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Oregon Football: 5 storylines to follow during 2018 spring ball

By Justin Dottavio

EUGENE, OR - NOVEMBER 18: Quarterback Justin Herbert #10 of the Oregon Ducks passes the ball as defensive end Jack Banda #92 of the Arizona Wildcats applies pressure during the second half of the game at Autzen Stadium on November 18, 2017 in Eugene, Oregon. The Ducks won the game 48-28. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
EUGENE, OR - NOVEMBER 18: Quarterback Justin Herbert #10 of the Oregon Ducks passes the ball as defensive end Jack Banda #92 of the Arizona Wildcats applies pressure during the second half of the game at Autzen Stadium on November 18, 2017 in Eugene, Oregon. The Ducks won the game 48-28. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)
(Photo by David Becker/Getty Images) /

5. Is Mario Ready to be head coach again?

Mario Cristobal is the Oregon Ducks new head football coach. Coach Cristobal is a former Miami Hurricane player and assistant coach who won two national titles as a player from 1989-1992. Coach Cristobal was then a Miami graduate assistant before traveling around college football to Rutgers to work for Greg Schiano before taking over the FIU Golden Panthers football program in 2007. Cristobal finished his career at lowly FIU with a 27-47 record but did take them to back-to-back bowl games. He was fired after a 3-9 season in 2012.

Mario Cristobal managed to not only find diamond in the rough players while at FIU, but he also sparked the careers of Geoff Collins, Scott Satterfield, and Todd Orlando who are all now considered innovative minds in the college game. In 2013, Cristobal became Nick Saban’s assistant head coach- winning recruiter of the year in 2015 and a national title in 2015 as well.

Cristobal then followed Willie Taggart to Eugene, Oregon to take over the Ducks program. When Taggart left after 12 months for another self-proclaimed “dream job,” Cristobal became the Ducks head football coach. With all of that backstory laid out for you, the question is- is Cristobal ready to be head coach again?

I firmly believe the answer to be yes. Cristobal has learned from the best coach in college football history in Nick Saban for four seasons. He also had a chance to learn under Taggart who is a recruiting dynamo himself and was able to right the ship fairly quickly in Eugene. Taggart has his own style and if Cristobal can blend what he has learned from Davis, Schiano, Taggart and Saban and add in his own experiences from FIU I believe the Ducks are in good hands.

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