Credit today to Mike Bellotti, the former Chief Executive Officer of Oregon Football Inc., who regularly looked outside the room for ideas.

Prior to hiring Chip Kelly in 2007, Bellotti brought in outsiders Andy Ludwig (2002-04) and Gary Crowton (2005-06), searching for fresh concepts and new ideas. Which is only to say that I like what current CEO Mark Helfrich did with his defensive coordinator hire.

Helfrich faced a tricky maneuver after the Alamo Bowl. His friend and colleague, Don Pellum, faced a demotion from coordinator to position coach. It was a painful move that needed to be made, and Helfrich not only navigated it, but has now compounded the move by showing excellent leadership and looking again to the outside.

It's not a comfortable thing, looking outward for a solution. I've talked with Bellotti several times about the ups/downs through Ludwig and Crowton, and eventually Kelly, whose innovation and attitude altered the course of Ducks football history.

Can Brady Hoke do that for UO's defense?

We'll see. While we wait, I love that Helfrich ventured beyond the comfort zone. Hoke wasn't the safe hire. He wasn't the easy hire. He wasn't as comfortable for Oregon as hiring from within, or even reaching back for a cozy fit with a former Ducks player like Justin Wilcox.

Hiring Hoke means Helfrich isn't threatened by outside ideas and fresh concepts. It smacked of confidence, too, given that with some success, Hoke will get a lot of credit and might even emerge as the heir to Helfrich.

I'm not sure if Hoke is the equivalent of Ludwig, Crowton or Kelly. But the hire marks a Bellotti-like reach outside the bunker for someone capable of coming in, shaking things up and helping Oregon win.

Pellum is going to be an interesting study as linebackers coach. He now finds himself an over-paid position coach at $410,000 annually, charged with helping his replacement improve the defense. Basically, Pellum's new job is to help Hoke make Pellum look like he didn't know what he was doing. So that's interesting, but also, it means that Helfrich valued the overall mission of the Ducks operation more than he valued Pellum's feelings, which must happen if UO is going to avoid falling further off the pace.

We watched this week as Kelly was introduced as the 49ers coach, seemingly with something to prove after his failure in Philadelphia. Kelly will be motivated. I like the Hoke hiring for the same reason. By all accounts, Hoke is a great recruiter with a terrific work ethic. Better yet, like Kelly, Hoke has something to prove and he's found a program willing to give him an opportunity.

After the 2014 season, Helfrich signed a five-year, $17.5 million contract worth an average of $3.5 million per season. Good leadership isn't just signing the contract and promoting friends. It's making uncomfortable personnel moves, and looking outside when you don't have enough good ideas in the room.

Bellotti may have taught Helfrich that.

Oregon's future felt a little muddled before Saturday. The advantages the Ducks held with uniforms, fast-pace play and facilities feel marginalized. Everyone has cool uniforms. Everyone plays fast. Everyone has a dreamy football facility. It's time for Oregon to regain its identity. Maybe that includes a defense that is suffocating, and thrilling, combined with a Helfrich-led offense that would again put incredible pressure on opponents.

Bellotti deserves a lot of credit for publicly admitting all those years ago that he didn't have the answers. He sifted through candidates, he hired, he fired, and ultimately, Kelly was a home run.

Don't know if Hoke is that home run. But it was a big swing by Helfrich.

-- @JohnCanzanoBFT