Sports
A9
Thursday, December 16, 2021
EASTERN OREGON UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL
EOU’s DeLong,
Van Wyck conclude
standout careers with
national recognition
By DAVIS CARBAUGH
The Observer
L
A GRANDE — Two pillars
of Eastern Oregon University
football wrapped up their col-
legiate careers by earning top
honors at the NAIA level.
Senior defensive linemen Sage
DeLong and Chase Van Wyck were
both named NAIA All-Americans in the
NAIA’s offi cial end-of-season release on
Monday, Dec. 13. The two linemen were
a nightmare for opposing off enses for
what was a much-improved Mountain-
eers defensive unit this season. DeLong
was named to the fi rst team and Van
Wyck earned honorable mention.
“What a great couple guys,” head
coach Tim Camp said. “They’ve had
such an impact on what we’ve done
and what we’ve been trying to do
defensively.”
DeLong was a menace on the defen-
sive line this year, tallying 17.5 tackles
for loss and 10 sacks on the year. Those
splits ranked him 11th in the NAIA for
tackles for loss and fi fth in the NAIA
in sacks despite missing three games
Alex Wittwer/The Observer, File
See, EOU/Page A10
Eastern Oregon’s Sage DeLong pursues Rocky Mountain’s DeNiro Killian Jr. in a game at Community Stadium in La Grande on Saturday, Oct. 9, 2021.
DeLong earned Frontier Conference co-defensive player of the year alongside teammate Chase Van Wyck.
Bray named defensive coordinator for OSU
PREP BOYS BASKETBALL
Vale at La Grande, 7 p.m.
Bobcat Christmas Classic, Union and Powder
Valley High Schools
Enterprise vs. Powder Valley, Powder Valley High
School, 4:30 p.m.
Jordan Valley vs. Imbler, Union High School,
4:30 p.m.
Elgin vs. Imbler JV, Powder Valley High School,
7:30 p.m.
Cove vs. Union, Union High School, 7:30 p.m.
By NICK DASCHEL
The Oregonian
LOS ANGELES — Oregon
State coach Jonathan Smith said
he spoke to many potential can-
didates about becoming his next
defensive coordinator.
As those conversations took
place, it became clear: The guy
down the hall at Valley Football
Center was right for the job. On
Tuesday, Dec. 14, Smith named
Trent Bray as OSU’s defensive
coordinator, taking the interim
tag off a title the 39-year-old
inside linebackers coach wore
since Tim Tibesar was dismissed
Nov. 7.
“It just kept coming back to
Trent,” Smith said Tuesday night
during an LA Bowl media avail-
ability at SoFi Stadium. “The
connection to the players, what
he brings to the table. This guy’s
been around big-time ball for a
long time.”
Smith said he sees Bray, his
inside linebackers coach for
the past four years, can con-
tinue some things that have
been established in the program,
while adding his thoughts and
personality to the defense.
“It got to the point where I felt
really, really confi dent to make
this decision,” Smith said.
Smith and Bray came to an
agreement Monday, and later
told the team.
“They were excited. They
ON THE SLATE
THURSDAY, DEC. 16
PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL
Bobcat Christmas Classic, Union and Powder
Valley High Schools
Enterprise vs. Powder Valley, Powder Valley High
School, 3 p.m.
Jordan Valley vs. Cove, Union High School, 3 p.m.
Crane vs. Imbler, Powder Valley High School,
6 p.m.
Elgin vs. Union, Union High School, 6 p.m.
FRIDAY, DEC. 17
COLLEGE MEN’S BASKETBALL
Lewis-Clark State at Eastern Oregon, 7:30 p.m.
COLLEGE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Lewis-Clark State at Eastern Oregon, 5:30 p.m.
COLLEGE MEN’S WRESTLING
Eastern Oregon vs. MSU-Northern, Reno, Nevada,
6:30 p.m.
Nick Daschel/The Oregonian
Oregon State coach Jonathan Smith said he decided to make inside linebackers
coach Trent Bray defensive coordinator because “I felt confi dently for the next
couple years to be good on defense, we’ve got a guy sitting right here who can
do it.”
were excited the day we made
him interim, and when we told
them yesterday,” Smith said. “If
they’re enthused to have him as
a leader, that made me feel even
better.”
Early in the process, Smith
said he thought he’d make the
hire around the middle of Jan-
uary. He made a list of poten-
tial candidates, talked to others,
some who recommended Bray.
Smith decided not to wait,
saying ultimately his gut told
him Bray was right.
“I felt confi dently for the
next couple years to be good on
defense, we’ve got a guy sitting
See, OSU/Page A10
PREP BOYS BASKETBALL
La Grande vs. Bonners Ferry, Idaho, Stanfi eld High
School, 7 p.m.
Wallowa vs. Umatilla JV, Helix High School, 4 p.m.
Joseph at Prairie City, 7:30 p.m.
Bobcat Christmas Classic, Union High School
Elgin vs. Union JV, 9 a.m.
Cove vs. Enterprise, 1:30 p.m.
Powder Valley vs. Imbler, 4:30 p.m.
Union vs. Jordan Valley, 7:30 p.m.
PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL
Wallowa vs. Umatilla JV, Helix High School, 2 p.m.
Joseph at Prairie City, 6 p.m.
Bobcat Christmas Classic, Union High School
Enterprise/Powder Valley loser vs. Crane/Imbler
loser, Union High School, 10:30 a.m.
Jordan Valley/Cove loser vs. Elgin/Union loser,
Union High School, noon
Enterprise/Powder Valley winner vs. Crane/Imbler
winner, Union High School, 3 p.m.
Jordan Valley/Cove winner vs. Elgin/Union win-
ner, Union High School, 6 p.m.
PREP BOYS WRESTLING
La Grande at Tri-State Tournament, Couer
d’Alene, Idaho
La Grande at John Rysdam Tournament, Elgin
High School
SATURDAY, DEC. 18
COLLEGE MEN’S BASKETBALL
Walla Walla at Eastern Oregon, 8:30 p.m.
COLLEGE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Walla Walla at Eastern Oregon, 6:30 p.m.
PREP BOYS BASKETBALL
Wallowa at Helix Tournament, TBA
Joseph at Grant Union, 2:30 p.m.
Bobcat Christmas Classic, Union High School
Elgin vs. Powder Valley JV, Union High School,
10:30 a.m.
Imbler vs. Enterprise, Union High School,
1:30 p.m.
Jordan Valley vs. Cove, Union High School,
4:30 p.m.
Union vs. Powder Valley, Union High School,
7:30 p.m.
PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL
Wallowa at Helix Tournament, TBA
Joseph at Grant Union, 1 p.m.
Bobcat Christmas Classic, Union High School
Seventh-place game, Union High School, 9 a.m.
Consolation championship, Union High School
noon
Third-place game, Union High School, 3 p.m.
Championship game, Union High School 6 p.m.
PREP SWIMMING
La Grande at Lebanon High School
SUNDAY, DEC. 19
COLLEGE MEN’S WRESTLING
Eastern Oregon at Tournament of Champions,
Reno, Nevada, TBA
MONDAY, DEC. 20
PREP BOYS BASKETBALL
La Grande at Gladstone, 7:30 p.m.
Enterprise at Nixyaawii, 5:30 p.m.
PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL
Enterprise at Nixyaawii, 4 p.m.
TUESDAY, DEC. 21
COLLEGE MEN’S BASKETBALL
Linfi eld at Eastern Oregon, 6 p.m.
PREP BOYS BASKETBALL
Horizon Christian/Hood River at Elgin, 7 p.m.
PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL
Horizon Christian/Hood River at Elgin, 5:30 p.m.
SPORTS SHORT
New coach’s contract at Oregon for 6 years, $29.1M
By JAMES CREPEA
The Oregonian
EUGENE — Dan Lanning’s con-
tract at Oregon is for six years and
$29.1 million.
The University of Oregon’s
Executive and Audit committee
of the school’s Board of Trustees
on Tuesday, Dec. 14, unanimously
approved the contract, which runs
through January 2028.
Lanning will earn $4.6 million
next season and enjoy $100,000
increases for each of the following
fi ve years. University documents
state Lanning’s starting compensa-
tion ranks fi fth in the Pac-12 Confer-
ence and 27th nationally.
It’s a slight increase from the
$4.4 million base salary Mario Cris-
tobal was in line to receive under his
existing contract at UO, which also
included retention bonuses that are
not part of Lanning’s contract, but
below the $7 million base Cristobal
was being off ered before leaving for
Miami.
Lanning, 35, was in the fi rst of a
three-year contract at Georgia worth
$1.7 million this season, $1.75 mil-
lion in 2022 and $1.8 million in 2023.
His buyout at UGA has been waived
because he left for a head coaching
job.
The buyout UO would owe Lan-
ning if he were fi red before the end of
the contract is 70% of his remaining
base salary and will increase to 80%
if Oregon wins 10 regular season
games in any season during the con-
tract. It is subject to mitigation.
Lanning’s buyout to leave UO is
$14 million through Jan. 31, 2023,
and decreases annually to $10 mil-
lion, $7 million, $3 million, $2 mil-
lion and $1 million, respectively.
The bowl participation incentives
in Lanning’s contract are $500,000
for playing in the College Foot-
ball Playoff National Champion-
ship game, $250,000 for reaching the
CFP semifi nals, $150,000 for any of
the other four New Year’s six bowls
and $100,000 for any bowl game
where Oregon wins at least seven
games. That’s a higher incentive for
the national title game than Cristob-
al’s contract ($375,000), but lower
than the $325,000, $300,000 and
$150,000, respectively, the Ducks’
former coach would’ve received for
other postseason games.
Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard
New Oregon football head coach Dan Lanning takes questions
from media after being formally introduced by the Ducks Mon-
day, Dec. 13, 2021, in Eugene. Oregon hired Georgia defensive
coordinator Lanning as head coach Dec. 11, completing a search
for Mario Cristobal’s replacement that took less than a week.