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The Case for Mike Bellotti

Buffnik

Real name isn't Nik
Club Member
Junta Member
Ex-Oregon Head Coach and current ESPN analyst Mike Bellotti has had official contact with CU regarding the coaching vacancy. He looks like a very serious and viable candidate, so I thought it was past time we had a full bio on him so we could discuss.

Personal
Born December 21, 1950 in Sacramento, CA
Degree: B.A. Physical Education (UC-Davis); M.S. Physical Education from Cal State-Hayward
Three children (Luke, Keri and Sean)

Player
UC Davis - Tight End & Wide Receiver (1970-1973)

Coach
1977-78 Cal State Hayward - Offensive Coordinator
1979 Weber State - Offensive Coordinator
1980-83 Cal State Hayward - Offensive Coordinator
1984-88 Chico State - Head Coach (21-25-2)
1989-94 Oregon - Offensive Coordinator
1995-08 Oregon - Head Coach (116-55)

Since 2008
2009 Oregon - Athletic Director
2010 ESPN - College Football Analyst

Notable
Spells name with 2 L's
Divorced from ex-wife Colleen (look it up if you care, but this isn't TMZ)
AFCA 3rd Vice President in 2009
Speculation that Oregon AD job was an unofficial severance so that Phil Knight could get his way and have Chip Kelly take over early as Head Coach
Estimated Coaching Salary (2008): Slightly more than $1.9 million
http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindducksbeat/2010/04/legal_experts_question_univers.html

Oregon Football

Rick Brooks Era
1977: 2-9
1978: 2-9
1979: 6-5
1980: 6-3-2
1981: 2-9
1982: 2-8-1
1983: 4-6-1
1984: 6-5
1985: 5-6
1986: 5-6
1987: 6-5
1988: 6-6
****Mike Bellotti Hired as Offensive Coordinator****
1989: 8-4
1990: 8-4
1991: 3-8
1992: 6-6
1993: 5-6
1994: 9-4 (won Pac-10 / lost Rose Bowl to MNC Penn State)

Mike Bellotti Era
1995: 9-3
1996: 6-5
1997: 7-5
1998: 8-4
1999: 9-3
2000: 10-2 (Pac-10 champs - tie)
2001: 11-1 (Pac-10 champs)
2002: 7-6
2003: 8-5
2004: 5-6
2005: 10-2
2006: 7-6
2007: 9-3
2008: 10-3

3 Top 10 rankings & 6-6 bowl record

Chip Kelly Era
2009: 10-3 (Pac-10 champs)
2010: 10-0 (in progress)

Oregon Recruiting National Rank - Rivals (CU in parentheses)

2002: #49 (#10)
2003: #26 (#19)
2004: #12 (#49)
2005: #28 (#43)
2006: #49 (#48)
2007: #11 (#32)
2008: #19 (#15)
2009: #32 (#48)

Database doesn't go back before 2002. 2009 was Bellotti's last UO class (or Kelly's first, depending on how you want to look at it).

Thoughts?
 
He is definitely in the top 5 but who will be his OC/DC?

Given what he's done and experienced on the offensive side of the ball he could keep a guy like Keisau around and really mentor him, or pick some bright up-and-comer and groom them. The 6 years as an OC will allow him to know what he needs to provide to that person in order for them to be successful.
 
Given what he's done and experienced on the offensive side of the ball he could keep a guy like Keisau around and really mentor him, or pick some bright up-and-comer and groom them. The 6 years as an OC will allow him to know what he needs to provide to that person in order for them to be successful.

I was pimpin Belotti before Mac threw his hat into the ring so I'm on board what about the defensive side? Is he even interested in the job? He doesnt speak highly of CU.
 
When did Chip Kelly become Bellotti's OC? I want to see how much credit could be Chip's while Bellotti was still coaching.
 
I was pimpin Belotti before Mac threw his hat into the ring so I'm on board what about the defensive side? Is he even interested in the job? He doesnt speak highly of CU.

Defensively he'll have to go and get someone, but if we have the extra contracts and some saved cash on the OC side we should be able to get a solid DC.
 
You know I was a big Belloti fan, but there is some odd thing saying Barnett 2.0 to me. Don't know why, just the more I think about him...

4 pac-12 south titles, 1 conf champion ship? I'll take that from my next head coach.
 
If you like that style of football, Bellotti is the man. He managed a 31-year career in one place. That's pretty rare for modern CFB. Well deserved reputation as a good coach. I think Kiesau automatically stays on as either OC or QBs coach. That could help continuity from a player's standpoint. Don't see where an up and comer like Bieniemy should have any problem with coming in as an OC for Bellotti if they have real aspirations as an NCAA HC (provided Bellotti wants them on his staff).

He's probably pissed about getting shown the door at UofO, which could be a spark for him to really put in the effort. I personally don't really enjoy that style of offensive football, but I've never seen him go into tilt mode and piss-away winnable games like Leach. If we won enough games, I could get over it.

Might lose Cabral. That would tear the heart out of the defense. As an outsider, I don't know if Bellotti's prepared for the ****storm that will erupt in Boulder once the Buffs start winning games again. Could decide that's not what he signed up for and bail. Then again, he could be the second coming of Chairbanks.

Hate the UC Davis links for obvious reasons.

Decent hair, but he's at the age where he really should get it cut short and start parting it to the side.
 
MB Hair:

larivierebellottijpg-41b212f64c7abf1f.jpg


For the mustache fans:

mikeBellotti.jpg
 
I most like that he knows the PAC-10, he is a proven winner, he has adapted systems over time, and he recruits to the same athletes from the same areas as CU - but with more success landing them and developing them.

Hiring Bellotti would be very impactful to people (including CU boosters) in PAC-12 country.

Edit: And he really does have a nice head of hair.
 
All for it. Would like to hear his side of the story on how the his departure from Oregon went down. Overall, he brings instant credibility to the CU football program.

I have little doubt the guy could recruit and assemble a quality staff. He obviously has good recruiting connections on the west coast, but also here in Colorado as well. Oregon has recruited Colorado pretty heavily over the years.
 
Considering all of the criminal problems Bellotti's recruits have had at Oregon the last few years, I'm not sure we need that kind of baggage. And I'm not sure that our new coach could fight the kind of headwind criminal problems would create.

And for what its worth, Bellotti has said that if were still coaching he'd run the spread option, which would something of a problem as we have recruited for a more west-coast kind of scheme. Hirshman doesn't strike me as a spread option kind of qb.

Just a thought.
 
Considering all of the criminal problems Bellotti's recruits have had at Oregon the last few years, I'm not sure we need that kind of baggage. And I'm not sure that our new coach could fight the kind of headwind criminal problems would create.

And for what its worth, Bellotti has said that if were still coaching he'd run the spread option, which would something of a problem as we have recruited for a more west-coast kind of scheme. Hirshman doesn't strike me as a spread option kind of qb.

Just a thought.

Most of those problems are occurring on Kelly's watch which to me points to Belloti doing a better job of running the program. Besides as has been pointed out repeatedly by some, Mac's guys were no saints.
 
Considering all of the criminal problems Bellotti's recruits have had at Oregon the last few years, I'm not sure we need that kind of baggage. And I'm not sure that our new coach could fight the kind of headwind criminal problems would create.

And for what its worth, Bellotti has said that if were still coaching he'd run the spread option, which would something of a problem as we have recruited for a more west-coast kind of scheme. Hirshman doesn't strike me as a spread option kind of qb.

Just a thought.

I think a lot of the duckies off-field problems have been because he's not there. Seems like he ran a pretty tight ship.
 
Yeah. The escalating behavior problems amidst a great initial 2 year run is reminding me a lot of when CU transitioned to The Weasel.
 
I was critical of him after his comments while doing color for the CU-OU game but.... I would be fully on board IF: He doesn't contantly bitch about the facilities at CU and bring up how things were done at Oregon, Offers Cabral his current linebacker job, Doesn't mess with the CU traditions like Hawk did, and please please don't bring the crazy Oregon uniforms to CU. I think he could get it done here I just want to see him embrace CU for CU and not try to change everything and put his mark all over the program like Hawk tried to. Keep the things that make CU great and if you want to add a few things fine but don't ignore the history and traditions -- Also put Mac's quoat back up.

The "Thunder Shoot" looks like a giant vagina. No wonder our players look soft.
 
Also on Bellotti, I think the PAC-12 job he would have been most apt to choose over CU would have been ASU. I did a little online searching, and newspaper sources like San Jose Mercury News (usually has a good pulse on PAC-12) think Erickson gets 1 more year.
 
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