INSTEAD OF MARIO WHO WOULD YOU HIRE?

[Jon Joseph]

Let me make it clear. I am not giving up on Oregon making the PO in 2021. The game at Stanford was a perfect storm of OC and Starting center out, bad quarter-backing, a nemesis again rearing its ugly head and head scratching calls that have every right to be questioned.

 

Mario is not going anywhere. If there was doubt about his remaining as the Ducks HC he would not have received the contract extension, pay raise and increased amount of his buy out. As long as Mullens is the AD and as long as the Ducks contend for and win conference titles, Mario is the Oregon HC.

 

But hypothetically, let's say Mario takes over as HC at his alma mater Miami, who would be on the radar as a replacement hire?

 

Not Leaving; Sark will not leave UT and the SEC for Oregon. I see James Franklin, while he might take the USC job or LSU job when it opens, not being interested in trading Happy Valley for Eugene. 

 

Lincoln Riley? No way. A guy who has OK rolling and is also off to the SEC.

 

Bob Stoops? Don't see it? Ditto, Chris Peterson.

 

Luke Fickell? Ohio through and through.

 

Bloom off the rose? Matt Campbell did take down Mario and the Ducks last season. But this season when Iowa State was supposed to be a threat for a PO spot? 2Ls to date mean no PO and likely no B12 championship. Plus, Campbell has no recruiting experience on the west coast.

 

Brian Kelly? The man is 60. Notre Dame to Oregon would be at best a lateral move.

 

In play? Mark Stoops who has done a great job at Kentucky. Jeff Hafley who has done good things in his short tenure at BC. Dave Clawson who is coaching the only undefeated team in the ACC, Wake Forest. Dan Mullen, a guy who appears to be fed up with the Florida job?

 

But none of these guys has actively recruited the west coast. Mullen in particular has not done a great job of recruiting in talent rich Florida.

 

So and let the bricks be thrown my way, I'd go with Lane Kiffin. A guy who has matured. A guy who will put an effective O on the field. A guy who can coach up QBs. A guy whose D at Mississippi has greatly improved in his 2nd season in Oxford. A guy who can recruit and is very familiar with recruiting on the west coast.

 

Again, I want Mario to succeed, to coach up the talent he has recruited and have Oregon in the PO field more often than not. But, am I hopeing against hope?

 

 

[DUCKED]

On 10/6/2021 at 10:09 AM, Jon Joseph said:

Let me make it clear. I am not giving up on Oregon making the PO in 2021. The game at Stanford was a perfect storm of OC and Starting center out, bad quarter-backing, a nemesis again rearing its ugly head and head scratching calls that have every right to be questioned.

 

Mario is not going anywhere. If there was doubt about his remaining as the Ducks HC he would not have received the contract extension, pay raise and increased amount of his buy out. As long as Mullens is the AD and as long as the Ducks contend for and win conference titles, Mario is the Oregon HC.

 

But hypothetically, let's say Mario takes over as HC at his alma mater Miami, who would be on the radar as a replacement hire?

 

Not Leaving; Sark will not leave UT and the SEC for Oregon. I see James Franklin, while he might take the USC job or LSU job when it opens, not being interested in trading Happy Valley for Eugene. 

 

Lincoln Riley? No way. A guy who has OK rolling and is also off to the SEC.

 

Bob Stoops? Don't see it? Ditto, Chris Peterson.

 

Luke Fickell? Ohio through and through.

 

Bloom off the rose? Matt Campbell did take down Mario and the Ducks last season. But this season when Iowa State was supposed to be a threat for a PO spot? 2Ls to date mean no PO and likely no B12 championship. Plus, Campbell has no recruiting experience on the west coast.

 

Brian Kelly? The man is 60. Notre Dame to Oregon would be at best a lateral move.

 

In play? Mark Stoops who has done a great job at Kentucky. Jeff Hafley who has done good things in his short tenure at BC. Dave Clawson who is coaching the only undefeated team in the ACC, Wake Forest. Dan Mullen, a guy who appears to be fed up with the Florida job?

 

But none of these guys has actively recruited the west coast. Mullen in particular has not done a great job of recruiting in talent rich Florida.

 

So and let the bricks be thrown my way, I'd go with Lane Kiffin. A guy who has matured. A guy who will put an effective O on the field. A guy who can coach up QBs. A guy whose D at Mississippi has greatly improved in his 2nd season in Oxford. A guy who can recruit and is very familiar with recruiting on the west coast.

 

Again, I want Mario to succeed, to coach up the talent he has recruited and have Oregon in the PO field more often than not. But, am I hopeing against hope?

 

 

Kiffen, Jonathan Smith (remember, Rich Brooks was a Beaver before he became a Duck), Leach (at least would be entertaining if not necessarily winning football)….and of course Urban Meyer will be available soon, probably before season’s end. 

[Haywarduck]

Since we are talking about what isn't going to happen, but has an outside chance, I would hire Nic Saban as Senior Coaching Analyst when he retires. By the way, Saban will be 70 at the end of the month, Alabama is a Nike School so......

 

To make it to the elite level we need somebody who Cristobal will listen to on his ear. Have PK hire Saban at the Analyst level, and have him lead Cristobal to the top of his coaching tree. He wouldn't even have to move to Eugene, but who wouldn't want to move from Alabama to Oregon, I mean really. Just pay Saban to make a couple calls a week to Cristobal and set him straight!

 

 This is the only sure way to get Oregon to the top!

[David Marsh]

That's the real question.. if not Cristobal then who? 

 

And the answer is... none of the current top coaching talent is leaving where they are at for Oregon. Some of the up and coming coaches are also probably not good fits for Oregon as they really are mid-west coaches. 

 

So that leaves a whole lot of questions with no real answers. 

[Pocketchange]

I would want Mike Bellotti to create my team of coaches. His coaches created teams that punched well above their weight and I would like to see what he would do with all this talent.  

[GODUCKS15]

I wanted Kiffin when Taggert quit. Instead got MC. 

[Jon Joseph]

On 10/6/2021 at 1:47 PM, DUCKED said:

Kiffen, Jonathan Smith (remember, Rich Brooks was a Beaver before he became a Duck), Leach (at least would be entertaining if not necessarily winning football)….and of course Urban Meyer will be available soon, probably before season’s end. 

 

I considered J Smith being on the list? But then I thought: Would Terry Donahue have left UCLA for USC?

 

If he keeps it up in Corvallis Smith will be on many the ADs radar.

[Babyjesus615]

James Franklin HC, Jonathan Smith OC, Dan Lanning DC

 

Than being said, I think Cristobal should be the HC. I do believe he needs to realize that the fanbase and the donors (one in particular) are expecting him to ascend to the top of the College Football mountain. To do this he is going to have to swallow a very uncomfortably sized pill and let both Jim Mastro and Alex Mirabal go. These are two coaches who were decent hires at the time because of the rebuild but I don't believe will ever help a team achieve national championship capability. Mastro's running backs have not developed into either bruisers or shifty, DAT style backs.

 

Sure Travis Dye can get on the outside and avoid tackles but at no where near the ability of an NFL style all purpose back. McGee remains to be seen. Mirabal has done absolutely nothing with the talent he's be handed at offensive line. The fact that both he and Cristobal have control over it means neither is qualified to DEVELOP (key word there) these players and coach them up. Sure Cristobal is an "offensive line nut" but that doesn't mean he or Mirabal are the most qualified to run the position.

 

He needs to do himself a favor and hire a position coach that can develop/coach up the line and for gods-sake please stop it with these rotations on the line. Settle on a starting 5, give them reps until they can do it blind, and then do the same on the 2nd team!

[Jon Joseph]

On 10/6/2021 at 2:40 PM, Haywarduck said:

Since we are talking about what isn't going to happen, but has an outside chance, I would hire Nic Saban as Senior Coaching Analyst when he retires. By the way, Saban will be 70 at the end of the month, Alabama is a Nike School so......

 

To make it to the elite level we need somebody who Cristobal will listen to on his ear. Have PK hire Saban at the Analyst level, and have him lead Cristobal to the top of his coaching tree. He wouldn't even have to move to Eugene, but who wouldn't want to move from Alabama to Oregon, I mean really. Just pay Saban to make a couple calls a week to Cristobal and set him straight!

 

 This is the only sure way to get Oregon to the top!

 

Very interesting idea. But is Saban ready to hang it up any time soon? His age certainly does not seem to be hurting recruiting and snagging quality guys from the transfer portal.

 

And his all time run of success on the field continues. Ole Miss is not a bad team. Ole Miss would be a legit threat to win the Pac-12 conference and the ACC conference. Last Saturday Bama destroyed Ole Miss.

 

How much $ would Saban command to take such an oversight job? And would he be satisfied simply to be an adviser? To have no say regarding the assistant coaches, practice habits, etc.?

 

One thing I don't get? Why can't Mario emulate Saban from afar? He worked for the man. He has seen the man evolve his coaching philosophy on both sides of the ball. 

 

I am reasonably certain that if Mario asked, Saban would welcome a visit from Mario and his assistants to Tuscaloosa? The kind of visit Swinney and his assistants made to Eugene when Chip was the HC.

 

But is Mario too prideful too ask? Seems to be Mario's way and don't get in my way?

[UtahDuck]

I don't think their is a great answer to this.

 

First, we need to recognize mario's ability in the recruiting trail. We all like to make light of frost's remarks about how it is difficult to recruit to oregon. But we need to realize their is truth to it. Mario is successful because he puts in a ton of effort and he seems to resonate with families and players. These are both incredibly important skills/traits for a school like oregon that has at most 5 FBS talented players in state a year. Oregon/Nike doesn't just recruit itself it still needs people to represent it and go out their and work hard. 

 

While to some this may not seem that important recruiting is by far the number one predictor of success in college football. Bama, georgia, clemson, ohio state are all successful because they have the players to be that way. Even thinking of the Chip kelly days, a high octane offense paired with some really good defenses still struggled against some of the most talented teams we played. I'd also say this is becoming more important than it was even a decade ago as the metrics and recruiting tools have allowed the best of the best to accumulate more and more talent ever growing the talent disparity.

 

After recruiting/talent than I would consider scheme/ coordinator hiring ability. Maybe they aren't the best schemers but if they can hire/retain the best coordinator and allow them to remain in their position and accept full control I think that works best. I think Mario cristobal is right in his idea of mimicking Alabama the problem is his insistence on interfering in the offense, something that Saban just doesn't do.

 

With all this said, and I think this may be a bit of a curveball for a lot of people but I would pick Marcus Freeman. He is the current DC at Notre Dame in his first year coaching there. Prior to that he was at cincinnati as the DC. He clearly has the recruiting jobs(currently the number 2 recruiter nationwide. He is advancing quickly and I think if he kept moorhead and allowed him to do his thing oregon would quickly be a top team in both defense and offense. 

[Jon Joseph]

On 10/6/2021 at 3:00 PM, David Marsh said:

That's the real question.. if not Cristobal then who? 

 

And the answer is... none of the current top coaching talent is leaving where they are at for Oregon. Some of the up and coming coaches are also probably not good fits for Oregon as they really are mid-west coaches. 

 

So that leaves a whole lot of questions with no real answers. 

 

Good call.

 

Interesting that Bryan Harsin was next door and never got a look? I have been surprised at how well he has done to date moving to Auburn, moving from the MW to the SEC. This seemingly improbable hire looks like it is going to work out?

 

Leach is also doing a good job at MS ST. Oregon was arguably screwed by the refs last Saturday but an SEC crew stole the Memphis game from the Pirate. His D has been very good.

 

I think Auburn has a shot, especially if Daniels can't play, to give Georgia a heck of a game On The Plains this Saturday?

 

In general. why would any coach leave the financially sound B1G or SEC today to coach in the Pac-12 after dark and play in half full stadiums?

[Jon Joseph]

On 10/6/2021 at 3:58 PM, UtahDuck said:

I don't think their is a great answer to this.

 

First, we need to recognize mario's ability in the recruiting trail. We all like to make light of frost's remarks about how it is difficult to recruit to oregon. But we need to realize their is truth to it. Mario is successful because he puts in a ton of effort and he seems to resonate with families and players. These are both incredibly important skills/traits for a school like oregon that has at most 5 FBS talented players in state a year. Oregon/Nike doesn't just recruit itself it still needs people to represent it and go out their and work hard. 

 

While to some this may not seem that important recruiting is by far the number one predictor of success in college football. Bama, georgia, clemson, ohio state are all successful because they have the players to be that way. Even thinking of the Chip kelly days, a high octane offense paired with some really good defenses still struggled against some of the most talented teams we played. I'd also say this is becoming more important than it was even a decade ago as the metrics and recruiting tools have allowed the best of the best to accumulate more and more talent ever growing the talent disparity.

 

After recruiting/talent than I would consider scheme/ coordinator hiring ability. Maybe they aren't the best schemers but if they can hire/retain the best coordinator and allow them to remain in their position and accept full control I think that works best. I think Mario cristobal is right in his idea of mimicking Alabama the problem is his insistence on interfering in the offense, something that Saban just doesn't do.

 

With all this said, and I think this may be a bit of a curveball for a lot of people but I would pick Marcus Freeman. He is the current DC at Notre Dame in his first year coaching there. Prior to that he was at cincinnati as the DC. He clearly has the recruiting jobs(currently the number 2 recruiter nationwide. He is advancing quickly and I think if he kept moorhead and allowed him to do his thing oregon would quickly be a top team in both defense and offense. 

 

Freeman is definitely an assistant coach to watch. My guess is that he has his eye on a job in the Midwest if the right one opens up? Maybe, even replacing Kelly when Kelly steps down?

 

No doubt recruiting and the corollary today, working the transfer portal,  is the key to CFB success. It has always been and always will be about the Jimmies and the Joes.

 

As Joshua Whitting so correctly noted today, you do have to coach them up after you bring them in. I see a lot of parallels with Mario's teams and Texas in the Brown's later days and under Strong and Herman?

[DuckPhan19]

Lane Effin Kiffin?

(searches for Jim Carey about to vomit gif)

Talk about a deal with the devil. Throwing out all that MC is good at (chiefly, developing character in young men) in exchange for the one thing he is lacking (chiefly, 45+ point a game)? No thanks!

[Haywarduck]

Lane Kiffin would be hired right before Ric Neuheisel on my list. Kiffin has a complete lack of integrity and wouldn't provide any stability, two traits I value. 

 

If those two guys wanted to coach for free and guaranteed a national championship I would say it wasn't worth it. Leave those two and Sark for sc.

[oregon112]

I have been on the Lane Train for a long time now...

 

He can recruit and he knows schemes and plays.  He is a rebel and a G and a dog, all in one.

 

GET YOUR POPCORN READY

[Tandaian]

Jonathan Smith is 13-23, 9-18 in the Pac 12, as a head coach for the Beavers.  Not exactly a reason to hitch your wagon to the hype train he is getting.  4-1 is a great start, but let's see if he can have a winning season first, then back to back winning seasons.

 

Mario is 29-11, 17-8 as the Oregon head coach.  He has back to back Pac 12 championships and 1 Rose Bowl win.  

 

I'm absolutely not 100% happy with Mario, but as many bells and whistles Oregon has, it is still a very hard place to attract the top coaches.  Any established coach at a top football program isn't going to come to Oregon.  We'd need to find another Chip Kelly that is not established.

[1Ducker1]

If it comes down to looking for a new coach I would look at Matt Entz. NDSU head coach.

[Jon Joseph]

On 10/6/2021 at 4:52 PM, DuckPhan19 said:

Lane Effin Kiffin?

(searches for Jim Carey about to vomit gif)

Talk about a deal with the devil. Throwing out all that MC is good at (chiefly, developing character in young men) in exchange for the one thing he is lacking (chiefly, 45+ point a game)? No thanks!

 

I think he has matured? I don't believe a team he coached has ever gone on probation? His players have not gotten in a whole lot of trouble.

 

After attending the Nick Saban Former HC Rehab Program, Kiffin did a terrific job at FAU and is doing a good job at Ole Miss. Blown out by Bama last Saturday but what team isn't blown out by Bama in Tuscaloosa?

 

He did stiff arm Tennessee. But SC was the guy's dream college job and it was offered. What Haden did to Kiffin on the tarmac is as scummy as anything Lane has ever done. Haden of course is in the running for worst AD ever.

 

I certainly do understand your concerns regarding Kiffin. He is not a buttoned down guy. But Saban frequently goes after the press, mostly as a motivational tool. Oregon grad and USC coach John McKay was not a shrinking violet. Etc, etc., etc.

 

Since serving under Saban and updating the Bama O, he has a winning record both at the G5 and P5 level.

 

Again, I am not trying to 'win' an argument here. Many CFB fans share your concerns regarding Kiffin.

 

As a practical matter, I don't see Mario departing. Kiffin is in a conference with no financial worries. And I think he will get a call when coach O is fired and maybe, when Saban finally decides to hand it up?

[DanLduck]

On 10/7/2021 at 8:23 AM, Jon Joseph said:

 

I think he has matured? I don't believe a team he coached has ever gone on probation? His players have not gotten in a whole lot of trouble.

 

After attending the Nick Saban Former HC Rehab Program, Kiffin did a terrific job at FAU and is doing a good job at Ole Miss. Blown out by Bama last Saturday but what team isn't blown out by Bama in Tuscaloosa?

 

He did stiff arm Tennessee. But SC was the guy's dream college job and it was offered. What Haden did to Kiffin on the tarmac is as scummy as anything Lane has ever done. Haden of course is in the running for worst AD ever.

 

I certainly do understand your concerns regarding Kiffin. He is not a buttoned down guy. But Saban frequently goes after the press, mostly as a motivational tool. Oregon grad and USC coach John McKay was not a shrinking violet. Etc, etc., etc.

 

Since serving under Saban and updating the Bama O, he has a winning record both at the G5 and P5 level.

 

Again, I am not trying to 'win' an argument here. Many CFB fans share your concerns regarding Kiffin.

 

As a practical matter, I don't see Mario departing. Kiffin is in a conference with no financial worries. And I think he will get a call when coach O is fired and maybe, when Saban finally decides to hand it up?

You are right in your assessment of Kiffin. But it would be soooo hard to be a Duck if he were hired. But I would prefer him to Harbaugh!! lol

[DuckIt]

In spite of the recent scandal and philandering, I would take Urban Meyer in a heartbeat, if the opportunity presented itself.  Like Nick Saban, Meyer might be discovering that the NFL is not his cup of tea.  However, both coaches have proven that they can win championships at different colleges.  Not only would there be no dropoff in recruiting, he would restore our offense to greatness.  Urban has picked CK's brain on several occasions.  So those of you who are longing for a more CK style offense, will get your wish. 

 

I want someone proven for a change. As impatient as that sounds, I want the Ducks to strike, while the iron is still hot.  What I mean is, the Ducks have accrued several classes of good recruits, even if they are underdeveloped. And who knows?  Oregon's recruiting could take a big hit, depending on who USC fills their head coach vacancy with. MC has been killing it on the recruiting trail, but I tend to believe that a big part of that success is attributed to USC and UCLA having down years.  That could all change.  

 

If Urban Meyer were to take over midway through the season or at the end of his season, he could make an immediate impact, without having to rebuild.  Furthermore, Phil Knight isn't getting any younger.  I'm sure he is more motivated and invested than anyone, to see the Ducks crowned champions in his lifetime.  For him to make Meyer a Duck, Uncle Phil is going to have dig deep into his pockets and offer him a salary comparable to Saban's paycheck. That is how the Ducks will attract a championship caliber coach to Eugene.  Having Nike as your backer couldn't hurt.

 

 

[Charles Fischer]

On 10/7/2021 at 7:06 PM, DuckIt said:

I would take Urban Meyer in a heartbeat

 

I think everyone would, but I sense that he is so well loaded that he is looking for the next challenge.  College football?  He's won multiple 'Nattys with two teams...punched that goal ticket.  I really don't think he leaves the NFL until he is fired.

[DuckIt]

I see your point Charles, but Meyer may not love it.  It would be a challenge to bring a championship title home to the Ducks.  It's never been done before, and he would be making history. Since Oregon is not a recruiting hotbed, that in itself poses a challenge.

Edited October 8, 2021 by DuckIt

[Jon Joseph]

On 10/7/2021 at 10:28 PM, Charles Fischer said:

 

I think everyone would, but I sense that he is so well loaded that he is looking for the next challenge.  College football?  He's won multiple 'Nattys with two teams...punched that goal ticket.  I really don't think he leaves the NFL until he is fired.

 

Spot on Charles. I think one of Urban's motivations in taking the Jax job was to prove that he could succeed where Saban failed?

 

In today's PC world, Urban would be a toxic college hire.

[Charles Fischer]

On 10/8/2021 at 9:04 AM, Jon Joseph said:

Urban would be a toxic college hire.

 

Agreed.  A boatload of baggage...

 

[Jon Joseph]

On 10/8/2021 at 12:39 PM, Charles Fischer said:

 

Agreed.  A boatload of baggage...

 

 

LOL!