens made the obvious choice. There is no optimal time to bring in a new player. Spring practice is in April. For conditioning it's nice if a player graduates from high school early and comes in for winter term, but the same player can enter spring term and make spring practice.

The ones that get away are not the only fish in the stream. When I had employees reporting to me, if they indicated they might be leaving I never tried to talk them into staying. "Let me know right a way so I can open the position to potential new blood."

What would you expect a rejected candidate to say other than "I turned it down."?

Lanning is salivating to beat Michigan so he can get another crack at Sabin's offense (assuming Bama beats Cinncinatti). People who think a defensive coordinator cannot have a significant impact on his team's offense don't understand what defensive coordinators do all day. A clue. They look at the next opponent's offense on film to find there strengths and flaws. My guess is that DC's know precisely what OC's or even offensive assistants they would want on their staff should they become a head coach. They even know what offensive line coaches are doing their job.

I think he will do well. A grade. I also think Mullins did a very good job getting the hire reasonably quickly and in an honorable manner. our Head coach tenure for the last four averages 3.25 years. I expect Dan Lanning to make it 5 years. Hope I am able to see that.

As a former US Army Artillary guidance unit maintenance technician on Nike Hercules anti-aircraft missiles, 1958-60, Go Army!

Read this article by Chip Towers, DawgNation Staff : In case the link doesn't work, Lanning started at Pitt, not as a coach, but in the athlitic office as quality control person. Then to ASU, not as a coach, but as recruiting coordinator. This guy has the basics of how to be a head coach before he ever coached college football. He took those office jobs to get his foot in the door. Lanning has a wife from before he started at Pitt in 2011 and three kids I figure to be about age 6 to 9. Those are the ages where kids make school and friend attachments that cause their parents to hesitate to move. The best reference Lanning can give is that his head coaches moved and took him with them to ASU and to Georgia. And, if the link didn't work, and you know more than me about how to link, please find it and link it to this thread. Wikipedia, Dan Lanning, ft. note 2. Thanks.

In this life you don’t stand still. You’re either going forward or backward. Right now this program is doing the latter at warp speed. Bringing in the past is not likely to reverse that direction and probably would accelerate it.