Canzano: Lane Kiffin and six other candidates who won't get Oregon Ducks job There are a lot of candidates Oregon should talk with (PJ Fleck, Greg Schiano, etc.), but let's put an end to the speculation about a few names that have come up. Here's my list of seven solid candidates we can cross off today: Lane Kiffin: Oregon won't touch Kiffin. Let's state that up front. He's resurrecting himself under Nick Saban at Alabama, but there's too much baggage and the Ducks brass won't give him consideration. Dismiss all publications and sources that say otherwise. He'd be a correction from Helfrich, personality-wise, but an over-correction. If you hear Kiffin's name come up, be skeptical. His agent will want it associated with the Oregon job for leverage, but it's not really. Les Miles: 63-year old former LSU coach is a little older than the Ducks would be interested in. Also, when it comes to offense and the development of quarterbacks, I don't trust him with the keys. Neither will Oregon. Not a serious candidate for the head coaching position. Stop mentioning him, thinking about him or talking about him. He's off the board. Bill Musgrave: Raiders offensive coordinator is getting some run as a possible candidate, but I don't see it being a real possibility. I like that he has ties to the Ducks past. I like his age. I like his NFL experience. For that, maybe he gets an interview. I think Musgrave will get a quick look, but he wouldn't be a good choice given Oregon's short term challenge -- a lack of talent. Also, the Ducks would have to wait a couple of months for him. For that reason, cross him off the list, even if you hear he's getting an interview. Not the right guy. Kyle Whittingham: Utah head coach has some good success, but has been in a running feud with his athletic director. It would raise some concerns with Oregon, and for that reason, I think Whittingham is real long shot. So much so that I'm erasing him from the board. Norv Turner: Recruiting is too important to take this risk. Former Oregon graduate assistant has a solid NFL resume, but that's not going to get him hired. He's too far removed from the college game, and at 64, is a little too old for this job. Remember, the objective here is to give the program a boost of enthusiasm. Scott Frost: Should Oregon strike out in all other reasonable places, I may take this one back. He'd be a total fallback option. But when you fire a coach for a failure in leadership you don't reach back to a simlar-minded assistant who was on the staff a year earlier. Frost is not the alter-ego to Helfrich. He doesn't check any of the boxes that I think will matter to the Oregon brass. For that reason, cross Frost off the list of serious candidates. Bryan Harsin: Boise State coach is interesting, but let's be real... Harsin is the B-level version of Chris Petersen. For that reason, the Ducks decision-makers won't see this as a choice they can live with. I like Harsin, but if I want a Coke I don't order an RC Cola.
.... Brian, there's been so many names floated,.. I thought PJ Fleck was perfect, but I hear that the "powers", think he's, "all sizzle and no meat", he wasn't even offered an interview. I started to think Kiffen was a good fit,.. but the Ducks want nothing to do with him, I suppose that's for the best. South Florida's Willie Taggert has a good resume, but he's considered a fall back choice, as is Brian Halston of Boise State. Ohio State DC, Greg Sciano's name keeps popping up, but apparently he's not Oregon's first choice. Jim McElwain at Florida keeps saying no, but's still being mentioned. Oklahoma's OC, Lincoln Riley, didn't make the cut. UNC's Larry Fedora's not in the running. Wisconsin's DC, ex-Duck Justin Wilcox, is popular but wasn't contacted. Oregon ex Mike Belloti put Dan Mullen and Matt Rhule on his short list. Jon Gruden said, "not at this time". The latest rumor's ,.. Oregon's interested in Penn State's James Franklin. There's been more than a dozen other Coach's mentioned .. anonymous sources say, "Ducks are in control, Oregon likes the candidates it’s getting,.. that their search firm's added value"... I hear, more than ten candidates have been interviewed so far,.. I guess that's good. The whole things driving me nuts, since Friday night, I've tried to get other shit done, but like every 15 minutes, there I am again, scouring the internet looking for coaching updates and Oregon rumors. Maybe tomorrow we find out who,.. to answer your question,.. I still hope it's Chip
Talk about all sizzle and no meat. This guy wont be at Florida long. I don't think he would have a winning season in the SEC west. Must be nice to be king of the SEC least
Yeah, I know you guys think he sucks, and I believe you,.. It scares me the way people keep saying what a great coach he'd be for us,.. I don't want him.
Just posted in the "Oregonian" Nigel Burton @CoachNBurton BREAKING: Heard from source w/ ties to UO ath dept, decision on new head football coach HAS been made & rumored to be current non-Power5 HC Looks very much like Oregon's new Head Football Coach is going to be Willie Taggart,.. currently at University of South Florida, USF. or maybe it's Chip
