Oregon made the move to fire head coach Mark Helfrich last night. Ultimately, that wasn’t a surprise.
What did make some people do a double-take was the wording at the end of the program’s press release announcing the move.
As press releases typically go–and most are of the cookie-cutter variety–this one seemed particularly harsh to the deposed head coach. In it, Oregon took aim at Helfrich’s inability to recruit the quarterback position and penchant for going for two-point conversions, among other things.
Lots of people talking about the wording of this press release.
Certainly not a glowing sendoff for Helfrich. pic.twitter.com/wWEQpX9H89
— Jarrid Denney (@jarrid_denney) November 30, 2016
Helrich helped recruit and groom quarterback Marcus Mariota. who won the 2014 Heisman Trophy while leading the Ducks to the title game. But the Ducks had to rely on graduate transfers entering both 2015 and 2016.
Vernon Adams Jr. helped Oregon reach the 2015 Alamo Bowl but was hurt just before halftime, and could only watch as the Ducks squandered a 31-0 lead. Dakota Prukop won twice to open 2016 before giving way to true freshman Justin Herbert in the midst of an ensuing five-game losing streak.
Oregon’s first loss of 2016 was at Nebraska, a 35-32 defeat in which the Ducks went for two after all five of their touchdowns and converted once. The next week, Pac-12 play began with a loss to Colorado in which the Ducks allowed 41 points and threw an interception on a potential game-winning TD pass in the final minute.
The recently-completed season also included one-sided losses to Washington (70-21), Southern California (45-20) and Stanford (52-27). An upset of No. 11 Utah on Nov. 19 kept alive Oregon’s hopes of making a bowl despite a 5-7 record, but the loss in Corvallis ended that.
On Twitter, a slew of people took notice of the UO press release. Some criticized it for its harshness, while others just remarked on how odd it was.
The Oregon press release on Helfrich's dismissal doesn't used the words "we sucked so he's gone" but it comes pretty close.
— Ryan McGee (@ESPNMcGee) November 30, 2016
This is the strangest press release I’ve ever read. The way it’s written at the end is not exactly kind to Helfrich. https://t.co/coj3ucBH0o
— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) November 30, 2016
Dang, Oregon went IN on Mark Helfrich in this press release. https://t.co/NeXmpgAYyV pic.twitter.com/8FSNy9S0r3
— Justin Ferguson (@JFergusonAU) November 30, 2016
I completely understand the Helfrich firing, but the press release& the way they went about it is total bush league. He didn't deserve that
— Jason Scukanec (@Big_Suke) November 30, 2016
Looks like Oregon had a message board poster with an axe to grind write Helfrich's firing press release https://t.co/lzZwt5XIwE
— Ryan Easterling (@RyanEasterling) November 30, 2016
UO also mentions in release that Helfrich went for 2 five times vs. Nebraska and got it once. Fact, but nothing that goes in press release.
— Steve Mims (@SteveMims_RG) November 30, 2016
UO took some shots at Helfrich in that press release that I think came from above. Folks in SID office I know wouldn't have focused on that.
— Steve Mims (@SteveMims_RG) November 30, 2016
Oregon's press release on firing Helfrich. pic.twitter.com/aNhZiU7LdR
— Mark Ennis (@MarkEnnis) November 30, 2016
#GoDucks announcement on Helfrich reads more like a newspaper report than a press release. It ends harshly. https://t.co/hQu1On598R pic.twitter.com/CwfiOuoRlg
— Brian Perroni (@Perroni247) November 30, 2016
Jeez, this Oregon press release just throws Helfrich under the bus over the last 4 paragraphs. Don't let the door .. https://t.co/Dyb9BvKa3X pic.twitter.com/sIzi0d9z9j
— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) November 30, 2016
The press release has since been edited, and GoDucks.com editor Rob Moseley, an Oregon alum and former newspaper reported, apologized for the original copy.
Edited my story on GoDucks FYI. Wasn't the time and place for more than a simple acknowledgement of the decision, with quotes. My apologies.
— Rob Moseley (@DuckFootball) November 30, 2016
Now that that’s behind us, we can focus totally on who Oregon will hire next. Certainly this is an attractive job and a number of big-time candidates will emerge.
