Oregon head coach Dan Lanning walks the field during warm ups as the Oregon Ducks host Colorado in the Pac-12 opener Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

Oregon Ducks Quarterbacks Coach Koa Ka'ai Turns Heads With Ice Cream Question

Originally posted on Oregon Ducks on SI | By Caleb Sisk | Last updated Apr 8, 2026 11:15 AM ET

Oregon Ducks quarterbacks coach Koa Ka'ai is one of the many coaches on Oregon's staff who take recruiting seriously, as he is always looking for who the next great Ducks quarterback can be. He has worked in various roles in college coaching, but now he is the main man in charge covering the position both on the field and on the recruiting trail.

While recruiting can be intense, Ka'ai has his tricks of asking random questions to figure out a deeper meaning of how a player will perform on the field. His recent recruiting story after Tuesday's spring practice has turned heads online:

Koa Ka'ai's Ice Cream Question

Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"I ask them a question like this all the time. I'm like 'Hey, do you like Chocolate ice cream or Vanilla ice cream?' The minute a kid pauses, I don't really want that kid, because you have some type of conviction, right, wrong, or indifferent, okay," said Ka'ai.

"So whether you like chocolate or vanilla, I don't really care, but if you sit there and you say 'Well, coach, I don't really know. Is it melted? Is it not? What's the brand?' What is this kid going to do on third down in front of 110,000 fans? He is probably going to think about it more than he should. You're not going to have conviction. Like I said, long-winded, I understand, but it's the mental aspect. That's what we are really after," the Oregon quarterbacks coach continued.

Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ka'ai raises a valid point, because everyone is entitled to owning their unique opinions. If a question so simple stumps a prospect, then what would a very pressure-filled situation look like? At the end of the day, the game of football is won in yards and inches, especially in a tough conference like the Big Ten.

The mental aspect of things will go a long way, as being smart plays a part, but being comfortable is the most critical.

The quarterback position is the most vulnerable to these mistakes because they are the field generals on the offensive side of the football. A lot of the good and the bad is put on the quarterback play, because it is the hardest position to play at the college level. This is why the nitpicking questions like this are very key, as it has a far deeper meaning than the opinion on which ice cream prospects actually like.

Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Ducks will hope these methods seem to work, as they embark on yet another season filled with hope. They have been labeled as one of the best teams in the country by many, and they will be one of the main contenders for a national championship if all goes as planned for this staff.

If that ends up being the case, it is safe to say that people will look back at this video and detail just how much of a factor this played in success in big moments throughout the season.

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This article first appeared on Oregon Ducks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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