In the last 5 years

[maxduck]

Oregon has forced out a very successful track coach in Martin Smith, forced out a very successful athletic director in Bill Moos, forced the very successful Mike Bellotti out as football coach and then fired him as AD, and fired the basketball coach with the most wins in school history. Although each of these changes can be justified the overall record could cause a prospective coach to question job stability.

[duckgrad99]

I'm not so sure about that. Belloti and Kent were the head coaches at Oregon for what, 14 years each?

[maxduck]

I'm not so sure about that. Belloti and Kent were the head coaches at Oregon for what, 14 years each?

I'm not referring to longevity, I'm talking about when they were 'encouraged' to leave.

[oregontrack]

My problem with bringing Martin Smith into this is that Oregon made the right decision, and that's not even a debate. We're a track and field powerhouse. Was Martin Smith successful? In his own quaint little way, sure. I guess this would be akin to Nebraska firing Frank Solich after going 10-3, or Wake Forest firing their hoops coach yesterday despite an impressive record. Those sports were doing well at their respective schools... but Oregon is a track power, Nebraska is a football power, and Wake is a hoops power (kinda). "Pretty good" isn't good enough. Oregon got rid of Smith, who won a pair of Pac-10 titles, and brought in Vin, who has won four NATIONAL titles (and more Pac-10 titles than Smith, too). The track situation is in no way related to the current hoops coach.

I will also disagree with anyone who says we forced out Mike Bellotti from coaching after the '08 season. Phil Knight is one powerful hombre, but going toe to toe with Mike Bellotti is one of the few local PR battles he just would not win. Mike was, and is, insanely popular in and around Eugene, and coming off what Duck fans consider a near-national championship in '07, and a top 10 season the year after. Chip Kelly also wasn't going anywhere with the 'coach in waiting' title put on him, and he had absolutely no leverage to suggest Bellotti should leave after only his second year as a D-1A assistant. Bellotti could have stayed on for another two years, IMO, without issue. Stepping down was his own choice. Do I think he regretted it pretty soon afterwards? Yeah, I do. But it was still his choice. He could have kept coaching, if he wanted to.

Bill Moos? Yeah, okay. That example works. But I doubt that's what is keeping coaches away. We're going after pretty successful coaches at pretty successful programs, and no one is biting. Such is life.

[dthomas=ddixon]

So what you're saying is Oregon wants to have success at the highest levels & won't settle for mediocrety & underperformance?

We aren't a small time university anymore thats keeps people around just cuz they're nice guys. Fans wanted us to contend for titles & compete at the highest levels but can't handle the consequences that come that territory. If anyone is to blame its YOU. The fan demand has created these "problems".

[soduck]

+1, times 2