Mariota returning will help Helfrich out. Without him, it was possible for Oregon to lose 3 or 4 games. With him, no way they lose more than 2. Helfrich is a goon. He was OC under Hawkins at Colorado and had a shitty track record before Chip bailed him out.
THIS
Slingblade is a moron. I have a friend who is close to the program and he explained in detail that the problem with Helfrich isn't just the play calling. He says that practices have also been "sloppy". Chip always had a reason for everything. Each minute wasted is a minute you never get back. Helfrich has the laid back kind of attitude, he'll let a little slip here and there enter practice. A little here and there added up over time is a big problem. That in my opinion is the major reason for the slide.
If that's true, they should have fired him after the Civil War.
The best thing I saw in Oregon's program under Chip Kelly was the way they practiced.
A perfect example is the way he has handled DAT this year. The moment DAT popped off with the we'll score 40 comment on Stanford, Kelly would have shut him the hell up. But no, Helfrich let's DAT run his mouth again about the Rose Bowl not being good enough, and then again a third time. Helfrich has zero backbone. He's too scared to push his agenda, which you kind of have to do as a head coach. Eventually, what will happen is the players will run the asylum, and the assistants will start undermining Helfrich. It will be a zoo next year, you can count on that.
Even with Mariota coming back, this is a 9 win team next year. If Chip was coaching next year, it would still be a top 5 team. Helfrich I'm afraid is Sark with star talent. Once the recruiting classes fade, so will the wins. 9 wins will keep Helfrich another year, and by the time year 3 ends, the program will have already been destroyed.
