OREGON - Smith gone - who will be the interim coach?

200!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm no longer a virgin.

This is all just how the UO alum get their frustration out because they never were the mecca of running. Steve Prefontaine drew crowds, but Jumbo Elliott's Villanova Wildcats were a much better program, and then the torch was passed to John McDonnell. Oregon has had some flashes of brilliance, but in all honesty, UO never did anything that matched what Nova did and what Arkansas is currently doing

I never made the team officially but practiced with UO from 1995-97. I considered running with the team under Dellinger a near-holy experience (as best as I could keep up, that is). Like Rob, I am excited about the coming changes and share some of his opinions, although I can't claim to have known Coach Smith personally.

For people that say Oregon will never come close to their past successes in distance running, that alumni and the Eugene community are living in the past, that the depleted scholarship condition of college track makes it unlikely to happen, that may very well be true. It is natural, however, that people affiliated with the program, past and present, and people in the Eugene community, will want UO to make the attempt.

I also wanted to remind folk something that was pointed out earlier. While the men's team had a fine showing in the NCAA indoor this year, Dellinger era teams competed sparingly indoors if I recall correctly. So UO's best ever indoor finish can be a bit misleading considering the history of NCAA indoor competition at UO (or lack thereof).

Excellent point.The power and influnce of Nike/Phil Knight tend to give another impression.It seems to me that somewhere along the line that reality got replaced with legend and myth at Oregon.Please do not take offence Oregon Alumni, your past success in terms of producing great athlete's is stuff that movies are made of.

I am sure regardless of who the new coach is that you will be back in the thick of things at Nationals but it's unlikely you will ever be with your one first love again.

Pre died tragically,Bowerman lived a full life,Dellinger has retired,Chapa could of been,and Alberto was.

Good luck to the new Coach at Oregon who ever you are.

This just in: Phil Knight is going to be the nest coach at Oregon. A press conference is scheduled for later today. After stepping down as head of Nike corporate Phil Knight announced his true passion is coaching the storied Oregon Ducks back to the NCAA title days of old. The official announcement expected at 2 p.m. today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

For a quick background on Tyson and also some more detail on what is actually going on at Oregon, here is an article from the Spokane paper this morning. (sorry about the formatting -- I would just post the link, but it requires a password.)

Also, although I don't know Martin personally, I do know Rob Aubrey and certainly respect his opinion (and the opinions of other insiders) over those who can only speculate and/or criticize from standpoints of relative ignorance.

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Tyson taking leave of absence to coach at Oregon Mead cross country coach not quitting, but takes non-paid position with Ducks

Through the years

Pat Tyson's state titles

Washington state cross country titles by Pat Tyson-coached teams:

Shorecrest High (Seattle): 1984, 1985

Mead High: 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001,

2002

Mike Vlahovich

Staff writer

March 22, 2005

When Mead track athletes board their bus and head northeast following

completion of Saturday's Richland jamboree, boys distance coach Pat Tyson

will climb into his van and drive southeast.

Tyson, for 19 years the wildly successful Panthers cross country coach, said

Monday he is taking a leave of absence to become a volunteer distance coach

of the Oregon Ducks track team.

"A week ago I was called down to talk to (athletic director) Bill Moos and

associate Gary Gray (and asked) if I would be willing to be a non-paid men's

distance running coach," Tyson explained.

The position became available when six-year Ducks track coach Martin Smith

agreed to resign. Gray will be the interim coach and four paid assistants

will remain on staff.

Moos, in a press conference available on-line on the University of Oregon

website, said the resignation would, "bring closure to the black cloud

hanging over the program for the last couple of months."

Smith, he explained during the conference, was a talented coach and tireless

worker, but unlike previous coaches Bill Bowerman and Bill Dellinger, who

had coached a combined 49 years at the school, did not have a community

presence.

Also, the lack of a distance running emphasis, which had been an Oregon

legacy, he said, had raised concerns from former athletes.

Moos said the university would conduct a nationwide search for Smith's

replacement.

"Track and field is to the University of Oregon what football is to Notre

Dame or basketball is to Kentucky," said Moos at the press conference. "It

is very high profile with a tremendous fan base."

Tyson, 54, is an Oregon alumnus who roomed with the legendary Steve

Prefontaine.

He became recognized as a Pied Piper of high school distance running. After

coaching two state championship cross country teams at Shorecrest High in

Seattle, in 1984 and '85, he came to Mead.

The Panthers, beginning in 1988, won nine successive state big school cross

country titles and added three more between 2000-02. His runners have won

nine individual titles and numerous track distance championships.

"I get to help out my alma mater," Tyson said of his decision to turn this

spring's Mead distance program over to Scott Daratha and move to Eugene.

He said he realizes it could merely be a three-month stay and is grateful to

the Mead school district for allowing him the leave of absence to pursue a

dream.

"I have to protect myself and will not resign as head cross country or

distance coach," he said, "It's a weird world down there. I'm going into a

huge hornet's nest."

But with 32 years of teaching in Washington, he's not ruling out the

possibility of applying for the coaching position at Oregon or as an

assistant.

His coaching approach with collegians will differ little from high school,

except in volume.

"It's the same system I've used at Mead for 19 years," he said. "I'll make

it one degree more challenging."

And, he added, though coaching at Oregon is a chance he couldn't pass up, if

a full-time college position doesn't pan out he'll gladly return to Mead.

"If this didn't work out, I'd stay at Mead until I'm 65," Tyson said.

"There's not another high school I want to go to. There's not a better place

to work."

you suck!

Cute.

Smith Be Gone wrote:

Smith was/is a total f***-up! He arrived at Oregon, poised to make some real changes to the distance program, he did (for worse), they now suck (not talking T&F)! Now that he's gone, hopefully Moos pulls his head out of his a** to get someone who will bring O back to a powerhouse level again. Let's leave it at that, j*****fs!

Who says we hater don't have class?

We have Class!!!!

Smith be gone Proves it!!!!

Your act is old..Smith is gone..bye bye

Not many people will understand the concept "Men of Oregon". It stretches far beyond the walls of the university and is cherished within. "We Few we band of brothers for he who sheds his blood on the battlefield sall be my brother."

Our opinions are empirically based and are our own. I was around as well during the Dellinger to Martin turnover and know the Dr Jeckel and Mr. Hyde personality of Martin. It's difficult to run for someone when there is no mutual respect for one other. Dellinger had that from all his athletes. And I for one am proud to see the end of Martin tyranny and look forward to re-establishing the tradition. Thanks for the post Rob.

Sure you were, I believe ya.

I heard a rumor that Billionaire Phil checks the board.