Haywarduck

Brady is a great coach and is in the perfect spot. I doubt he would make the same mistake of leaving a place he is successful at, loved and try and climb another mountain, just to chase another shiny object. I mean who does that, except an OSU coach named Riley! And I doubt Oregon would let that happen.

I have always said you are either acting or reacting. Mullens is a reactor, not an actor. It seems quite evident all Mullens was doing was handing the contract offer to Cristobal with no fallback plan. We need an actor, somebody who can lead on this choice, and Mullens isn't that guy. My hope, and I think it is true, is this is too important for Mullens to really be making the decision. He is talking to people, but the choice will be handed to him. It will certainly be vetted by someone other than Mullens, when the time comes. I am comfortable this choice may make some people unhappy, but no choice should make everyone happy. If that happens I will be worried. We will have our next great coach, and the important thing is we will all be happier in the end, Go Ducks.

The Fishduck staff as head coach by committee, we are never wrong! Mariota is still under contract too. I mean we have diagnosed and solved just about every problem the Athletic Department has ever had, right?

Great catch, and well written. Just shows there are plenty of great candidates, it is just many of them are busy. This is the second time in a row we have had our coach leave at such an inopportune time, with recruiting now on the line. Alabama did wait until January to sign Saban, back in the day. Saban signed a $4 million a year contract, highest paid coach pro or college at the time. The tide waited and went big. Interesting side note Joey Harrington almost ruined Alabama's plans. He had a run with the Dophins that season, but was mysteriously benched, and the Dolphins season tanked. Saban got his only losing season and Joey again got the short end of an opportunity in the NFL. Not sure that is exactly how it occurred, but works for me, love Joey! The same scenario would have to play out now, it would seem. There are plenty of rumors, could this be brewing underneath all the 'breaking news?'

Because he has zip to do otherwise. Akron's won 3 games over the past 3 years and there is no bowl game for the zips. Actually I am very grateful for this offer. I like the guy and appreciate what he tried to do. He like AB gave there all, AB put himself at great risk, and Moorhead ended up in the hospital. It will be interesting to see Moorhead run the offense without Cristobal around. The Utah game was a real head scratcher, along with many of the games, and it will be interesting to see what Jo Mo does with the team! Thank you for sticking around and helping these young student athletes who have worked the whole year for this opportunity. It is interesting he seemed to have left before Cristobal and came back after Cristobal left, interesting...... You get it is all about the student athletes, thanks, Go Zips next year, and Go Ducks!

Pretty sure whenever you see BREAKING NEWS it should read BREAKING GAS and take cover!

Neither will their coach, thanks for the set up!

It can't be deemed punitive. Penalties aren't enforced, damages can be. Quantify the damages to the program, not just how much you paid, and you have a buyout worth more than the paper written it on. I hope ours are tied to the damages, and it is water tight, as I don't trust the whatever that Duck looking mascot is. I suppose they first tried to take our mascot, now our coach?

My concern comes from the last contract with slick didn't see him leaving, no compensation. This one saw it coming, but was it truly written up correctly. I know the devil is in the details. Thanks for taking this on. The one detail is we better not leave the Pac-12 in the next 90 days, or Mario won't owe us the cash, per 6.3d. Crazy stuff, but he has 90 days to pay or, who knows? We steal their turnover necklace and hold it hostage, like a fraternity would?

I think I have heard is also coldest as dawn begins. We need to be careful as we begin to see light, that we embrace the new, and give it a chance to come to light! Go Ducks!

Careful comparing smart and right. You might be right, but only over time will you viewed as smart on that decision. This is the whole quandary with picking a coach. Miami feels both right, I told you we could get him and we sure look smart. We will see on that note. Same with many programs. I think the difference with Oregon is we know the guy won't be a savior and will support him with whatever he needs. Taggart, the best DC money could buy and we could bring here. With Cristobal we hired the best OC money could buy, and would come here. The problem was Cristobal didn't use the OC and he left for zip. In the end I think you could be right and smart. I think the program will make the coach look smart, and we will all be right, he isn't the perfect fit.

And some said we could never recruit to Oregon. One thing is for sure never, say never! One thing about moving on and why wouldn't somebody move on, is one should be aware on the impact to others, most importantly family. In hindsight Mario thought it best for his family to be back to Miami. He might just have had that in the back of him mind the whole time. I remember back in 2007 somebody came to my gate and offered me silly money for my house. I thought about it and decided it wasn't the best thing for my family. I was pretty sure I could probably buy it back, the guy was obviously stretching his finances, but I didn't want to disrupt my kids. I know my house isn't my job, but we all make decision based on what is best. The idea of best can't be the only factor. Some may decide Eugene is the best thing for them and their family. It is where they can meet and exceed their goals. They don't have to keep chasing the next great thing. That might even be Lane, when and if he moves to Lane.

All he knew is he wasn't getting the rock, but maybe a little more. Devon Williams was AB's roommate and was visibly frustrated with the passing. My hope is the real frustration was they knew the answer was on the bench. Mario wasn't looking for the answer to our passing issues, good luck with that Miami!

I would imagine Kiffin has been looking to get back at sc and the west coast. I have no problem giving him the opportunity to do both. We really should be working on a succession system with this new coach. I suppose our succession system is creating an appealing place to coach, and play, not a bad plan.

In order to win the Oregon Program was building the wrong vehicle, but going the right way. We didn't put the right engine on the field. The qb is the one player who can make or break a program. We chose neither of those two options. We chose the straight six engine, reliable, but never going to win much. If we are going to win going forward we have to pick a qb who can do it all and develop him. Programs don't win with a guy who isn't at least in the running for the Heisman. In the future I trust we will have the engine on the field to make it all work. The other item is we need the right transmission. The three speed transmission, even 4 speed transmission just doesn't do it anymore. Boy did I love my old '76 BMW 2002, but the transmission held it back. Same thing with our offense which never extended the opposing defense beyond 5 yds from the line of scrimmage. We need an offense which is a threat to go deep, break it open at anytime. The good news is switching out the engine and transmission will be easy. We hire the coach who can see beyond the line of scrimmage, and we have 40+ points easy. The engines were on the bench the whole season. We just need to get a coach who isn't afraid to put it in, and shift out of first gear. It is great news Cristobal had us going the right way, the parts are there! We just need administration to put someone in charge who knows how to use the parts, and can get onboard before the vehicle gets picked apart and we are left with a shell again. Fortunately it is a beautiful shell and should stay together, Go Ducks!

It would be interesting to know how this all works. They never contacted Oregon about talking to Cristobal, never paid the buyout before they signed him. It all seems so convoluted. What, other than good will, makes them pay the $8 million? They got their guy, he is working, not like he is no longer their coach if they don't pay now. I would think there should have been a clause where if you didn't pay before signing Cristobal it becomes $10 million and an additional $1 million a week. It seems kind of like a toll road ticket where you are never going back there, and never pay it, what do I know? The lawyers may make more on this than anyone, I suppose.

Bellotti spoke to other programs, but always came back. Many assistants have, and Oregon has been a stepping stone program for OC's that is for sure. Another interesting component is the buyout. I wonder if even more will be put into contracts to keep this kind of thing from happening? It will also be interesting to see if Miami ever pays? Is the buyout enforceable? It definitely wasn't done before the next contract. In this day and age it could be years before we see that money, if ever.

If Aranda is an option, there really isn't a question. I am also curious about the candidates no one is discussing, but I'll wait until the full story comes out. Mullens and those making calls have to be checking on the Altman types out there, and it will be interesting to see who they are also looking at. It would be interesting to see what coach has called, slammed his fist on the table, and said I am your guy! I tend to think this is also what we need. Somebody who calls and says they have wanted this job and have been working towards this opportunity their whole life. The Oregon Football Program is falling apart at the seams right now. We need a coach this time, but we also need somebody who can rally the troops too. We need somebody who can keep the foundation we have and get building quick!

Much like storm damage, tough to figure it out until the storm is over. Right now I am waiting patiently, and hope the hiring committee isn't!

Interesting take on a Thursday or Friday hire date. A new era will begin, look forward to it. Definitely haven't enjoyed looking back! I do think Kiffin would really just be interested in kicking sc's teeth a few times. That wouldn't bother me, but having him on the sideline would take some getting used to.

As time has past I think asking the question was Mario ever a Duck is interesting to contemplate without the passion I had so close to the end! Was Mario ever what we wanted? I don't think so. Was Oregon what Mario wanted I don't think so. We both made the other into what we wanted, and it was a compromise. Over time that compromise fell apart when Mario saw, realized what he really wanted. That compromise was also falling apart as many fans realized he wasn't what he sold us. The power scoring machine wasn't in his DNA. This was also something he didn't want, the flash, trickery. I think we made the best of a compromise, on both sides. It is too bad it fell apart as it did. It is also important to realize the next coach will be a compromise. There will be misunderstandings, and there will be an end. I hope the journey is better and the end goes better too, but there is no counting on that. I just hope Oregon holds tight on what is important. I know there is a great push to do whatever it takes to win it all. Longterm that may be a mistake, and in the end being true what is important to Oregon is what is critical.

Loved that guy, best of luck!

I do know I am ready for somebody to take his Duck role. We can then move on from his being a Duck, maybe even sooner please! It would also be nice to see another Len Casanova, Brooks, or Bellotti, but those are hard to find, and we have been lucky! I mean what retired coach would volunteer to take over a program like Bellotti, amazing, that is loyalty. He was never a Duck, but will always be a Duck!

I think he was loyal to who he was, and we bought that. I don't think it serves a great purpose to try and destroy that. He gave us a good ride, enough said.

Casanova beat Bear Bryant's Kentucky in the 1950 Orange Bowl, they were a top program under Cas. It would be interesting to know more, but Cas was a very accomplished, respected coach before he came to Oregon.