Max Unger was sitting in a friend’s living room Tuesday afternoon when the father of offensive lineman Jon Teague called to break the news about Mike Bellotti’s press conference.
“There was always rumors flying around but it hit us like a ton of bricks,” Unger said. “We’re sitting here in one of my buddies’ living rooms watching SportsCenter.”
He and teammates Teague and Jacob Hucko logged onto a computer and found an e-mail from the football office telling them about the press conference. A few checks on blogs around the Internet told them offensive coordinator Chip Kelly would succeed head coach Mike Bellotti when Bellotti decides to become athletic director.
Then, they found the nearest stereo and tuned it to a local sports radio station, which was carrying the conference call live.
“I think everybody else was pretty happy with it,” Unger said. “We love coach Bellotti, but if it’s his time to go there wouldn’t be a better replacement than Chip.”
Quarterback Nate Costa called the decision “definitely the right move by the athletic department” to secure Kelly, who he called a “high energy” coach who “talks a mile a minute” while keeping Bellotti in place.
Unger has started 50 straight games on the offensive line for No. 16 Oregon, and helped the Ducks rush for 385 yards against the then-No. 17 Oregon State Beavers during the 65-38 win on Saturday. Unger and Hucko have been a part of back-to-back record setting rushing seasons at Oregon, as the Ducks have run for a new record of 3,334 rushing yards in 12 games.
Unger and defensive tackle Cole Linehan said that as seniors, the decision won’t affect them. They echoed each other, saying none of the rumors last week about Kelly interviewing at Syracuse bothered the team in the preparation for the Civil War.
“We don’t really pay more attention to it but when something like this comes up,” Unger said.
“Interview’s an interview,” Linehan said. “It’s bound to happen, but the players don’t pay attention to anything like that.”
Linehan talked to a few players after hearing about the succession plan, and said the mood was generally that “nothing’s changed.”
“It’s kind of crazy to think that they’ll make that step for what’s to come, but for now, it’s not going to affect us in anyway,” said Linehan, who was quick to add that the choice was a good one.
“I think it helps to put the face to the future and for people to know where this program is going. When Coach B leaves, people know who will be there,” he said. “Chip is liked amongst all the players. He’s definitely good at what he does.”
Costa was projected to be the starter this season until a knee injury the week before the season-opening Washington game, and is one of the most experienced players on the team with Kelly. He said that he believed Kelly was head coaching material when he helped with the interview process for offensive coordinator in 2007.
“That’s something I noticed about him was when we were going through the interview process, and he was by far the guy who was the most impressive,” Costa said. “He’s kind of a guy who I was thinking, ‘If we do get him, how long will be around?’”
Despite no official timetable for the transition, Costa guessed that it might happen in a year, adding, “you never know, though.”
“I would hope for a year because being a head coach at Oregon is definitely a tough thing to handle,” Costa said. “I think he’s going to need the year to focus on what coach Bellotti’s been doing. There’s so many things about being a head coach that you never think of.”
As the projected starter at the team’s most glamorous position, Costa dealt with some of the pressures of being in the spotlight over the summer, though nothing compared with the head coach.
“It’ll be interesting to see how coach Kelly adapts to all those new roles. Handling the press more often, handling boosters more, probably being more hands off in the recruiting.”
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