John Neal is staying. Drew Champlin of The Birmingham News and Andrew Greif of the Oregonian reported that the Oregon secondary coach has withdrawn his name from consideration for the vacant head coaching job at the University of Alabama-Birmingham, where he was an assistant coach for eight years.
"I never had a fear that I couldn't be a great head coach; I know I can be," Neal told Greif. "I'm the head coach of my position, I get it, but I'm also in the best football program in the United States. I'm humbled and thankful that the people out there thought of me for the interview. But the not knowing out there wasn't as strong as knowing what I had here. I want to retire at Oregon."
The coach was scheduled to fly down to UAB for an interview but decided to remain with the Ducks after talking it over with his family. Oregon promoted him to passing game coordinator today, a move that gives him added responsibility and input in the defensive game plan.
The Ducks needed Neal to stay, for a variety of reasons. It solidifies the staff and planning for new defensive coordinator Don Pellum, keeping the instruction and the terminology consistent for a secondary that has to replace three starters this season. Whatever the challenge would have been for Pellum as a new head defensive coach, it would have been a lot harder without the 30-year veteran working alongside him.
Neal was a big reason Ifo Ekpre-Olomu chose to return for his senior year, and five-star verbal commit Arrion Springs, who is still getting heavy attention from other schools, notably USC, has said that a big part of his recruiting decision was the opportunity to play for the Mountain View, California native.
He excels as a recruiter and has a great rapport with players. Three that are still deciding and still on Oregon's wish list are Mattrew McGraw, a safety from Louisiana, Adoree' Jackson an explosive return/receiver/defensive back from Junipero Serra High in California, and John "Juju" Smith of Long Beach Poly, who visited UO back in October. McGraw is the most likely of the three to become a Duck, but all three would have been impossible longshots with a late coaching change at their position.
Another national coaching search would have been a lot of change for one off season. Instead, the Ducks have the continuity that they've always thrived on with Pellum and Neal, plus the new blood to invigorate their approach in the person of new linebacker coach Erik Chinander, fresh off a year with the Philadelphia Eagles and Chip Kelly.
Neal is 57 and Pellum 51, another reason Pellum makes more sense as the top guy. The two have a good working relationship. Together, they give a promising team a much better chance for success. With one being new and the other leaving, it would have been one of the dreaded question marks for big media to harp on next summer. This team doesn't have time for those: Ekpre-Olomu, Hroniss Grasu and Marcus Mariota didn't return for the opportunity to play in another Alamo Bowl.
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