Of all Rich Brooks did for UO, hiring Bellotti was the best
Guest Commentary
George
■Beresi
ill!!!
In 1995, Rich Brooks brought
Oregon back to the Rose Bowl
for the first tim^! in 37 years.
Then he did the Ducks a big fa
vor: He left to join the soon-to-be
the St. Louis Rams, opening the
door for Dan Williams and a per
ceptive University to promote
Mike Bellotti as his successor.
Don't misunderstand. This is
not a put-down on Brooks. I
worked with Rich as University of
Oregon Sports Information Direc
tor during some rough years. I re
spect the man as a person and as a
coach, and can appreciate what an
achievement it was for him to get
Oregon back to Pasadena on New
Year's Day.
But he did something equally
significant when he hired a little
known, small-college coach from
California to be his offensive coor
dinator. With Bellotti on board,
the Ducks evolved as a potent
team on the attack. When Rich de
parted for the pro game’s greener
pastures (money), Mike was pre
pared to take over.
The personality contrast be
tween the two men is clear. Rich
is hard-bitten, but cordial enough.
Yet in Eugene, he often was intol
Emerald
Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti has a 46-21 record in six years at the University.
V
erant of meaningless questions
from cub reporters (there are a few
in the Oregon media market) who
had an inadequate understanding
of the game. Mike allows himself
to be warmer and more accepting.
When a reporter asks a question
that resembles the proverbial
sow's ear, Mike turns it into a silk
purse (at least a facsimile) as he
responds with respect, even to
queries that might not deserve it.
Some said Brooks never forgot
what he originally was: a Beaver, a
hard-nosed player for Dee Andros
- and also a capable college boxer.
He needed that toughness to see
him through some rough seasons
at Oregon, and he gradually trans
mitted toughness to his teams. For
that, Oregon remains in his debt
— the playing field is named after
Brooks.
But it is Bellotti who has made
himself one of the most respected,
likable head coaches in the busi
ness. Success against odds always
makes it easier to like a person —
and in six seasons Mike has
brought a more concentrated suc
cess to the gridiron than Oregon
has ever known.
His image on the T.V. screen —
where he regularly is in view as
the Ducks play many more games
in front of the cameras — is just
what the University ordered. He’s
in charge of himself and his team,
and never emotionally out of con
trol. His ability to sustain that dis
cipline will be sorely tested as his
team faces two up-and-down foes,
Washington State and California.
Against those two teams, the Big
"O" on the Ducks’ uniforms re
semble the massive target the
front runner always has on them.
Emerald
Rich Brooks led the Ducks to the Rose Bowl in 1995 before joining the St. Louis Rams.
Oregon has not been in that po
sition often, and how Bellotti and
his athletes respond then — and in
the finale against a potent Beavers
team in hostile Parker Stadium
(OK, Reser) — will be the mark of
this team.
Success holds other dangers, as
we learned with Brooks. Whatev
er happens in the closing games,
Mike will be the first choice of
many programs, some far richer
than Oregon, as they try to hire
away a coach to revive them. Bel
lotti is well-rewarded at Oregon.
His $98,000 bonus this fall for
record season ticket sales pushes
him close to the $600,000 figure
for annual income.
Did he seek it? No. But Athlet
ics Director Bill Moos probably
was aware he'd have to be fending
off coach-buyers after another suc
cessful season.
So he gave Mike another incen
tive to stay. It probably wasn't
needed.
For the kind of guy he seems to
be, higher pay at a football factory
should have marginal appeal, es
pecially for one so well suited to
the Oregon environment.
Mike also knows what we all
know: He has the Oregon Ducks on
a roll.
George Beres is the former Sports Informa
tion Director for Oregon. He is the author
of the 1995 Rose Bowl book, “The Year of
the Duck.” A limited supply of the original
book is now on sale at the University Book
Store. He can be reached at gberes@ore
gon.uoregon.edu.
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