Mark Helfrich has gone from being perceived as the underwhelming name that followed the dynamic Chip Kelly as head coach of the Oregon Ducks, to now emerging as a respected $17.5 million dollar man. Helfrich and Oregon came to terms for a five-year deal that will extend his contract in at the school through the 2019-20 season.
Helfrich has proven himself as Kelly’s successor with a record of 24-4 in his two seasons on the job. The former Oregon offensive coordinator led the Ducks to the first ever National Championship Game where they were defeated by Ohio State 42-20.
The Right Choice
There was a fair amount of skepticism and criticism about Helfrich when he took the job, as well as disappointment that Oregon did not land a bigger name that was on par with Kelly. In fact, Helfrich has proven to be the perfect choice. Helfrich proved to be a steady leader this year, particularly after a 31-24 upset home loss to Arizona that would have broken some teams.
Instead, Helfrich’s steady influence was the difference as the Ducks rallied for a 43-30 win at UCLA following that defeat, which was a springboard to their run to the national championship game. Oregon has maintained the dynamic offensive personality established under Kelly and ranked third overall in the nation for total offense last season.
“Mark has provided tremendous leadership of our football program and the values and character that he insists upon are in line with our mission as an institution,” said Oregon athletic director Rob Mullens.
Helfrich is a native of Coos Bay, Ore. and has established strong recruiting ties in the area and would not be as quick to depart for the next big thing, like Kelly did when he bolted for the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles.
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With his new deal, Helfrich will become among the three highest paid public university football coaches in the Pac 12 Conference. He will rank among the top 25 in the nation for highest paid coaches. The contract will roll over automatically for a one-year extension if Oregon wins at least 11 games in a season, including a New Year’s Six bowl game.
The school continues to benefit from having a virtual owner in Nike Chairman Phil Knight, who graduated from Oregon. Knight has poured money into facility upgrades that have made the Oregon sports complex among the most lavish in the land and a major selling points in recruiting.
A new Class for new Challenges
Helfrich has already begun the challenge of preparing for life without Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Marcus Mariota, who is coming out for the 2015 NHL Draft. His 2015 recruiting class hauled in 22 players and ranked 21st in the nation according to Scout.com.
“I have no idea where it ranks and we really don’t care,” said Helfrich on National Signing Day. “We have no idea how great they’ll be long term. But we know the power of our program in developing these guys.”
Helfrich said that there were no surprises on National Signing Day and, in fact, the Ducks already had a total of six early enrollees that will be ready for Spring Football.
“When there’s five guys, six guys, it’s a lot healthier,” Helfrich said. “The guys we have on campus, without exception, are mature enough, smart enough to handle it. Having more guys is a little bit easier.”
Hawaiian and Polynesian Connection
The success of Mariota brought plenty of positive attention to the Ducks program and their ability to land Hawaiian and Polynesian recruits. This year their top recruit again illustrates the fruits of that pipeline. Canton Kaumatule is a 6 ft. 7 in., 290 pound defensive lineman out of Honolulu. Helfrich is excited about his arrival to help shore up a defense that ranked 89th overall in the nation and was badly exposed by Ohio State in the championship game loss.
“With the Marcus Mariota phenomenon, that’s led to something quite different,” he said. “Hawaii and Oregon are our two home states right now. Our coaches love to go over there and recruit, too.”
Helfrich has proven that the best choice is not always the biggest name. He has laid a foundation for future success and has taken full advantage of the new Oregon brand in building upon Kelly’s legacy. In the relatively weaker Pac 12 North Division, Oregon has the potential to dominate for years to come.
