Oregon football media day

The University of Oregon's Hatfield-Dowlin Complex has been compared to a fortress.

(Thomas Boyd)

A guy I came to know when I was covering the Oregon Ducks football team in 2010 and 2011 was then an enthusiastic fan and booster.

When we talked recently I was surprised to learn he no longer felt the same attachment to the football program.

The estrangement had little to do with the Ducks' downturn in fortunes. Instead, he said, the program pushed him away.

He cited a few examples:

-- He no longer was welcome at practice.

-- The Ducks used to host a reception for boosters in the Casanova Center's Pittman Room following home games, Assistant coaches mingled with the fans.

Former UO coach Chip Kelly did away with the postgame receptions. Mark Helfrich, Kelly's successor, declined to reinstitute them.

-- He had the run of the Casanova Center when the football offices were there. When the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex -- the 145,000-square football operations center -- opened in 2013, he no longer was welcome.

In his column today, the R-G's Austin Meek suggests Oregon's hire last week of Willie Taggart as football coach is an opportunity for the Ducks to dismantle some of the barriers they set up between the football program and the public.

Meek recounts how the football program changed under Kelly from friendly and approachable to aloof and distant.

He writes:

"Vagary and misdirection became the norm. The program retreated into its massive athletic fortresses, shadowing the coach with a bodyguard to prevent any unscripted interaction.

"From the head coach down, Oregon suffered a steady loss of personality, becoming more faceless and corporate with each passing year. Talking about injuries became taboo. There was an attitude of arrogance, a sense of being above the regular people with an interest in the program."

Here is the entire column. It's excellent. I recommend it.

This distance from the public worked for Kelly. There always was a sense he was up to something mysteriously creative, and about to spring it on the opposition.

It came across as unnecessarily paranoid as the program began to slide.

In the end, Helfrich didn't have much support when the crisis came.

It will be interesting to see what kind of tone Taggart sets.

If he wins the way Kelly did at Oregon, it won't matter. If he doesn't, it might be help him to have the public on his side.

OK, more links:

Charlie Strong -- the guy UO coach Willie Taggart had targeted to be defensive coordinator -- reportedly will succeed Taggart as South Florida coach.

It's on to Plan B, as Taggart looks for a defensive coordinator.

The Portland Trib's Kerry Eggers has this update about what Oregon State coach Gary Andersen has been up to since the end of the regular season.

The Huskies might be 16-point underdogs to Alabama, but they're not intimidated.

Washington goes back to work, and the Huskies have a healthy respect for Alabama's defense.

How Arizona State landed Blake Barnett. He considered Oregon, but says other than Marcus Mariota, he didn't think the Ducks did a good job of developing quarterbacks for the next level.

Paula Boivin of the Arizona Republic: NFL rule changes make Arizona State kicker Zane Gonzalez more valuable.

The Daily Star's Greg Hansen: Arizona opts not to hold a postseason football banquet (fifth item). This notes column also points out that previously-committed recruits are bailing from the Wildcats.

Colorado's depth has been critical in the Buffaloes' breakthrough season.

Heisman winner Rashaan Salaam wanted to save lives, but he couldn't save his own.

John Blanchette of the Spokesman-Review: Eastern Washington defensive end Samson Ebukam proves to be a game-changer.

Eastern Washington's defense accepts the challenge, blanks Richmond as the Eagles advance to the FCS semifinals.

Next man up works well for EWU.

The links from Duck Sports Now.

The links from Beaver Sports Now.

-- Ken Goe

503-221-8040 | @KenGoe