The rise of the University of Oregon athletics over the past decade and a half has been one that many could have never imagined.  The beauty for Duck fans is that the meteoric rise seems to be just getting underway.  When Oregon hired Mike Bellotti to lead the football program following the 1994 season, he continued the momentum built by Rich Brooks and became the most successful football coach in school history.  Coach Bellotti wasn’t the only coach brought in during that time frame as Ernie Kent came on board at his alma mater and became the most successful coach in Oregon history on the hardwood.

As with any program or team that has great success after a long period of mediocrity, many new fans jump on the bandwagon and expect that success to be duplicated every year.  The problem for Oregon is that when this happened after the 2001 year, fans got used to winning and anything less than the BCS or the elite eight was considered failure by many of the Johnny-come-lately fans.  What Mike Bellotti and Ernie Kent have accomplished at a school that was long considered an afterthought and a cellar dweller in the PAC-10 is nothing less than remarkable.  

Coach Kent and Coach Bellotti aren’t the only ones who have done their part in helping the school become a national player in the sports world.  After a long stretch of great success on the track in the 60’s, 70’s and some in the 80’s, the Oregon Track and Field Program hit a stretch where the talent wasn’t there and as a result, neither were the results.  What was once known as the biggest track and field powerhouse in the country is back in a big way and it all started a few years ago when Vin Lananna came aboard in 2005 as the Director of Track and Field.  Since Lananna came aboard, the Duck Track and Field and Cross Country teams have once again ascended to the top of the charts.

We all know what Mike Bellotti did for Oregon’s football program as he became a legend in his time as the head man of the Ducks.  Not only did he oversee what was easily the best stretch of football in school history, but he was there when Phil Knight and Nike became heavily involved with the program, the Mashofsky Center was built, Autzen Stadium was expanded and much, much more.  Although he just recently stepped aside and is now the school’s Athletic Director, he is still a part of Oregon football.  As a matter of fact, Mike Bellotti will always be a part of Oregon football. 

For those who continue to bash Head Basketball Coach Ernie Kent, well some of it may be justified but if you step back and really look at things, Coach Kent has done a remarkable job in his time at Oregon.  Like with the football program with Bellotti, basketball had very little success in the time period leading up to the hiring of Kent.  At least with football, the Ducks had been to 3 bowls in 5 years including a Rose Bowl leading up to Bellotti’s hiring.  Kent was taking over a program that had been to the NCAA Tournament just once in the previous 36 years.

As much as some Oregon fans like to complain when Oregon “only” makes the NIT or “only” wins seven games in football, be glad that you weren’t around as a fan even 20 years ago.  When Oregon finishes 2^nd for the top recruit in the country, some fans complain and wonder aloud, “Why can’t Oregon get these kids...?”  Well, 20 years ago those kids and their families had no idea who Oregon was.  It wasn’t like, they didn’t consider the Ducks; they actually didn’t know who they were…really.  People like to point out that Oregon State went 38 years without a bowl appearance and the Beavers basketball team went 17 years without a winning season, but in reality Oregon was right there with them in both sports through most of the 70’s and 80’s.

Like I said earlier, what Coach Bellotti and Coach Kent have done for their respective programs should be recognized as some of the most impressive feats in Oregon history.  What they did was make both sports successful, relevant and set them up for a very bright future.  The 2009-2010 seasons for the football and Men’s basketball programs could serve as very big barometers for how the programs will be in the coming years.

Chip Kelly inherits a team with loads of talent but also a large number of questions.  The team has the talent to win 10+ games and go to the BCS but this is also the type of year where in the past, Oregon has slid and “only” won 7 or 8 games.  With the outlook for 2010 being really bright as far as the number of returning starters goes, if Coach Kelly can make this another successful year, Oregon fans should feel really good about the heights that their program is on the way to reaching.

In Ernie Kent’s case, the basketball team is coming off one of its worst seasons in many years.  In fact, last season is what Oregon basketball fans went through on a regular basis before Ernie Kent arrived.  After winning just 8 games last year and having a team which is still very young, yet mildly experienced returning, the Ducks should see a large jump in the number of wins they compile.  With a couple new players at much needed positions and a full season under the belts of last year’s freshman, Coach Kent and the Ducks should be able to take advantage of a weakened PAC-10 and hopefully make a run at the post season.  This is a huge year for Ernie Kent and the program in general. 

Since Coach Kent arrived in Eugene, Oregon basketball has been in the post-season seven times, including two trips to the NCAA Tournament’s, Elite Eight and two trips to the NIT Final Four.  He has resided over five of the nine all-time NCAA Tournament appearances by the Ducks and 2 of the 9 NIT appearances.  Both times they made the NIT under Coach Kent they made it to New York for the NIT Final Four.  Out of his 5 NCAA Tournament appearances, 40% of them have found the Duck hoopers in the Elite Eight.  Point being, under Coach Kent Oregon has reached heights way beyond anything they had ever done in the modern era and despite the calls for his job on a daily basis, he has done an incredible job building the brand of Oregon basketball.

With the new basketball arena well underway, preliminary plans to expand Autzen Stadium and the recent revitalization of historic Hayward Field, Oregon Athletics are preparing to create another phase of history in the evolution of Duck sports.  On top of all that, Oregon brought baseball back this past year after a 27 year lay-off.  They went through a tough season but with one of nation’s premier coaches at the helm and a couple of strong recruiting classes under their belt, the Oregon baseball team will soon be a major player in the PAC-10.

Not only is the team itself building up, but the place they will call home is doing the same.  The new baseball stadium, PK Park is well on its way to being complete by the time next season rolls around.  The beautiful stadium sits in the shadows of Autzen Stadium and is named after the man who is largely responsible for baseball once again being at the University of Oregon.  Pat Kilkenny, a major booster sat at the desk that Mike Bellotti now sits for the past couple of years and played a major role in fundraising and making sure the new stadiums were built, the baseball team was back and the overall success of all programs stepped up and helped make Oregon athletics what they are today.  Pay Kilkenny accomplished a whole lot in his short time as the Athletic Director at Oregon.

Where things stand as we speak…The Track and Field program is back at its rightful place atop the Track and Field world coming off of a season that brought national titles, Olympians and a wonderful season overall.  The football program is undergoing a slight transformation but looks like it will be picking up right where Mike Bellotti left it and the baseball and basketball teams will soon be playing in the country’s nicest, newest and most state of the art venues. 

Overall, Oregon’s athletic program has been on the rise for a little over a decade now, but it looks like everything and everybody is in place to make the next step an even bigger and better journey.  In reality, there is a long ways to go for all the programs but considering where they came from, it will seem like a walk in the park.

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