Oregon A.D. Mike Bellotti resigned yesterday, effective April 5th, to take a broadcasting job with ESPN. Bellotti's brief tenure as A.D, at Oregon (9 months) was a total and complete mess, with numerous football players being suspended or kicked off the team. It was culminated by him firing Basketball HC Ernie Kent because the team was losing and attendance was dropping. Bellotti is scheduled to make his ESPN debut on April 17th.
Don't be suprised to see Bellotti in a coaching role in 2011. He did not necessairily want to leave his head coaching duties in Oregon last year, but was told to crap or get off the pot if he were interested in the A.D. job. Oregon forced his hand. Bellotti chose to crap, and then crapped out as A.D. This will adversly affect the Oregon football program in the coming years, because the new A.D. will almost surely put the clamps on a renegade program that believes in winning at all costs, including the reputation of the school. The new A.D. will attempt to rid Oregon of their "Thug U West" reputation, and that means being more selective about the athletes that they accept into the football program. In the mean time, Bellotti will be keeping his eyes open for another opportunity to coach, ala Rich Brooks.
Don't be suprised to see Bellotti in a coaching role in 2011. He did not necessairily want to leave his head coaching duties in Oregon last year, but was told to crap or get off the pot if he were interested in the A.D. job. Oregon forced his hand. Bellotti chose to crap, and then crapped out as A.D. This will adversly affect the Oregon football program in the coming years, because the new A.D. will almost surely put the clamps on a renegade program that believes in winning at all costs, including the reputation of the school. The new A.D. will attempt to rid Oregon of their "Thug U West" reputation, and that means being more selective about the athletes that they accept into the football program. In the mean time, Bellotti will be keeping his eyes open for another opportunity to coach, ala Rich Brooks.