The Duck Report: The firing $quad

Remember back in 2001 when shortstop Alex Rodriguez shocked the sports world with that $252 million contract he signed with the Texas Rangers?

It was a bonkers number then — and, frankly, now — a figure that has somehow etched its way into the not forgetting that one corner of my sports brain.

I had to Google to find out that Mets outfielder Juan Soto currently holds the largest contract in baseball, a not-too-shabby 15-year, $765 million deal. That, too, is an insane figure. But somehow that — or the 18 other deals signed for more money since A-Rod — doesn’t break my brain in the same way that first outrageous contract did.

Eventually, it seems we get used to it.

That’s a long setup to get to this: Ten FBS college football coaches have been fired through the first two months of the season, with LSU’s Brian Kelly joining the likes of Penn State’s James Franklin and Florida’s Billy Napier as coaches who began the year with teams in the preseason Top 25 and are now looking for jobs.

According to Front Office Sports, schools have committed $169 million in contract buyouts for these coaches.

Florida owes Napier $21.5 million.

PSU owes Franklin $48.67 million.

LSU owes Kelly $53.2 million — though some reports say that has been negotiated down to $27 million.

Outrageous, right? Shoot, I remember when Charlie Weis’ $19 million from Notre Dame buyout seemed like the school was paying with Monopoly money in 2008.

But we get used to it as schools with higher stakes and quicker trigger fingers continue to burn through coaches at an alarming rate.

I asked Oregon coach Dan Lanning what he thought about the increasingly decreasing job security in the sport.

“A little hard to wrap your head around,” Lanning said. “I’m not sure exactly what the hurry is for. But it’s part of what we all are aware of and what we signed up for in this profession. This profession is a tough profession. But it’s a really rewarding profession. There’s a lot of people that would love to do what we get to do. It’s nice to be in a place that has really consistent stability and players that are really focused. I think that’s an example of distractions that exist in college football right now that our coaches and players handle really well.”

The Wei Lin Experience

Oregon’s Wei Lin shoots against Utah on Friday in an exhibition win. Credit: Mia Jacobs/GoDucks.com

I didn’t know how well Wei Lin’s 22 points per game as a two-time all-star in the Chinese Basketball Association would translate to D-1 basketball in the United States, but I was intrigued by a highlight reel featuring a deep bag of handles, pump-fakes, finishes and no-look passes.

And it seems I wasn’t the only one, as a big crowd showed up for Oregon’s 73-53 exhibition win Friday night over Utah and “oohed” and “ahhhed” their way through Lin’s 10 points, four assists and two steals.

Oregon coach Dana Altman was impressed and has a good problem on his hands upon Jackson Shelstad’s return from a hand injury.

“Wei can make some shots for Jackson,” Altman said. “Wei’s a pretty good shooter. Jackson can make some shots for him. A lot of it will be dictated defensively by how well these guys get after some people. We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. A lot of that will depend on how Wei comes along here.”

‘I love you, Brock’

I wasn’t expecting to see Dante Moore after Oregon’s 21-7 win over Wisconsin on Saturday. Oregon’s starting quarterback left the game early in the third quarter after taking a pop to the face that left him bloodied.

And while the Ducks hung on for the victory, it was backup quarterback Brock Thomas who got time at the podium after the offense scored a pair of touchdowns with him in relief — highlighted by a 1-yard touchdown to 318-pound offensive lineman Gernorris Wilson.

But as Thomas talked about one of the best days in the life of an Eugene-born, Sheldon High School-attending kid, Moore popped into the back of Thomas’ presser to interrupt.

“I love you, Brock,” said Moore, who is back to practicing this week. “You did your thing today, baby.”

Planning the onside

Head coach Dan Lanning of the Oregon Ducks and head coach Luke Fickell of the Wisconsin Badgers shake hands after the Oregon Ducks beat the Wisconsin Badgers 21-7 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oct. 25, 2025. Credit: Isaac Wasserman / Lookout Eugene-Springfield / Catchlight / RFA

The onside kick didn’t lead to any points for the Oregon Ducks, but it was one of the few moments of execution for the Ducks before things eventually kicked into gear in the second quarter.

So, when did the idea first pop into Lanning’s brain?

“We started looking at film on Sunday and seeing if there might be an advantage,” he said. “You don’t just do it to do it; we felt like the look was there. It was something we checked for. Coach Fickell has a history of deferring, so we thought there was a great chance that if they win the toss, there would be a chance for us to get the ball in the second half or vice versa be in that situation. I don’t know that we executed it perfectly. We had a lot of guys running down the field with their hair on fire, trying to get the ball, and it worked out.”

camera roll

The skies were angry that day, my friends, like an old man trying to send back soup in a deli.

Were you forwarded this newsletter? Sign up here to receive The Duck Report every Thursday in your inbox.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“I love playing in the rain. I’m sure the offense has a different point of view than that, but on defense, I love it. It makes it fun sliding around. It makes the guys pumped up and the ball comes out a little easier. I loved it today.”
— Oregon linebacker Bryce Boettcher

UPCOMING GAMES

Men’s basketball at Stanford (exhibition) • 5 p.m. • Thursday
Women’s basketball vs. Western Oregon (exhibition) • 6 p.m. • Thursday
Volleyball at Washington • 8 p.m. • Friday
Volleyball at No. 1 Nebraska • 11 a.m. • Sunday
Women’s basketball vs. West Georgia • 6 p.m. • Monday
Men’s basketball vs. Hawaii • 7:30 p.m. • Tuesday

STORIES I’m WORKING ON

Keep an eye out Friday morning for this week’s episode of the Inside Look — I was a bit under the weather earlier this week and we got behind in our filming.

On Monday, we’ll be publishing my Will Stein profile. Then, stick around for coverage from Oregon’s basketball season openers.

And oh yeah, we’re heading to Iowa!