Watching this college football season play out, be it Oregon‘s collapse or the rise of teams like Washington and Nebraska, I was reminded that there have always been two ways of looking at the world. In the west, where monotheistic religions (Christianity and Judaism) are the most common, we traditionally believe that time is linear: a one-way progression of history. …
Mr. FishDuck asked me to have some fun and have a speculative look at whom Willie Taggart’s new Oregon coaching staff might include from his current staff at the University of South Florida. This is definitely going to be fun for me as the naming of each new assistant – whether I saw it coming or whether it’s a big surprise …
I have been wrestling with this thought for the last couple of days and want to see what other Oregon fans are thinking and feeling: how hard will this rebuild at Oregon for new Head Coach Willie Taggart going to be? I am not talking about getting to eight wins, but winning a conference championship and having a shot at …
The Ducks of Mike Bellotti, Chip Kelly and Mark Helfrich won the Civil War game over Mike Riley 8 straight years, including twice (2008 and 2009) denying the Beavers their first Rose Bowl invitation since 1957. As soon as Riley took the Nebraska job and the home and home with Oregon was scheduled, I am sure the date was circled on Riley’s calendar. …
The cool thing about a coaching search for your favorite football team is it tests what you as a coach, or fan, hold as your priorities for a coach. Generally, there are three types of coaches: The CEO type recruits well, sets the general culture of the program and delegates. A good CEO Coach hires coordinators they trust and then delegates the …
Charles Fischer asked me to share my thoughts about what to expect from teams coached by P.J. Fleck and Willie Taggart. While obviously what follows is almost pure speculation, there “could” be some interesting differences. Willie Taggart already has in place at South Florida what I would consider an “All-Star” offensive staff. Their resumes are far too lengthy for me …
To “pass” is to complete something successfully and move on. Or, one can “get a pass” meaning one didn’t fully complete the agreed requirements, but can move on, anyway, exempted from the agreed requirements. “No pass,” on the other hand, typically means one is not qualified to move on and results in a penalty or fine. In its strictest form …
He can be salty … he is highly opinionated, he knows his football, as he is the Grizzled Ol’ Coach (GOC) Mike Morris. He is a writer, a coaching consultant to FishDuck.com, a football mentor and personal friend. He is an amazing individual who has this massive curiosity to learn as I do. So when he sends me an email about a coaching candidate, …
With the firing of football head coach Mark Helfrich and the loss to Oregon State, one of the most difficult chapters in the recent history of Oregon Ducks athletics draws to a close. Meanwhile, the basketball season drives forward. A month into the season, the Ducks lack a win over a ranked team or a team likely to make the NCAA tournament. …
The expectations and excitement around the Oregon basketball team coming into the season was a welcome reprieve from the disaster of a football season that unfolded this fall. Many media experts picked Oregon to make a Final Four run and even win a national title. Pollsters also put Oregon in the top five of the preseason poll for the first time ever. …
Despite many columnists already proclaiming Mark Helfrich was ‘as good as gone’; despite Phil Knight long ago eschewing post game press conferences and removing himself from within 2000 miles of Saturdays ‘Civil War;’ in his Tuesday evening announcement, Oregon AD Rob Mullens stated that he did not have his mind made up regarding coach Mark Helfrich when he left Eugene for his College …
The Oregon Track and Field program has a long history of attracting top tier talent. It has been that way for a while, from the days of Bill Bowman and Steve Prefontaine. There was definitely a noticeable presence of current and former Ducks at the 2016 Rio Olympics. After a disappointing end to the Men’s Cross Country season at the NCAA Cross Country Nationals, the team will …