#markhelfrich

Dear Coach Helfrich,

Hi, my name is Josh. I'm a University of Oregon Alumnus, a Ducks fan, and I'd like to be pen pals.

First, I want to congratulate you on a great season. I know lots of Duck fans are disappointed with a 10-2 season, but for a first year head coach I'd say it was a pretty good year. I have to be honest, last week after the Arizona game, I wrote a letter to Chip Kelley. I decided not to send it because it sounded real whinny and desperate. I feel like Chip is an ex-girlfriend who I don't want to know how miserable I am without her. Anyway, I am trying to learn how to be a leader, and I don't think writing letter's to the old coach begging him to come back and complaining about the new coach is very leader-like.

Here is the thing, and I am sure you get this all the time. I hope that you disregard my critique because there is a reason on Saturdays you are coaching the Ducks, and I am drinking beers and yelling at the TV. I just feel like we aren't winning the day anymore. I love that mantra that Chip Kelley brought to the program. Win The Day. Anyone can win the day; it's such an attainable goal and keeps you focused. Even the shittiest days can be won if you have the right attitude and work to make it the best day it can possibly be.

I feel like this year the Ducks lost that attitude. I liked the old Ducks who had to earn national recognition and were stoked just to go to the Holiday Bowl. I miss the fake handoffs where I don't know who even has the ball. I miss screen passes that just open up the entire field. I miss the read option. I miss the secondary locking shit down. We used to have swagger that we earned because we played the game different, unpredictable and fast. Now our team acts like they are better just because they are a national power. The Ducks look too comfortable, and it' your job to keep motivating them to not settle. To Win The Day.

It must be difficult to take over as the leader of a team after someone so popular and successful like Chip Kelly left. And I remember Chip's first year didn't start off so well either. In fact it started with a loss to Boise State and LaGarrette Blount punching a dude in the face and trying to fight everyone. Which looking back now is pretty awesome and insane, but at the time a lot of Duck fans thought that Chip Kelly wasn't ready to be a head coach. It worked out pretty well after that incident. I'm going to call the UofA game your LaGarette Blount moment. I'm going to call any time I screw up in monumental fashion a LaGarette Blount moment. They happen more often then I like, but I always learn from them.

Maybe you can write me back with some insight on how it feels to fill the shoes of such a great leader or what you do to get over and prevent future LaGarrette Blount moments. You said that you didn't want to change what Chip had built. I think that is great, but what made Chip so awesome was his ability to change and adapt. I think if you keep the pillars of what Chip built and make the program your own that it can be as successful as us fans want. Just keep the things like scoring lots of touchdowns, winning the day, cool uniforms and pick sixes.

I look forward to being your pen pal, and to the Ducks victory over Texas in the Alamo Bowl. I hope that your second year as head coach is even better than your first.

Go Ducks,