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Oregon still has a coach. So does Miami. For now.
(Eric Evans photo/GoDucks.com
It’s 10 p.m. and as I write this Mario Cristobal is still the head coach of Oregon.
Will he be tomorrow? I don’t know.
Is it safe to go to bed tonight without news breaking? Not sure.
Am I drawing this lede out too long hoping to buy time for some sort of clarity to set in? Probably.
But that’s just kind of the day it’s been here in Oregon. And while being kept in the dark is to be expected for fans and media as the coaching carousel turns — remember, there is gobs of money at stake here — the sense of frustration caused by this “narrative” extended inside the building on Sunday.
One parent I spoke with told me that assistant coaches had been in touch with players, telling them not to read too much into what they were seeing on Twitter. And while there were numerous reports stating that a 4:30 p.m. meeting was scheduled in Eugene for Cristobal to tell players he was leaving for Miami, that meeting didn’t happen nor was it ever scheduled.
Cristobal was recruiting in San Diego Sunday, wearing Oregon gear and a smile, even as much of the sport’s focus narrowed on reports that Cristobal was coming home. The most recent reports out of Miami say the Hurricanes have a contract offer out to Cristobal with a noon ET deadline for Monday.
It would be easy to say it’s been a day unlike any Oregon’s really experienced, but it was only four years ago that Willie Taggart famously asked the Oregon media why he wouldn’t be coaching in the Las Vegas Bowl.
Days later, Taggart was off to Tallahassee and Cristobal became coach.
From Debra McCormick, mother of Oregon tight end Cam McCormick, on Twitter:
“We’ve been through many coaching changes during our time at Oregon, and this is such an effin sh*t show! The players truly deserve more. #whatafreakingcircus.”
So things are going well.
The truly bonkers thing of the whole day is all of this drama came with the backdrop of Oregon accepting a bid to the Alamo Bowl, putting Cristobal on an awkward 15-minute Zoom “media conference” with Oklahoma former-and-interim (FAI) coach Bob Stoops.
Stoops couldn’t have been happier to be on the call. He signed on early, wanted to make sure his camera angle was just right and seemingly would have stayed as long as there was a listening audience.
Cristobal signed on late, gritted through a statement and a couple PR questions about the honor of playing in the Alamo, and then quickly shut his camera off. Stoops still had to talk though, so back on the camera came, and Cristobal sat stone faced as the former national champion coach mused about games past.
“Mario good to see you, man” Stoops said before Cristobal signed off. “Good luck on your recruiting trip.”
If I had to guess, we have an answer early Monday morning. And regardless of how things shake out, it’s pretty hard to come away thinking this weekend has been anything but harmful to the program. Signing day is two weeks away. Because of Cristobal, you all know how important that is.
And even if Cristobal stays, strain has been put on his relationship with players, staff and key figures within the Oregon sphere. As I’m writing this, John Canzano at The Oregonian is reporting that, specifically, Phil Knight is pissed.
That’s not a good place to be and such a contrast from Cristobal’s status within the Oregon athletic department. UO already made him the highest paid coach in program history a year ago, and so much of the Oregon brand had molded around his personality and style. It’s really pretty astonishing to see how quickly things went from Cristobal being just another new assistant coach to know, to Oregon completely reshaping its identity around him.
Maybe he’s flown too close to the sun?
We’ll know more in the morning, where at this point I’m half expecting to wake up to news that Chip Kelly’s back and getting the band back together for a final ride.
I’m joking. I think.
That would be crazy, right?
— Tyson Alger
