5 potential replacements for Mark Helfrich at Oregon
By John Buhler
The Oregon Ducks have been progressively worse under head coach Mark Helfrich. Here are five replacements for him should Oregon look to hire somebody else.
Things are not going swimmingly for the Pac-12 Oregon Ducks. Oregon finished its 2016 regular season at a pitiful 4-8. The Ducks lost the Civil War to arch rival Oregon State on Thanksgiving Weekend and that loss may end up costing head coach Mark Helfrich his job.
Quarterback inconsistencies and a wet paper bag for a defense has turned this former national power into the worst team in the Pac-12 North over night. Only the Arizona Wildcats are a worse team in the Pac-12 in 2016.
If Oregon does decided to pull the plug on the Helfrich experiment, here are five suitable replacements for the head coach of Oregon football.
5. Greg Schiano, Ohio State Buckeyes defensive coordinator
Schiano is in his first year back in coaching since being fired by the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the end of the 2013 NFL season. He is the co-defensive coordinator for his good friend Urban Meyer with the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Ohio State may not be playing in the 2016 Big Ten Championship Game, but the worst the one-loss Buckeyes can do this year is get to the Rose Bowl. Not bad for one of the best football programs in the Power 5.
The logic behind Schiano joining Meyer’s staff was to re-familiarize himself with the college game. Keep in mind that he was once an outstanding college coach for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights before leaving for the NFL in 2012. Schiano is a strong defensive-minded coach best suited for getting the most out of his talent at the collegiate level.
Oregon has been better at recruiting in recent years, but the state doesn’t offer the top-tier to sustain a perpetual Power 5 winner. Well, neither did New Jersey and Schiano made it work in Rutgers.
Schiano would be a solid candidate for the Ducks for three reasons: 1.) He gets the most out his players. 2.) A defensive culture wouldn’t be a bad thing for the Ducks’ soft defense. 3.) Schiano really wants to be a college head coach again.
Arguably the only two things hold him back would be that he may not be a great cultural fit in the Pacific Northwest and it would be hard to leave a top assistant gig from a place like Ohio State. Schiano would be a worthy candidate to turn around a decadent Ducks culture in Eugene.