The last couple of months have seen an unsettling amount of coaches leave their respective programs for seemingly better opportunities at other schools. Track & Field, Women’s Tennis, Softball, Lacrosse and Women’s Golf have all experienced turnover at the head coaching position.
Is this a sign of something larger or simply the natural cycle of a successful coach? Perhaps Oregon’s commitment to football and basketball (both men’s and women’s) has left the bowels of the piggy bank barren when it comes to non-revenue sports? It’s disconcerting that nearly all of these departures were in women’s sports. Hopefully, the hiring of talented newcomers like Melyssa Lombardi will prove to be a fresh start and not a step backwards.