It’s rare for a college football program to make big news in March. Spring football is in full swing, but few major position battles are decided this early, and most coaching staff hirings and firings have been squared away for weeks. Plus, everyone’s paying attention to basketball.
But a decade ago this month, on the heels of a 10–3 season, Oregon made waves when head coach Mike Bellotti sped up the school’s premeditated succession plan by stepping into the athletic director role, putting offensive coordinator and head-coach-in-waiting Chip Kelly in charge. The rest is history.
That event is one of many worth reflecting on as the 10th anniversary of the 2009 season approaches.