The Oregon Ducks wasted little time making the decision to fire Mark Helfrich following a disastrous 4-8 season that included a 2-7 mark in Pac-12 competition. The Ducks will now turn their attention to replacing Helfrich following his four-year tenure as head coach and they certainly have plenty of qualified options. Here is a look at the top four potential successors as the head coach at Oregon.
Dana Holgorsen
The Ducks have been recognized as an innovative program in terms of offensive schemes and the way they attack opponent’s weaknesses so it won’t be a surprise if they turn to Holgorsen as an excellent option to take over for Helfrich. Holgorsen has long been considered an outstanding offensive head coach and he has West Virginia on the verge of a 10-win season despite the fact that the Mountaineers haven’t recruited at the same level as some of the other top teams in the Big 12. His resume speaks for itself and after the AD at West Virginia decided not to extend him another year when he had the option it won’t be a surprise if Holgorsen decides that Oregon is the better fit for him moving forward.
Mike MacIntyre
The head coach at Colorado has made a name for himself by turning around football programs and his work with the Buffaloes this season might be enough for him to land a high-profile job with the Ducks. MacIntyre earned his shot at the head coaching job at Colorado after turning things around at San Jose State and now he has the Buffaloes in the Pac-12 championship game with a shot at making history. MacIntyre has drawn considerable interest from multiple programs across the country with Baylor among those reportedly set to make a substantial bid for his services and it only makes sense that Oregon would make a strong push for him as well.
Jim McElwain
The current Florida head coach has been linked to the job since before Helfrich was officially fired and he could be one of the better options out there if he is available. McElwain is a Montana native and he spent the early years of his career working in the Pacific Northwest. The former Alabama offensive coordinator and Colorado State head coach has done an excellent job since taking over for the Gators so there is a good chance he will be on a short list of candidates for Oregon.
Chip Kelly
The majority of people close to the program think Oregon will head in a completely new direction but this list would not be complete without at least mentioning Kelly as a potential option. Kelly had an incredible run with the Ducks that led to him being highly sought after in the NFL but after disappointing stops with the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers he might want to consider heading back to Eugene. The two-year show-cause penalty that he left Oregon with isn’t nearly enough to completely stain his impressive collegiate resume so Kelly could be one of the better potential options as head coach for the Ducks.
Art Briles
Could they? Would they? The Ducks have lost some cache as they used to be the place where so many prospects wanted to play. Nowadays, that sexiness has deteriorated to the point that they aren’t getting the best players. They used to be an offensive juggernaut but now they can barely score. They used to be a national champion contender every year but they’re now a second-tier Pac-12 team.
The issue with hiring Briles is that he comes with a lot of baggage. He was let go from Baylor due to some off-field transgressions, which includes the potential of having covered up some sexual assaults. Although it’s unclear just how at-fault he is (versus the school), it was enough to get him terminated. But college football is all about second chances and we all know that if the Ducks hired Briles, they’d be back on track as a Pac-12 powerhouse. He’d get their offensive going again and he’d make them into one of the sexier programs in the nation. The only question is whether they want to hire a candidate who has this type of baggage.
