There is always a debate on this site as to whether Oregon is a 'destination' job or not.
What is your definition of a 'destination' job and:
1. How many are there (name names)?
2. Can you become one if you have not been in the past (is $ enough)?
3. How long do you remain one?
The two defining factors that seem to be most commonly accepted are:
1. Proximity to quality recruits (PPM-prospects per mile-from campus) and
2. Tradition, or historical number of national championships.
3. $$$$$$$
I can't argue with number 1, that will always make a job more attractive and should make it easier, but I have a real issue with number 2 making a school a destination. If you have both then you are in good shape. Number 3 is a given no matter who you are.
My problem with 'tradition', or, even number of championships is the difficulty in defining historical perspective over generations. Dana Altman, when asked about out recruiting Duke and Kentucky, blue-bloods, he said in the last two years Oregon has had better records and done better in the tournament, and that is 'history' to recruits today. Oregon winning the NCAA in 1939 is meaningless! The Ivy league dominated football until the 1930's, but no one is calling them traditional powers or a destination. Is Nebraska still a destination? Why was it in the 60's-70's? Devaney and Osborne, not population or recruits. Woody Hayes made tOSU a destination and now they have Meyers. USC has had three great era's, Howard Jones (I think-40's?), McKay 65-7?, and Carroll. In the years between McKay and Carroll (and since) USC has been consistently mediocre and yet they are in the pre-season top 25 each year. Yes, they are on the top of list for proximity of recruits to campus, but just how consistently do you have to be top notch to be a 'traditional' power?
Because of recruit proximity Oregon will never be a top level destination, but how many of those are there? My opinion is 'tradition' is much a more a generational thing than it used to be. Oregon's results the last 10 years match anyone except Alabama. Speaking of Alabama, outside of Bear Bryant and Saban, how good is there tradition?
The recruit issue will only become more important in the future. I mentioned John McKay above. He was a duck! He was Casanova's OC during a great period in the early 60's when the ducks were consistently top 10 with Mel Renfro, Bob Berry, and Dave Wilcox. What if he would have been (and he may been) offered the successor job to Casanova and Len would have retired a couple years earlier (after 64 things went downhill fast)? Would McKay have stayed at Oregon? Could he have made Oregon a destination? Would USC be USC? The answer to the first two is probably no, the third I'm not sure (recruit proximity would say yes). Tommy Prothro took the beavers to the Rose Bowl in '65 (fact check please) and promptly left for UCLA.
The prospects of us keeping great coaches today is discouraging, so perhaps our goal should be making Oregon a 'destination' for future legend coaches on their way up. To do that we need to consistently win big and be in the national conversation as one of the perennial powers in the Pac-12. It is also important that the UO has some kind of trust fund from NIKE (the tournament this week is PK80).
