Don Pellum Demoted from Oregon DC to LB Coach: Latest Comments and Reaction

The Oregon Ducks are still reeling from a collapse in a 47-41 loss to TCU in the Alamo Bowl on Saturday, and head coach Mark Helfrich elected to demote former defensive coordinator Don Pellum in the aftermath.

According to the university's official athletics website, on Monday the coach "announced that Don Pellum, the Ducks' defensive coordinator the past two seasons, will move to linebackers coach. ... A national search for a new defensive coordinator will commence immediately."

Helfrich commented on the move in his announcement: “Don is a great man who has helped shape the culture and growth of Oregon Football in several different capacities for nearly 30 years. He's committed, as we all are, to being part of the solution to improve the end results on the field.” 

Oregon finished a respectable 9-4 after a disappointing 3-3 start, but it was a far cry from the team that reached the national championship just a season ago. A major reason for the step back was a defense that struggled mightily in 2015, as can be seen below:

Yards Allowed Per Game	Points Allowed Per Game	Rushing Yards Allowed Per Game	Passing Yards Allowed Per Game
116th	114th	75th	126th

Even when the Ducks won, it was often in spite of their abysmal defense. They outscored Eastern Washington 61-42, Arizona State 61-55, Stanford 38-36 and Oregon State 52-42.

Saturday’s loss to the Horned Frogs seemed to be the proverbial last straw since the Oregon defensive unit couldn’t protect an overwhelming 31-0 halftime lead against a TCU team missing quarterback Trevone Boykin and wide receiver Josh Doctson.

While the failures of this season are fresh in Oregon fans’ minds, Pellum’s group arguably cost the team a national title following the 2014 campaign, when it allowed running back Ezekiel Elliott to tally 246 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the ground in Ohio State’s 42-20 dismantling of the Ducks.

If Oregon plans on remaining among college football’s elite in the coming years, it needs to make drastic improvements on the defensive side. Monday’s move appears to be the first step.