Bruce Judsen Jr:
"We texted this morning and he told me I was still his guy," Judson said. "He said we're going to talk but he's just got a lot going on right now. My goal is to get me, Demetri and Emare there [to Oregon].

"But I'm just really staying focused for tomorrow's game right now. I'll deal with all the rest of that stuff on Friday."

https://www.google.com/amp/www.orla...-future-20161207-story,amp.html?client=safari

I started a poll on twitter. Interesting results which at this point verify my belief that Oregon has a lot of marketing to do with the fan base to generate excitement for the hire.

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Although Kelly signed a four-year contract in January, rumors have swirled over the past month or more that he might return to the University of Oregon, where he coached before leaving for the NFL and the Philadelphia Eagles in 2013. Kelly said he never discussed a potential return to an Oregon job that instead went Wednesday to Willie Taggart, who’s left the University of South Florida and has close ties with former 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh, Taggart’s best man when he got married.

“With all those questions, and hopefully this is the end of it for me, I will never leave my job for another job while the season is going on,” Kelly said. “I don’t think that’s fair. I didn’t do it while in college. I never talked to anybody in the National Football League until after our bowl game was over. In the NFL, they have a great rule: you’re not allowed to leave your job, if your in the playoffs, you can’t go until your season is done. It’s tough with the cycle that goes on in college.

“When I’ve said I’m not going to go back to college, there’s never going to be an opportunity for me to go back to college, because I have a job.”

Kelly asked reporters if any NFL coach has ever left during a season to coach in college, and when told of Bobby Petrino’s desertion from the Atlanta Falcons during the 2007 season with a 3-10 record, Kelly asked for other examples.

“I will not leave a team with three games to go because I got a bigger and better deal somewhere, because that’s not the way I’m wired and that’s not what I would ever do,” Kelly said. “I could never look (49ers veterans) Antoine Bethea or Joe Staley in the face again, and talk to them about commitment, and then if I was the guy that had a job offer that I thought that was better than the one I had, and I took off with three games to go, that’s just not the way I’m wired. Some guys do it. I would never do it.”

Were he offered the Oregon job?

“Nope,” Kelly responded. “Everybody knows, if you want to contact me, there is no contact. I’m not talking to anybody about another job. I have a job. That’s one thing I did learn from my dad: they made a commitment to me, and I made a commitment to them, and I’m not searching around looking for another job when I have a job. I have a job to take care of.”

Full story: The Mercury News

They headlined this, but I don't subscribe and have no idea of the accuracy

- So, the decision is made to much consternation by many so here are my thoughts today:

- Coaching changes do not happen in a bubble. Other than about 4 names, no one was going to get the Oregon job without a second interview. It is in this second interview where substance begins to really be understood. Vision, culture, concepts, potential assistants, all of those things that are part of a formal plan get discussed after the initial conversations

- The reason for this change, regardless of what we all think, was not because the defense was bad; it was about the culture. There were systemic problems alluded to often; things which could not be overcome simply by firing a few defensive coaches and moving on.

- The results were not equivalent to the talent on the roster. Mark Helfrich had one of the most significant statistical metrics drops in recent times (Dave Bartoo).

- This was never about a single bad season. It was about a trend, and a cultural malaise that had become too much for a defensive coordinator to overcome.

- Recruiting losses in the short term should never be a consideration. So, maybe Oregon loses 2018 commit Colson Yankoff. But they might have anyway. What if, in the process, they get Tua? Is that a good trade? Many think it would be

- I am not convinced Matt Rhule had a true formal offer to be the next head coach. I think the Ducks were very interested, but I also think Rhule wanted to go to Baylor for multiple reasons; was one of them recruiting in a more friendly area? Sure. But do not consider it an 'excuse' if someone of deep faith wants to work at a faith based school with significant issues that need addressed. CFall it a mission, that is what Matt Rhule was on

- Chip Kelly. Never bought into this 'It's Chip' nonsense. Chip was offered the job, and he declined. After he declined, he did not pull a 'oh, maybe, keep it on hold' He wants to turn it around in SF and will never say "Yeah, I can't do this. Goin' back to Oregon' he will never admit failure. He may get fired, but will never concede

- Fleck. I think he got more than what Canzano says. He got more than a token 'listen' on Monday. What happened was simply this: Oregon was very high on him but there were some issues. 1) He wants to coach in the Cotton Bowl. Oregon needs a head coach now. 2) He had not done a lot of in-depth look at where Oregon is and what the vision moving forward should be. His plans were not solid. This is why the 'style over substance' stuff started to float about.

- Was Taggart the #1 guy? No. That was tom Herman. So, I think I am goign to change the South Park song "Blame Canada" to "Blame Kansas" if Texas wins that game, plays in a bowl game, Charlie Strong is not fired. Early rumors about Fisher and LSU would have likely driven Herman right to Oregon. Kansas won, and the rest is history.

- So where int eh pecking order was Taggart? Hard to say. He was above Harsin. He was above Schiano. But we do not know who all else was interviewed. I think the Ducks would have taken McElwain, but he was not really leaving.

- After conducting close to a dozen formal and informal interviews, the Ducks brass kept coming back to Taggart. His vision was better, his plan better and his energy better..

- This is why you actually conduct interviews rather than go off of fan lists. Sometimes a guy looks great on paper, but his vision, strategy, goals, all those things that make a program successful are more evident in one person versus another. Taggart is an upgrade and a culture change was needed.

Over the next few days we will start looking at staff changes and potential options. All for now

I certainly think it's possible. Here is the latest.

Lenoir re-flip?

So far so good on the recruit feedback.

Hot takes: Recruits react to Taggart

EUGENE, Ore. — Willie Taggart, one of college coaching's brightest offensive minds and a proven winner, will be introduced as Oregon's next head football coach at a press conference Thursday morning in the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex.

Taggart, 40, coached South Florida to a school-record 10-2 regular-season mark this fall, three years after the Bulls went 2-10. He will be the 33rd head coach in UO football history, and will have the distinction of being the football program's first African-American head coach.

"We are thrilled to welcome Willie, his wife, Taneshia, their sons, Willie Jr. and Jackson, and their daughter, Morgan," UO athletic director Rob Mullens said. "Willie places an emphasis on ensuring a positive student-athlete experience and on winning, and his previous stops have proven his success at both. We have a very bright future under his leadership."

Mullens will introduce Taggart at a press conference Thursday in the main theater of the HDC at 11 a.m. The event will be streamed live on Facebook and Twitter via the GoDucks accounts.

"I am grateful for the trust that President Schill and Rob Mullens have put in me to be the next head coach of the Oregon football program, and I thank them for the opportunity," Taggart said. "Oregon has a strong national presence and a proud recent history of playing among the nation's elite, and I look forward to the challenge of upholding the excellence. I can't wait to get started."

"I want to congratulate Willie Taggart on becoming the University of Oregon's next head football coach, and welcome him and his family to the flock," UO president and professor of law Michael H. Schill said. "I am confident that Coach Taggart fits with the UO's values and culture of excellence as it relates to supporting our student-athletes' personal growth and success both on and off the playing field.

"I also want to recognize athletic director Rob Mullens for his hard work and dedication over the last few weeks. He did not have an easy task, but he's delivered a wonderful outcome and hired a great coach. Welcome Coach Taggart, and go Ducks!"

A 1998 graduate of Western Kentucky, Taggart began his coaching career as an assistant with his alma mater from 1999-2006. He then spent three seasons as an assistant to Jim Harbaugh at Stanford from 2007-09, coaching running backs and helping Toby Gerhart win the 2009 Doak Walker Award.

Taggart returned to Western Kentucky as head coach in 2010, taking over a program that had lost 20 straight games and leading the Hilltoppers to their first bowl bid in 2012. Taggart then took over at South Florida and has the Bulls in their second straight bowl game this fall.

With Taggart calling plays in the "Gulf Coast Offense," South Florida finished the regular season seventh nationally in scoring offense (43.6) and fifth in yards per play (7.29). The Bulls also boast the nation's fifth-best rushing offense at 291.75 yards per game, and they have 29 explosion plays of 40 yards or more, third-most in the FBS.

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/pearl-harbor-bombed

Perspective. Today we're biting our nails about a coaching search but 75 years ago the greatest generation woke up to this news of war. Ultimately, we lost 400,000 American lives in World War II. Thus, December 7th truly is a date that lives in infamy. Thank a service member today and spend a few moments remembering the sacrifice that generation made to defend freedom.

I think there is a distinct possibility he can hang onto the class and even bring Deommodore Lenoir back. Perhaps even save Tre McKitty. So recruiting-wise, I think this will be a good thing not just this year but going forward.

The part that hurts recruiting this year is simply the time it took for the search during a rapidly closing contact period. That is on the AD though I'm not sure what he could have done differently.

http://www.espn.com/college-footbal...ucks-hire-usf-bulls-willie-taggart-next-coach

Wow. Very, very disappointed. Talk about a huge uninspiring hire.

Hope he proves he can bring Oregon back to being elite, because I do not believe he can or will.

Ugh. I will still support him though, hopefully he can prove his worth by hiring top notch coaches.. and especially a DC worth a damn.

It's interesting what they're saying in south Florida.

http://www.tampabay.com/sports/coll...art-for-oregon-hears-it-from-usf-fans/2305368

I'm all in on Taggart....after having been all in on Fleck, Chip and Rhule. Hell, guys, I'm a goddam Duck. But there's something about this Taggart guy that gets me revved up. All he seems to need is a defense. And if he can't raid Shaw or enlist any young Turk with defensive murder on his mind, I'll chew on last night's round steak until it's a tenderloin.

When Tony Dungy says Oregon is one of those places where you can win the National Championship...yes he said that....all you Ducks on the floor better rise and take notice.

Give me Taggart as the HC, Kendall Briles as the OC, and Schiano as the DC. I would take that line up.

Sorry if this has aleady been posted...

Fentress says that the Ducks had McElain on board but he pulled out at the 11th hour .

Corey

According to the USF football website, 6 of 10 of Taggert's assistant coaches were from Western Kentucky.

That he took them to USF with him shows his loyalty.

That he may bring those guys from Western Kentucky out to the PAC-12 (if he's hired), scares the hell out of me.

I'm sure they are great guys and decent coaches but this is BIG BOY FOOTBALL.

No OJT here please.

Corey

- Obviously not too much news today.
- Don't read too much into the search moving to a new basein NYC. As mentioned elsewhere, teh National Football Foundation has their annual awards ceremony tomorrow and there are a lot of people in NYC for the event
- One interesting report came from Aaron Fentress. While most speculated that the 'deal that fell apart' last night was Chip Kelly, Fentress says it was McElwain.
- This would match much better than the Chip Kelly narrative
- Chip's dad passed Friday, so any proposed 'announcement' for Sunday would have been called off much earlier than Sunday afternoon
- While I never thought McElwain was a great fit at Oregon, he would provide the solid culture missing
- Most importantly, the reason that this search is dragging on is simple: The Ducks need to make a splash; but it is more important to get the right guy rather than the splashy guy
- A week ago, it was really Fleck's to lose. The problem is that is when just the non-football, non-legal guys are talking. Phil and Pat like Fleck, but there are others who are not quite so high on him
- I was asked about Mike Bellotti's possible involvement and I think you can see his fingerprints all over the statement being attributed to 'Oregon insiders' when the term not enough substance is used in regard to Fleck.
- Phil and Pat have tremendous respect for Bellotti and will use his more level-headed advice to temper their own enthusiasm; hence the reason for the changing nature of this search
- Dan Mullen. His name keeps coming up, but he might be more difficult to pull. There are things that stand in his favor, like his ties to Chip and Urban Meyer, but his price tag is sure to be steep. He makes north of 4.2 million and would carry about a big buyout; not including assistants.
- Mullen has had fantastic success with both Dak Prescott (presumptive NFL ROY) and Nick Fitzgerald this season, but has not impressed everyone. Mississippi State has made over $100 million in facilities upgrades at his request and he has still not broken through like the brass at MSU had hoped.
- For those that think there was 'no plan' and that Mullens is just flailing about; nothing could be firther from the truth.
- The thing that really blew up this search was Kansas. Yes. Kansas. When they beat Texas, Tom Herman was taken off the table, so to speak. Had the Longhorns won that game, and found a way to become bowl eligible, it is highly probable Charlie Strong saves his job, and with that, Tom Herman is much more available.
- Yes, Oregon would have still had to deal with LSU, and they may have won that battle still, but the Ducks had a much better chance of snagging Herman without Texas
- I will have an article up tomorrow detailing some "Wildcards" and "Sitting Head Coaches" in the AM that could be targeted while Mullens is in New York

Folks...the Pac 12 landscaping is changing. UCLA, USC, and STANFORD have all grown tiered of Oregon's domination. I have read statements from all three programs claiming that they were making a push to improve their programs. To some extent the same can be said of Washington, ASU, UA, and Colorado will continue to be a great distance program. Also Cal (a perennial doormat) signed the top ranked women's cross country runner in the 2017 class. Things are going to get interesting.

Some of us fans from the "Golden Era" remember when the Pac 8 dominated track and field. The Pac 8 Championships were proclaimed "the most talented track meet in the world" The SEC is still #1, but it looks like the Pac 12 might be gaining ground.
Link below:
http://www.uclabruins.com/news/2016/12/2/track-field-ucla-track-hauls-in-top-recruiting-class.aspx

Note...My mistake when I originally posted that this was the early NLI ranking....it is actually 2016/17 final list. Due to the fact that there are often times surprises, a final list is published bu T&F News in Jan. However, it leaks in Dec. and that is the list that UCLA men rank #1.

This list doesn't coincide with the recent early signing NLIs for 2017 that happened the other day.

Track & Field News Class of 2016 Recruiting Rankings

Men
1. UCLA
2. Oregon
3. Tennessee
4. LSU
5. Iowa State
6. Southern California
7. Florida
8. Texas
9. Stanford
10. Texas A&M

Women
1. Stanford
2. Oregon
3. LSU
4. Wisconsin
5. Southern California
6. Texas
7. Florida
8. Georgia
9. Baylor
10. Colorado

yes, you are going to get daily updates (at least) until the search is over!

- Today I took a look at a 'Sitting head coach" who has not been looked at before, and a couple of wildcards

- Why Franklin? his is a name that came up early in teh search process by a well respected industry type. I doubt he is looking to leave, but with what he has done at Penn State this year, and with their offense under Moorhead, I think he has to at least get a looksie

- Speaking of Penn State guys, last week we mentioned that Matt Rhule might get some more talk. Tht happened yesterday when Bellotti was on the Finebaum show

- Yes, Rhule will have a big buyout, but with the success Franklin had this year, the Penn state job might be locked up for quite some time.

- Phil Knight loved Jo Paterno and did his best to stand by Paterno. It is no secret that he tried to keep the Paterno Child Care center name attached, so denigrating candidates due to their association with Paterno probably will give zero clues

- The "Executive search phase" is exactly that. Athletics directors have a short list, once that short list is through, then the search form kicks in and provides some names not considered. There are a lot of talented coaches around the nation and no way can Rob Mullens or his personal aides know all of who might be interested.

- You HAVE to speak to more than 2 or 3 people

- Speaking of Wildcards, Matt Canada. Do I think that the AD goes coordinator with no head coaching experience again? Probably not, but Canada has done a tremendous job at Pitt and everywhere he has been before. He will get a shot soon

- Which brings me to his head coach, Pat Narduzzi. It is no secret that he did a fabulous job at Michigan State and was looking for a HC job; it probably took to long to get one, but would he be ready to jump to Oregon? Maybe.

- Willie Taggart is a name that won't go away. I have disparaged his defense from this season, but much of that can lay at the reality that Taggart's prior DC is now the head coach at Indiana. Toim Allen had the USF defense improving.

- Don't expect Charlie Strong to be a contender at Oregon for any position. If Taggart leaves USF, I expect Strong to get a very serious look there; if he has not been hired already (Cincinnati?)

- Look to see what Houston does in teh coming days, some boosters are really anxious and want Orlando promoted because that would mean keeping Major Applewhite as OC, and that is something in which the powers at Houston are interested. If they hire Miles or Kiffin, watch to see if he is quickly picked up by Herman or becomes a free agent DC

All for now, will have more thoughts later!

Reported by Bruce Feldman

Hmm, maybe a Fuskie...or just maybe Oregon really needs him and he wants to play near home .Would be a great get. OR, maybe it's a pipe dream.

http://www.oregonlive.com/recruiting/index.ssf/2016/12/daniel_green_wests_top_mlb_and.html

Remaining uncom'd in state psa's. 1 or 2 of these guys could come in handy as the recruitign period shrinks and class size needs expand..

http://www.oregonlive.com/recruiting/index.ssf/2016/12/oregon_hs_football_top_5_uncom.html#0

Per twitter

Drop by one of Oregon's targets.

Risers and sliders in the R100

They just hired Brohm (sp ?) from Western Kentucky.