Oregon coaching search: Ducks interview Pac-12 head coach
California head coach Justin Wilcox has interviewed for the Oregon Ducks football head coaching position, according to John Canzano of The Oregonian.
Wilcox is one of a few names being mentioned as a candidate for the job in Eugene, including: Chip Kelly, Bryan Harsin, Lane Kiffin, and Kalani Sitake. Wilcox is currently in his fifth season as the head coach of the Cal Golden Bears. While at Cal, his most successful seasons came in 2018 and 2019 when he led the Golden Bears to a 7-6 record in 2018 and a 8-5 overall record in 2019.
Wilcox was slated to make $3.3 million in 2021, which ranks as the seventh-highest salary in the Pac-12 and the 43rd-highest in America. Mario Cristobal made $4.4 million in 2021 with Oregon. Reports this week have suggested that the Ducks are willing to increase the salary significantly with its next hire.
Oregon is one of the most attractive jobs in America for a number of reasons
Oregon has some of the nicest football facilities of any place on planet Earth. That’s in large part thanks to one of the wealthiest people on Earth is one of their top boosters, Nike CEO Phil Knight. He’s got enough money to where he can really build just about any facility imaginable and he’s helped build some immaculate facilities in Eugene.
Oregon recently applied for permits to build the 130,000 square foot facility, the new indoor practice facility for Oregon football. The facility has been funded with private donor money. The Ducks’ athletic department expects the new facility to be finished by 2024. It will look more like a min-stadium than a practice facility, with translucent walls and a translucent roof.
Once again, the Ducks will be on the cutting edge for college football facilities in America. Their Hatfield Dowlin Complex was built in 2013 for a cool $68 million. It’s still one of the nicest facilities in the country and has truly set the gold standard by which other college football facilities are measured.
No matter who gets the Oregon head coaching job for the football program, they can rest assured that whenever they walk an elite recruit in those facilities, it will be hard to say no.