Justin Wilcox Turned Down Oregon Job Offer
Report from Oregonian's John Canzano adds clarity to Wilcox's situation
A report today from The Oregonian’s John Canzano rewrote the narrative on Wilcox’s role in the Oregon coaching carousel.
Turns out Justin Wilcox didn’t get passed over for the University of Oregon head coaching job.
He turned the Ducks down.
Oregon AD Rob Mullens formally offered Wilcox the job on Friday, per multiple sources. The kid from Junction City High interviewed well and was told a marketing campaign would be shaped around his return to Oregon. The plan even included T-shirts that would be printed and distributed at his introductory news conference.
On Friday Wilcox told Oregon, “No thanks.”
I’ll bet Mullens -- and Wilcox’s mother -- nearly fell over.
On Friday, there was a confusing period where a report that Georgia defensive coordinator Dan Lanning was offered the job was refuted by many major reporters. Canzano writes that the Oregon administration’s infatuation with Wilcox contributed to this confusion.
Lanning moved into the No. 1 position after Wilcox turned Oregon down. Lanning probably knew he had the job but I’m told the Ducks paused to make one final “Hail Mary” run at Wilcox early Saturday morning. The Cal coach slept on it and told Oregon he still wasn’t coming. Lanning was then announced as the hire at 2 p.m. PT [Saturday] by Mullens.
With Wilcox cementing his love and desire to win in Berkeley, the administration needs to give this man anything he wants to turn the football program into the winner we know it can be under his direction.
Update: This report is also confirmed by Fentress of the Oregonian/OregonLive.com
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Well guys, if Wilcox is gonna commit to Cal like this, as fans, we gotta commit to our coach and get behind him. Wilcox quite possibly the highest character coach in all of CFB, that's something to be proud of and he never lost the team despite massive adversity. No more talk of Troy Taylor from me, Wilcox is our guy.
Hard to have any more respect for the man. And as for the "but why didn't he take the Oregon job, cause it's a (cough) better job"....maybe he just wants to forge his own path? Win at Oregon....well, lots of people win at Oregon, so what? Win at Cal....they'll build a damn statue.