Former Oregon linebacker coach and recruiting coordinator Don Pellum will succeed Nick Aliotti as Oregon’s defensive coordinator next season, multiple sources told the Oregonian on Saturday.
Pellum’s promotion has not been made official by the school and the university is not expected to announce the move until after the weekend, according to one of the sources.
“He’s a player’s coach,” one of the sources said of Pellum. “I think the guys like him. He’s got a good personality and he knows how to handle guys. I think defenders will rally around him.”
Pellum has coached at Oregon for 20 years, four years less than Aliotti, who was Oregon’s defensive coordinator for the last 17 seasons. Aliotti announced his retirement prior to the Alamo Bowl, which the Ducks won over Texas 30-7.
Three sources said 34 year-old Erik Chinander will take over Aliotti’s role coaching outside linebackers. Chinander was an assistant defensive line coach for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2013 and served as a defensive intern for Oregon the previous three seasons. He was also a defensive grad assistant from 2011-12.
Pellum graduated from Oregon in 1985. That same year, he became a graduate assistant with the Ducks and has remained. In his tenure with Oregon, he also coached defensive linemen and safeties.
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