Oregon fired head football coach Mark Helfrich on Tuesday following an incredibly disappointing 4-8 season, and there are already rumblings that the Ducks are looking at big-name candidates to replace him.
Phil Knight, the co-founder of Nike and Oregon’s top booster, was in Columbus for Ohio State’s thrilling overtime win over Michigan on Saturday. Knight delivered a speech to the Nike-sponsored Buckeyes after the game, and John Canzano of The Oregonian notes that he was standing right next to Ohio State defensive coordinator Greg Schiano. Coincidence?
Perhaps not. Bruce Feldman of FOX Sports is reporting that Schiano is a name to watch with Oregon.
Another name to keep an eye on for the #Oregon HC vacancy I'm told is #OhioState DC Greg Schiano. Will have more in my story in a few min.
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) November 30, 2016
Oregon has been known more for lighting up scoreboards than playing strong defense, and that defensive deficiency came to a boil under Helfrich. Schiano is a defensive-minded coach, and there’s a belief that he could build the Ducks into a team that would have the type of toughness that has gotten Washington to the brink of a College Football Playoff appearance.
Schiano was ultimately a failure at the NFL level, but he earned a head coaching opportunity with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers by winning 11 games at Rutgers. A source involved with the hiring process at Oregon described Schiano to Canzano as “one of the best.”
Some of the things we heard about Schiano from NFL players indicate he is more suited for the college game. One thing we know he has is experience. If Oregon is looking for a major culture change, Schiano would make a lot of sense.
