Yardbarker: Dennis Dixon

Dixon to Get a Shot to Make an Impact in 09?

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 19:32:24 -0500

Dennis Dixon has had a long road back to trying to make it as a top notch NFL QB. Coming out of Oregon, he was regarded as one of the top prospect QB’s, and now, with his skills he could become the next big thing in Black and Gold. Dixon was the Steelers [...]

Oregon's Bellotti Heads Upstairs

Sun, 15 Mar 2009 14:30:58 -0500

Having thought about his next step for the past couple of years, Oregon coach Mike Bellotti said the time was right to become the university's athletics director and hand over the team to offensive coordinator Chip Kelly.

Bellotti announced Friday the move to step down after 14 years as Oregon's head coach. The Ducks originally announced plans for the transition in December, but set no timetable.

It was widely assumed that Bellotti would remain coach for at least one more season.

"This was not a rushed decision. I gave it time," Bellotti said on Saturday, making his first public comments since the announcement. "Having said that I don't know if you ever know until a couple years down the road if you made the right decision. And I said that very honestly.

"I am comfortable with my decision. There's a peace and a calm in my soul about that decision, and obviously it's because of the people I'm involved with."

Bellotti will take over as Oregon's athletic director on July 1, replacing Pat Kilkenny. Kelly becomes coach on March 30, the opening day of spring practice.
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Bellotti will serve in the interim as senior counselor to Kilkenny, who will step down June 30.

Bellotti, 58, has gone 116-55 as coach of the Ducks. Last season Oregon went 10-3 with a 42-31 win over Oklahoma State in the Holiday Bowl. The Ducks finished the season ranked Number 10.

Kelly said in a conference call his situation is unique because most coaches take over programs in need of a turnaround.

"He's set the bar very, very, very high for success; one of the most successful coaches in the country," Kelly said. "The one thing that's comforting through the whole situation is, I know I'm going to need help through this, and he's only going to be about a hop, skip and a jump away."

Bellotti jokingly corrected: "A short 9-iron."

Under Bellotti, the Ducks have gone to 12 bowl games. In 2001 Oregon won 11 games, including a 38-16 victory over Colorado in the Fiesta Bowl to finish ranked Number 2.

He joined the Ducks as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach under Rich Brooks in 1989.

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Bellotti said he did not make a final decision until Thursday night, after he met with Kilkenny and Oregon president Dave Frohnmayer. He spoke to his coaches and players Friday morning - with a bailout plan in place in case he changed his mind.

The timing was important to Oregon's players, he said.

"The last opportunity for me to get the team together was yesterday, the last day of class. We go into finals next week. And my plan has been to make a decision at that time to allow, if I wasn't going to coach, Chip to get the next coach in here, the offensive coordinator or however he wants to structure that. And give them a chance to go through spring ball as a trial run," Bellotti said.

There was speculation that one of Bellotti's first major actions as athletic director will concern the futures of men's head basketball coach Ernie Kent, and women's basketball coach Bev Smith. But Bellotti said he would not be involved.

"Up to this point I have been the football coach. I don't have the experience or expertise to evaluate other programs. I will eventually," he said. "And I don't know anything about changes, I have not been involved in any discussions in that regard, but down the road I'll be very willing to make changes if I deem that necessary."

Kelly, who has been at Oregon the past two seasons and designed the team's spread-option offense, becomes the Ducks' 30th coach, and the third in the last 33 years.

Kelly, 45, made an immediate impact when he arrived at Oregon, helping turn quarterback Dennis Dixon into a Heisman Trophy contender. This past season, Kelly adjusted the offense through a series of quarterback injuries.

Kelly did not rule out the possibility that he would still perform his duties as offensive coordinator rather than hire one.

Kilkenny was named AD in February 2007 and said at the time he planned to serve in that position for two years. A prominent booster, Kilkenny has spearhead plans to build a new basketball arena to replace venerable McArthur Court.

Frohnmayer is retiring at the end of June after 15 years at Oregon. On Friday the university announced that University of Kansas provost Richard Lariviere will succeed him as president.

Here's Bellotti's first public comments...
((HT: CBSSports))

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Giving Dennis Dixon His Shine

Sun, 01 Feb 2009 14:23:58 -0500

A reader pointed out to us that we've been giving the shaft to a certain Steelers player in our videos. In the Roethlisberger spelling bee, we show him starting to spell it, but not finishing. In our Santonio Holmes dirt video, we show him very briefly and again don't name him. Well, Dennis Dixon, now's your time to shine, because here is our full interview with you:

Yes, he DID spell Roethlisberger correctly!

-AlanaG

Will Dixon Be the Next to Run the Wildcat Offense?

Sat, 27 Dec 2008 19:03:09 -0500

From: Pittsburgh Tribune Review Dennis Dixon gave the Steelers’ defense a look at what they will see Sunday against the visiting Browns. Did the rookie quarterback also provide a glimpse into the future for the Steelers’ offense while playing the role of Cleveland’s Joshua Cribbs in practice? Dixon did such a bang-up job of impersonating Cribbs [...]

49ers food for thought: Dennis Dixon behind center?

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 02:18:17 -0500

The 49ers are recieving visits from some future NFL rookies. Oregon QB Dennis Dixon is on my radar.

Is the Spread-Option attack a healthy way to go?

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 18:29:46 -0500

What do Dennis Dixon, Pat White, Tim Tebow and Juice Williams have in common? Injuries!!

Tebow New Leader In HP Heisman Straw Poll

Wed, 21 Nov 2007 18:59:59 -0500

The 12th Heismanpundit.com Straw Poll of the 2007 college football season has been tallied and, with just two weeks to go before the final ballots are due, the nine Heisman-voting members of the college football media who comprise the poll have selected Florida sophomore quarterback Tim Tebow as the strong favorite to win this year's Heisman Trophy. Tebow (26 points) grabbed eight of the nine first-place votes to replace Oregon quarterback Dennis Dixon atop the poll.

Just throw it on the Pyle!

Sun, 18 Nov 2007 21:32:50 -0500

Listen to the show through the link shown! I was happy to be joined on today's show by Jon Pyle from www.pyleoflist.com. Great guy, make sure you check the site out. He came on and we talked Bonds, fantasy football, and even some college football! Don't You Have Something Better to Do? Jon and I covered our thoughts on Barry Bonds and his legal problems. We also talked about Bud Selig's involvement, as well as that of the federal government. Start or Sit Jon gives you some s...

Top Ten Heisman Candidates Week 12

Sun, 18 Nov 2007 17:28:06 -0500

Dennis Dixon has dropped out of the top spot in the Heisman race. Who is in and who is out? Who is too high and who is too low? Who should be on the list?

November Reign: It's all about the Wildcats

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 16:21:45 -0500

Every month should be November for the University of Arizona football team. For the fourth straight year Mike Stoops' crew beat a nationally ranked team at Arizona Stadium. The nationally televised game was the perfect stage for a big time upset and the Wildcats had the right game plan, if that game plan included having Heisman hopeful quarterback Dennis Dixon knock himself out of the game.

Our Dixon your Booty

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 22:32:29 -0500

The Oregon Ducks and Dennis Dixon knock the King from his throne 24-17. The USC Trojans seem to have lost a step since Norm Chow left the program. Is Pete Carroll the great coach everyone says he is? or did Norm Chow mean more to the Trojans than many think? In Eugene it's Dixon for Heisman.

WATCH OUT FOR THE OREGON DUCKS

Mon, 10 Sep 2007 22:21:57 -0500

The Oregon Ducks are comeing together at the perfect time! Watch out pac 10 Dennis Dixon looks like he's hungry. We will see in three weeks when we play CAL, what we're made of. GO DUCKS!