Oregon Ducks

Oregon Football: Coaching Hire Needs To Be More Than A Ripple Effect

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Oregon Ducks Athletic Director Rob Mullens needs a ‘knock it out of the park’ hire for Oregon Football.

The Oregon Football program is in transition. Assistant Coaches are hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst. Rob Mullens is on his ‘Find a Head Coach’ tour that started in Texas and has now pushed to New York City.

One thing is clear. After firing Mark Helfrich, the Ducks need someone who can right the ship on Defense. They need someone who will make not a splash or a ripple, but send a Shockwave through College Football – if they want to do it right.

Unfortunately, the ‘Shockwave’ Coaches may be looking elsewhere. There is a short list that includes Chip Kelly, Les Miles – coaches with experience in the game who have been there, who have taken a team from little and built them into a powerhouse.

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Everyone else lands in the ripple effect. Willie Taggart has a losing record with USF, but a ton of upside coming off a great season. PJ Fleck is in a similar situation with an undefeated season. Both Fleck and Taggart could bring great things to Eugene. A move that could bring a solid Head Coach, but a top notch coordinator could also make a Shockwave.

Jim Tressel isn’t available until December 19th, but I don’t think Oregon has any eggs in that basket. Mullens has held more than a handful of interviews. Taggart by far has had the best option from what I have heard followed by Bryan Carsin from Boise State. The effect has taken it’s toll on one candidate.

One coach pulled out in the 11th hour. We will likely not know who that was, but I’m sure they had their reasons. The timing could not be worse for the Oregon Ducks when it comes to recruiting.

The window to talk with the Class of 2017 ends on December 13th. It goes into a dead period for a month. It has already been documented that Oregon Football has lost momentum with their decision to fire Mark Helfrich. The clock continues to tick and it is getting louder with each passing hour.

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