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The Case for Mike Bellotti

My only concern with Bellotti would be whether he'd really put his whole effort into this job. He made a name for himself at Oregon and will probably always be associated with his tenure there, so is this just a paycheck on his way into full retirement? If we got a motivated Bellotti who has a chip (no pun intended) on his shoulder and has something to prove - I want that guy.

Also, as much as I love Cabral - I want whoever we hire to have complete control over his staff, if that means Cabral has to move on...so be it. We shouldn't be forcing coaches on the new HC.
 
The last guy that Lane, Slick, Tedford, Harbaugh and Stoops want coming back to the Pac is Bellotti. Other coaches would be on alert immediately. Anyone else does not get their attention. If spite is his main motivation then I could see him wanting to win and win BIG.
 
I'm down with Bellotti. Interesting that he's also responsible for Chris Peterson, I knew about Tedford and Kelly, but the guy obviously has a knack for finding good OCs.
 
4 pac-12 south titles, 1 conf champion ship? I'll take that from my next head coach.

What I mean is some pockets of success for the most part winning year in and year out. I would take that, but not as my home run hire. I would call him a solid hire.
 
I used to think he was the top candidate, but I've cooled on him a little. I agree that he would be a "solid" hire. Definitely wouldn't complain if he was chosen. I think he does have one thing not all other candidates have: Push.

I believe Bellotti is one of the few coaches who could put something in his contract about upgrading facilities within a certain amount of time a la coach Bzzz in BBall. Because he's one of the "name" hires, I think he could put something about us breaking ground on a permanent practice facility within 4 years or something. That would be a benefit I haven't heard brought up around here. I don't think Calhoun, Cabral, Hoke etc would be able to demand that. Mac? Maybe.

Thanks for taking the time to look up OUs record during his time and before it. It looks like he took a 500 ish team to a team that's about 2-4 ish games above 500 each year. Will that make you guys happy? Isn't he probably the priciest coach we're (realistically) looking at?

It sure is nice to have such a potentially long list of interested candidates.
 
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?

I don't think those recruiting rankings are correct, Nik.

How many times have--right here on Allbuffs--that Coach Bellotti had the best recruiting classes in the nation and always underperformed. With the kind of top talent he enjoyed, he should have been in the title game every year. Oops...

Actually, a question that might be asked: With the badass upgrade to Autzen, the best lockerroom in college football, and over 6 million uniform combinations (which apparently recruits love, even if I don't), why weren't his classes ranked higher? He enjoyed a few benefits in Eugene on Uncle Phil's tab.

You guys know I'm a big Bellotti fan. I think he ran a tight ship (the Chip Kelly woes shouldn't be blamed on him--he didn't encounter those sorts of problems), was an innovative recruiter and routinely put a competative product on the field. He's near the top of my list--hope he's interested.
 
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...


I'll take Barnett's success again in a heartbeat. The guy was a helluva coach that lost his recruiting focus after the scandal.
 
http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindducksbeat/2010/11/oregon_football_mike_bellotti_2.html


"I had some initial talks about whether there was mutual interest, just to see," Bellotti said. "There are some things there that are very interesting. The situation there is very similar to the way Oregon was a few years ago. It has a great upside."


-- I think he could easily get us back to winning 8 games a year by year 3 and at the end of his first 5yr term we will have a few of those seasons stacked up - By then we will have our new Pac-12 contract, will be getting money from future bowl games and will likely be close to paying off our forgone revenue from the Big XII --The CU job will be even more attractive at this point - If Bellotti stays great, if not we will be in good shape to hire a good replacement.
 
I don't think those recruiting rankings are correct, Nik.

How many times have--right here on Allbuffs--that Coach Bellotti had the best recruiting classes in the nation and always underperformed. With the kind of top talent he enjoyed, he should have been in the title game every year. Oops...

Actually, a question that might be asked: With the badass upgrade to Autzen, the best lockerroom in college football, and over 6 million uniform combinations (which apparently recruits love, even if I don't), why weren't his classes ranked higher? He enjoyed a few benefits in Eugene on Uncle Phil's tab.

You guys know I'm a big Bellotti fan. I think he ran a tight ship (the Chip Kelly woes shouldn't be blamed on him--he didn't encounter those sorts of problems), was an innovative recruiter and routinely put a competative product on the field. He's near the top of my list--hope he's interested.

Oregon doesn't produce much in-state talent. It's about like Colorado.
 
I'd be okay with Belotti as HC. I didn't realize he only had one losing season as the leader of the duckies. He was also a very good closer in recruiting -- I know he took some recruits away from CU.


My only question would be, does he still have the passion to coach?
 
My only question would be, does he still have the passion to coach?

I see this from a lot of people.

And I think it's very much overemphasized as a concern. Coaches are competitors. They are professionals. They are not going to go after a job if they don't have the passion to coach. Coaching is not just something to do to pass the time.
 
I see this from a lot of people.

And I think it's very much overemphasized as a concern. Coaches are competitors. They are professionals. They are not going to go after a job if they don't have the passion to coach. Coaching is not just something to do to pass the time.

Signed,

Chucky F.
 
I see this from a lot of people.

And I think it's very much overemphasized as a concern. Coaches are competitors. They are professionals. They are not going to go after a job if they don't have the passion to coach. Coaching is not just something to do to pass the time.

Chuck Fairbanks disagrees. But I don't see Bellotti as another Fairbanks.
 
Paul Hackett (Quarterbacks coach Raiders), Mike Bellotti, Dan Hawkins, Chris Petersen, Nate Hackett (OC Syracuse) all played and graduated from UC Davis. Gary Patterson has coached at Davis and is still close to some on the coaching staff. I believe he coached there when Petersen was a player. Al Borges (OC San Diego State), Dirk Koetter (NFL), and Chris Petersen all worked for Bellotti at UO at various times.

All very different styles of coaching so to negate someone because of the UC Davis connection is not a good reason IMHO.
 
Paul Hackett (Quarterbacks coach Raiders), Mike Bellotti, Dan Hawkins, Chris Petersen, Nate Hackett (OC Syracuse) all played and graduated from UC Davis. Gary Patterson has coached at Davis and is still close to some on the coaching staff. I believe he coached there when Petersen was a player. Al Borges (OC San Diego State), Dirk Koetter (NFL), and Chris Petersen all worked for Bellotti at UO at various times.

All very different styles of coaching so to negate someone because of the UC Davis connection is not a good reason IMHO.


Someone rep this post for me. Welcome!
 
I'd be okay with Belotti as HC. I didn't realize he only had one losing season as the leader of the duckies. He was also a very good closer in recruiting -- I know he took some recruits away from CU.


My only question would be, does he still have the passion to coach?

track down some of his non-game day appearances and interviews he is still very passionate about coaching.
 
Paul Hackett (Quarterbacks coach Raiders), Mike Bellotti, Dan Hawkins, Chris Petersen, Nate Hackett (OC Syracuse) all played and graduated from UC Davis. Gary Patterson has coached at Davis and is still close to some on the coaching staff. I believe he coached there when Petersen was a player. Al Borges (OC San Diego State), Dirk Koetter (NFL), and Chris Petersen all worked for Bellotti at UO at various times.

All very different styles of coaching so to negate someone because of the UC Davis connection is not a good reason IMHO.

1st post and already one of my favorite members. Admittedly, the bar was pretty low. But, regardless, that was still a very intelligent post.

:smile2:
 
track down some of his non-game day appearances and interviews he is still very passionate about coaching.

I hear ya Abs'.

From what I've seen from him, he's still pretty passionate about football.

As far as Belotti's concerned, one thought keeps nagging me tho. He coached for quite a while, then under whatever circumstances moved up to be the AD, and then less than a year later moved into broadcasting.

What's left in the tank? What happens when he visits a family and gets some pimple-faced, 17 y/o star to commit, only to get a call a couple of days later that the kid changed his mind because his girlfriend clipped her fingernails wrong? I'm not sold on him being willing to put up with this crap for another go-around.

Someone here pointed out that CU will be raking in mucho cash in a few years because of the conference move, and that if Belotti took the job, he'd just need to see us through the first few years (maybe 3-5). If he took the job and improved this program (read, wins), and then decided to leave, we'd have the money to seek another high-profile coach down the road. I'm okay with this scenario.

Question is, can he do that?
 
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