Can Someone Explain Aaron Fentress?

[Augduck]

He posted this diatribe on Twitter (X) yesterday.  What is with him and this on going Helfrich thing?  

 

I don't live in Portland so not sure what the genesis of this is but wow, it's beyond absurd.

 

@AaronJFentress

 

So we’re just going to pretend that Lanning wouldn’t be about 16-10 without the current transfer portal (not available in 2015-16) and that someone isn’t writing big fat checks to a lot of these recruits while bringing up Helfrich ??

 

Ya’ll live in wild world.

 

But again, 7 years running now, I’ll remind ya: Call me when the Ducks reach the national championship game again. I’ve been anxiously waiting. Y’all been slobbering over recruiting classes for 8 years and Oregon has done what?

 

More coaches (3) than PAC titles (1 legit in 2019 loaded with Helfrich-era staff recruits that led to the most NFL combine invites in program history in 2020, and one COVID aided) with ZERO playoff appearances. That’s what.

 

It’s amazing how some so childishly must marginalize past Oregon coaches in order to prop up current coaches. Actually, it’s embarrassing. Helfrich has FOUR conference title rings and coached in TWO national title games. The only two Oregon has ever played in And, oh yeah, he recruited, developed and guided Marcus Mariota to the only Heisman in program history. No real Oregon fan should ever disrespect Helfrich. Dude loved Oregon more than Chip, Willie, Mario and Dan combined. Also, still attacking me because I believed it was wrong for that staff to be fired is borderline Neanderthal behavior. Imagine hating the staff of Helfrich Pellum, Greatwood, Campbell, Lubick, Osborne, Neal so much that you routinely attack someone who backed them after ONE losing season two years after producing the greatest season in program history (2014). Lol Ridiculous.

 

And, still doing so 7 years since their firing while celebrating a bunch of recruits who you know hardly anything about beyond the fact that recruiting services placed a bunch of stars by their names. And we all know that most of them will ultimately end up in the transfer portal. It’s pathetic and sad.

 

 

 

[jrw]

Holy crap! That is a massive grudge of unknown origin being nursed there. Sounds like something personal happened to Fentress back in the day that he cannot get over. We'll never know, but a screed like that sure renders his takes on the Ducks irrelevant.

[Solar]

I will say he's right about some of the position coaches. Taggart didn't recognize a good thing when he saw it.

[Augduck]

Yeah, the whole thing is just odd. 

 

My friend who lives in PDX listens to him on Talking Ducks and says he still goes on about how horrible the fan base and administration were to Helfrich.  No ill will on my part towards him but Fentress even after 7 years just can't let go.

 

It's also telling that Helfrich's name never surfaces for any openings.   Not saying that might not change but he has been doing TV games for awhile now.

[JDuck]

Helf, great OC and QB coach/developer, not so great at recruiting (better than Chip, and Helf is the one who found Marcus) but not so good at picking a DC.  Times change

[Just Ducky]

 Aaron has always been a bit of a Negative Nelly. Anthony and Joey just shake their heads when Aaron spews out the negativity. 
 

 If you don’t watch Talking Ducks I would suggest it instead of dancing with stars. Lol

 

 Jorden, Anthony, and Joey have some interesting takes although Joey takes forever to spit it out. 
 

 It’s on you tube every week during the season.

[Annie]

While I tend not to be a basher, I can understand the various criticisms still being made about some other previous Duck coaches. But to some extent, I also see Fentress's point. Helfrich did lead Oregon to two national championship games. He did develop Mariota, etc.

 

And more importantly, IMHO, Helfrich didn't ditch the Ducks. He was an Oregon guy, through and through, and a good man to boot. For that and more, I remember him fondly.

 

As for some of the other previous head coaches, well, I'll just stick with my philosophy of being polite.

 

 

[EastBayDuckDad]

Fentress has always been the "odd duck" on Talking Ducks with JKent, JoeyH and ANewman, all high level former athletes. Fentress played WR at Grant HS, then PSU, then Pacific but never at a high level. He has done some coaching at the HS and semi-pro level.

 

Interesting that he likes to be the contrarian in the room about OBD. Maybe because he never got a sniff from Oregon as a player and it sticks in his craw. He certainly has a bee under his bonnet over how Helfrich was shown the door after that dismal 2016 season, leaving a bare cupboard except for Justin Herbert, Troy Dye, Dillon Mitchell, Brady Breeze, La'Mar Winston, Hunter Kampmoyer and some good O-linemen as incoming recruits.

 

Helfrich was a very good OC and QB developer but overreached his ceiling as a HC. He didn't last long at Chicago as an NFL OC. He did bleed Oregon green (and yellow and black and silver and pink) and maybe Fentress is angry because that homegrown loyalty was cast aside, just as he was never offered the chance to suit up for OBD.

 

Or maybe AF knows that the best way to generate clicks is to create controversy.

[DrJacksPlaidPants]

Helfrich was to Oregon what Barry Switzer was to the Cowboy. Or if you want to use a CFB example, what Larry Coker was to the Miami Hurricanes. 
 

These guys carried the torch for their predecessors, but everyone knew their time was short. For Helfrich, the 2016 season was his demise, but he was as good as gone after 70-21. No CFB coach from a program that has an ounce of self respect survives a loss like that to a hated rival.

 

As for Fentress, he said it all when he said the conference championship was won with Helfrich’s players. Two other coaches came in and never had a losing season with his guys.
 

If any coach should have gone 4-8 with those players it was Taggart. Losing Herbert for six weeks really put him behind the eight ball. However, he managed a seven win season. That should tell you how bad of a coach Helfrich was.

[Haywarduck]

Helfrich could have gone on to attempt to prove Oregon wrong, but decided to go another way. He could have taken a job as an assistant under somebody he could learn from, or a job at a smaller school, but didn't. I think Helfrich's action speak louder than Fentress or others words. 

 

Helfrich, like Chip took over a machine they couldn't continue, or truly grow to the heights needed. Instead they were slowly driving the machine off a cliff. 

 

We needed to bring in another coach who could engineer a rebuild of the Oregon football program. We missed with the first couple guys, but they provided a view of what was possible. We now have that vision coming to fruition. The doubters, like Fentress, will just have to watch and wave as the program reaches new heights.

 

The one guy who also deserved a shot, Alllotti, never got that shot. He may have ended up in the same wreck, but we will never know. 

 

For now we just have to respect our past, decisions made, and move on to a better renewal under Lanning.

 

My take is complaining about the past and going over and over the could have, would have, should have just leads losing and sounding like a whiner!

[Augduck]

I was a huge Helfrich fan in the beginning and remember having a very animated debate with a friend who said Oregon should have hired Chris Peterson instead of MH.  

 

I was also in Autzen Stadium on the day of the 70-21 debacle and never in my life as a long time season ticket holder had I ever left the stadium before a game was over no matter the score till that day.   I was so upset.  That is the only time to this day I got up and walked out.   

 

I had an odd feeling that day that Helfrich was not the guy.  Can't explain it but it was something I felt.   Then unfortunately I started hearing things from program insiders about how Helfrich had no control over that team and that there was no discipline.  One insider told me Helfrich lost the locker room before the season even started.  

 

All in the past now but I gotta think Fentress heard some of this same stuff but for some inexplicable reason just can't let go and as stated, he likes the clicks.

 

 

[MicroBurst61]

That's it RIGHT THERE!  Living in a world where "clicks" have become the new way for personal validation.  Makes people feel important. 

 

Best way to get "clicks" is to create controversy, where none actually exist, and run with it until it loses its energy.  Then on to the next controversy with nothing significant coming from the previous.  

 

Fentress is getting what he wants...people talking about his OPINIONS, and getting all riled up about it.  I do read his articles and gleen what I can from what he writes, but let his obvious biases and blatant attempts for recognition pass through me like a malignant spirit.  

 

He has NO influence or effect on the quality of athletics of our OBD.  Fentress being one of the better paid "troll journalist" that regularly covers Oregon Athletics.  In a word...he's a Tool.

 

Go Ducks!

 

 

[Duckhart2]

Wasn't Fentress the beat writer for the ducks back during Hilfrich? Im sure he was treated very well by MH.

[cartm25]

Don't have any major issues with what he said.

 

I'm fine with him defending Helfrich. I liked Helfrich and thought he was a good coach, but not so good at recruiting.

 

Without the transfer portal, the Ducks would have been without experienced OLinemen, Burch, Bo Nix, Bucky Irving, etc.

 

Would have faced 2023 with a brand new, inexperienced OL and Ty Thompson at QB. Not sure what the Ducks' record would be under those circumstances, but I would not guess 11-1 regular season.

[latracey]

Helf has a brilliant football mind and he was a great quarterback coach. He was born and raised in Oregon and devoted to the University of Oregon. I agree with many of the points Fentress made. That said, being a good head coach that can continue to grow and improve a program is a complex task and Oregon made the right move to part ways with Helfrich when they did.
 

Given the challenges and complexities of being a good head football coach these days, I’m truly in awe of Dan Lanning and all that he has been able to accomplish in 2 short years. 

Edited December 21, 2023 by latracey

[DuckFan33]

Helfrich was not head coach material from the get-go and was a lazy hire to replace Chip.  Too soft.  not enough of that type A personality.  He didn't have the leadership energy that is required to keep the team cohesive and focused and thus lost the locker room.    That's why 70-21 happened and why 4-8 happened.  

[AllOregon]

Helfrich forever gets props for that Playoff/Rose Bowl win.

And eats crow for losing the locker room his final year and losing Tua, who wanted to be a a Duck badly but Helf ignored him.

 

his ship had sailed.

[Jon Joseph]

Who?

[idontrollonshobbas]

On 12/21/2023 at 11:22 AM, Jon Joseph said:

Who?

Exactly.  Fentress is a retread of Ken Goe for the social media era. Gadfly click hustler

[Washington Waddler]

     Back during those Kelly/Helfrich days, Nick Aliotti and I shared the same insurance consultant. 
 

     One day during Mark’s 2nd season I was there for an appointment, and found the two of them chatting outside the office. Ducks were the topic, and Helfrich’s sideline demeanor and reaction to plays was the topic.

 

     What I remember best was Nick’s heated intensity (did he ever react in any other way?) describing and reacting to Mark’s response towards players coming off the field who’d just cost the team with their poor play.

 

     What was driving Aliotti crazy was that Mark was unfailingly positive and encouraging to these screw-ups in the heat of battle. Later on, in his office, maybe. But not no way NEVER during a game. Didn’t send the right message to the player nor the others watching the interaction; all it did was cause that player and the team to lose respect for the coach by not holding him accountable for what he’d just done.

 

 

Edited December 22, 2023 by Washington Waddler
spelling

[EzDucksIt]

To be sure, much of what has been said about Helfrich has been shown as true during his tenure.  His offensive knowledge was very good, his adjustments in the field when things went off, well, not so good.  The same could be said about Chip.  If Aliotti was not DC, how might things have worked out for Oregon?  Fentress, when working for the Oregonian, was the SAME guy, he is today.  Sorry Not a Fan of Fentress.

 

To Me, Oregon should have in place, the infrastructure that assists the coaches to ease the burdens of their jobs, while being in compliance.  QUIT REBUILDING THE WHEEL!  This simply, drives me Crazy.  Coaches come and go, the GAME has NOT really changed.  Schemes change, personnel change IE; Coaches, Player types.  Every time their is a New Head Coach, is every thing else let go too?

 

Oregon had success, when Kelly was hired as OC.  The powers that be realized, they might lose a great Coach if they did not promote him, thus the Musical Chairs with AD Bellotti and Chips Promotion.  But have we not learned, that Chips success came with a Long Term staff of Assistant Coaches, that where great teachers and developers of talent.  Leading to TWO appearances in National Championship Games with 3/4 star talent with some surprise 4/5 stars.  Chip did not do it alone, the Helfriches, Frosts, Campbell and Greatwoods assembled and developed players well.  Aliotti and Company, assembled the talent and developed players who played above their skill levels.

 

Fentress, should sit down and write a book on How Oregon assembled the teams that went to the "Natty" in 2010-11 and 2014-15 seasons.  How Oregon did a poor job of helping the Coaches succeed to their new positions.  Dan Lanning, has it figured out and is making adjustments as he goes.  Hell of a Job.  Keep up the Great Work Coach.  I hope DL is here for a long time, Oregon is keeping Notes and the Emergency Manual is printed and copied with a Notes Section, should a New Head Coach be needed in 25 years.

 

And Oh Yea, Fentress, time for you to Retire Yet?

[1Funduck]

I didn't know what I was looking at back in 2010 and 2014. But, now I see that Helfrich was a great OC, HC not so much. From 2013-2016 Oregon went from a Natty show to a losing record all under Helfrich. I would argue that MH was a benefactor of the CK spread offense with some good players left over from Chip'r. MH didn't stock the cupboard and the coaching didn't innovate. It was garbage either, but the result was a losing record for 2016. 

 

In retrospect, I don't believe MH was a good HC. I believe he is a Great OC. Where is he working now? 

 

Dan Lanning came in out of the blue and played for a conference championship 15 months later. Played 3 points from the playoffs within 15 months of field time. He is going up while Mark went down. And don't give me combine numbers 4 years after he left. Thats more on Mari° than Helfrich. That argument is pathetic.

 

Again, Mark going to the Natty is more about taking the reigns of a thoroughbred offense by the Heisman winner to be, basically 1 season (3 months) later. Mark just had to not screw it up and Oregon was going to reign. If Mark was THAT good then Oregon should have maintained their dominance. They didn't because he couldn't. No shame, just lacked ability. 

[woundedknees]

I still believe the right DC hire may well have made a difference.

Elevating Allioti instead of Helf may have resulted in Helf moving on, but we'll never know.

 

Hindsight in most instances, provides strong evidence of promoting to the level of incompetence is a reality to which guys like Helf, Frost, and the recently dismissed Chargers coach give sad testimony.

[WilsonvilleDuckFan]

Talkin Ducks is also back on Root TV if you get that station. 

[Mike West]

On 12/21/2023 at 8:15 AM, Annie said:

As for some of the other previous head coaches, well, I'll just stick with my philosophy of being polite.

Not sure we're where we are without them.  Sure, they showed some serious flawed judgement, given both of them recruited their way to actually winning a Natty ( too short sighted to recognize what they had right in front of them).

 

Both absolutely slaughtered the narrative you can recruit elite talent to Eugene.  Hence, every year since Willie Taggart was named HC, recruiting has been stellar.  Especially during the mayhem of abandoning what they built.

 

Who cares what they did, they started a legacy that led us to exactly where OBD are today.  Thank goodness they came and left. 

 

As for Helfrich and his staff: they lifted OBD to new heights, but the game literally passed them by live and in person.  They left a good legacy as well- that Oregon football was a force no one could ignore. 

 

We all benefitted in the long run from all three coaching staffs.  

[Grandpa Duck]

I lived in the community where Mark grew up and played QB for Marshfield, Coos Bay.  My wife was a teacher at that school and often says Mark was one of the two smartest students she had in a long career.  We banked with Mark’s Dad, Mike, a wonderful man.

 

Mark lives in a beautiful home outside of Eugene, has a nice family and a good gig on weekend TV in the fall doing football “color” and showing the play by play guy how much there is to football.  It’s an education to listen to him.

 

My uninformed guess is that Mark will reap his just reward in heaven with some of the money paid to him by Oregon still in the bank.  I also believe he never regrets that he has avoided the stressful job of a major college football coach.

[Dr Hilarius]

I was  behind MH.

 

Until…

 

Colt Lyerla

Pharaoh Brown

Darren Carrington

 

Eventually…

 

Fotu Leiato II

 

It was a tragic period.

 

[OregonDucks]

On 12/21/2023 at 5:18 PM, Mike West said:

As for Helfrich and his staff: they lifted OBD to new heights

I respectfully disagree with this.
 

Coach Helfrich lived off of the fertile land that Coach Kelly left for him. However, it was apparent, to those close to the program, that it was deteriorating under his watch. 
 

Mark Helfrich is a nice guy and a very good QB coach and offensive coordinator but he is not head coach material. 

Edited December 22, 2023 by OregonDucks

[TerryM9]

Helfrich seems to be a great guy, but he does prove the "Peter Principle"

 

Fentress has been unwatcheable and unreadable at whatever he undertakes

[Washington Waddler]

     Because of what he accomplished, I can never categorize Chip with the likes of Willie and Mario. But IMHO, his thoughtless exit places him on the margin of that because it created for me a lasting impression of how little concern he had for the future wellbeing of the program that gifted him the platform to become who he did.

 

     I’m not holding him responsible for striking while the iron was hot. That’s the nature of the business.

 

     What I do hold him responsible for is how little concern he had in not being thorough in his consideration of promoting Helfrich as his successor. It was too easy a call for him. Mark was his protege, his devoted pupil, a friend whom he undoubtedly wished success upon. 

 

     Despite the qualities listed (great human being; devoted Duck; knowledge of the game; commitment to his players), I can’t help but think their time together would not have made him very aware of a temperament utterly unsuitable for the cold, lonely clarity required of a head coach.

 

     Chip’s call was probably inevitable. His interest was in the man and not the program. And it worked; for a while, until reality caught up with his protege. His was the classic case of how nice guys can so often finish last.

 

      Chip just wanted out the door, and he took the quick and sure route to that end. And, there was no doubt whoever he crowned would be his successor. But, should he have?

 

      Mark was Chip’s fall guy. How do you say no to your teacher’s unwillingness to not endorse, and leave the job open to the normal process? His legacy was more important to him than the program that gave him his start. Water under the bridge.
 

     

Edited December 22, 2023 by Washington Waddler
added sentences

[Haywarduck]

I think we all have our opinions on previous coaches, and outcomes. It is interesting to hear the takes, and especially the first hand experiences, along with new data. We do have to respect all opinions and be willing to digest differing information and evolve our takes.

 

I know I was a big detractor of Aliotti's after watching too many 3rd and longs becoming first down. His bend don't break defense skewed my view of the man as a coach. I now more fully appreciate the man and the coach Aliotti was and still is. He was a very good recruiter and an excellent coach when he had the players, and enough time to develop the talent.

 

My view of Helfrich is still evolving, but I am firmly in the camp that sees him as reaching beyond his ability when he had to fully manage the program and become head coach at Oregon. I am open to differing perspectives, but haven't seen the evidence which points in any other direction than Oregon was not on the right path after the Mariota reign.

 

Analyzing people and situations is one of the wonderful things about Fishduck, but these areas are where we have to tiptoe with our opinions. The Golden Rule definitely applies here and in all areas, really.

[Jon Joseph]

On 12/21/2023 at 3:46 PM, 1Funduck said:

I didn't know what I was looking at back in 2010 and 2014. But, now I see that Helfrich was a great OC, HC not so much. From 2013-2016 Oregon went from a Natty show to a losing record all under Helfrich. I would argue that MH was a benefactor of the CK spread offense with some good players left over from Chip'r. MH didn't stock the cupboard and the coaching didn't innovate. It was garbage either, but the result was a losing record for 2016. 

 

In retrospect, I don't believe MH was a good HC. I believe he is a Great OC. Where is he working now? 

 

Dan Lanning came in out of the blue and played for a conference championship 15 months later. Played 3 points from the playoffs within 15 months of field time. He is going up while Mark went down. And don't give me combine numbers 4 years after he left. Thats more on Mari° than Helfrich. That argument is pathetic.

 

Again, Mark going to the Natty is more about taking the reigns of a thoroughbred offense by the Heisman winner to be, basically 1 season (3 months) later. Mark just had to not screw it up and Oregon was going to reign. If Mark was THAT good then Oregon should have maintained their dominance. They didn't because he couldn't. No shame, just lacked ability. 

Mark working for FOX as a game analyst. Heck of an OC and a heck of a Peter Principal example. 

[Mike West]

On 12/22/2023 at 9:54 AM, OregonDucks said:

I respectfully disagree with this.
 

Coach Helfrich lived off of the fertile land that Coach Kelly left for him. However, it was apparent, to those close to the program, that it was deteriorating under his watch. 
 

Mark Helfrich is a nice guy and a very good QB coach and offensive coordinator but he is not head coach material. 

I'll try to be brief as I tend to write novels when I post.

 

Chip Kelly inherited fertile land.  We have seen Chip's results since he left this program.  Chip elevated the program.  Helfrich maintained it briefly - but players and coaches still wanted to come to Oregon despite the abysmal meltdown.

 

It's not the tenure I'm talking about.  It's the impact.  For all his blemishes, that Natty appearance carried the torch for this program. Unlike several coaches that inherited enough talent to reach a Natty- Helfrich did.

 

Impact.  Not legacy.  Helfrich pulled the trigger on Mariota.  Helfrich is the coach of the only other Oregon team to reach a Natty.  Helfrich put his stamp on this program. 

 

Look at Nebraska.  Look at Tennessee.  Look at Auburn.  Look at Florida. Only one of them had a coach that succeeded a title winner ( at that) and led them back to the Natty.  Not one of them have the stature Oregon presently has.  And they all have titles.

 

Helfrich kept us on the map.  Never forget that.

 

 

 

Edited December 22, 2023 by Mike West

[Dwain]

Brooks - Did okay with little talent and slowly improved the program. His stamp on the program was about Oregon being a family atmosphere, and that still carries through today. 

Bellotti - Did a lot with little talent. Slowly improved the program. Got robbed of a shot at a national title. Him stepping aside for Chip was huge, and Oregon owes him for that.

 

Kelly - Came in with a new scheme that other teams were not ready for. Did a lot with slightly better talent than Bellotti. He wasn't a great recruiter, but his new scheme did attract some good players and he was great at putting them in positions/schemes to succeed. Changed the trajectory of Oregon in a huge way. Much love for him.  

 

Helfrich - Good person, good OC and QB coach, but not a good head coach, game coach, or recruiter. Marcus was his gift to the program. 
Taggart - All talk, but a horrible coach. I do think he changed how we recruit and hired assistants who could recruit well. 

 

Cristobal - Good HC and recruiter, but a horrible game coach. Herbert would have been so much better with a better coach and scheme. He did win some big games, and elevated our program. He also lost some big leads and was almost always out-coached, and relied on talent.  

 

Lanning - Great HC and recruiter, but needs some work as a game coach. I often compare him to DeBoer. DeBoer is a great HC, and game coach, but not a great recruiter. It's hard to find a coach that embodies both of them. If they were co-head coaches for a team, they would shred. Ewww, can't believe I said that.

 

Knight - While not a coach, I felt he deserved to be on the list for obvious reasons.

All these coaches did something for this program and are the reason the Ducks are a top football program, which is crazy considering Eugene is a small town on the West Coast in a conference plagued by poor leadership over the years.  

[AnotherOD]

I wonder sometimes if Helfrich gets at least a bit of a bad rap with recruiting. I believe he is generally associated with four classes: 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016. They finished ranked a not totally unreasonable: #19, #21, #16, and #28.

 

Those classes brought in a number of Ducks who had successful careers at Oregon, including guys like: Cameron Hunt, Carrington, Mundt, Joe Walker, Vernon Adams, Royce Freeman, Devon Allen, Charles Nelson, Jelks, Crosby, Brooks-James, Mondeaux, Hollins, Lemieux, Throckmorton, Hanson, Amadi, Breeland, Mitchell, Dye, Herbert, Breeze. 

 

What kind of stands out about this set of classes is the amount of high profile, highly rated busts, including: Canton Kaumatule, Taj Griffin, Malik Lovette, Alex Ofodile, Morgan Mahalak, Travis Jonsen, Thomas Tyner. (I debate a bit about Tyner but generally he ends up on these lists).

 

Also what kind of stands out to me is the number of guys in these classes that ended up in trouble (off the top of my head): Tyrell Robinson, Oshay Dunmore, Torrodney Prevot (didn't he end up murdering someone?), Austin Maloata, Kirk Merritt. This I tend to wonder about a bit more?

 

Having to take the good with the bad, I recall also reading that many of the veteran coaches on Helfrich's staffs, at that point in their careers, didn't really like to or travel much to recruit.

 

Couple that with a couple of the younger coaches at the time that didn't exactly have a reputation as strong recruiters, and it appears there may have been some (mostly) unobserved obstacles. Greatwood always seemed to get his guys but I remember reading one of those years that Chinander and Helfrich himself did a huge amount of the travel legwork recruiting. I don't personally know to what degree this is accurate but, I think if at least to a degree, I think Helfrich maybe deserves a degree of credit for the hustle?

Edited December 23, 2023 by AnotherOD