Oregon has fired head coach Mark Helfrich on the heels of a disappointing season, the university announced Tuesday night.
Helfrich met with athletic director Rob Mullens on Tuesday night before the decision was made.
“We want to thank Mark for his eight years with the University of Oregon and appreciate his efforts on behalf of Oregon football,” Mullens said in a statement. “We wish Mark and his family the best.”
Oregon went 4–8 under Helfrich this season, the team’s worst record since 1991. The Ducks lost their season finale to Oregon State, the first time losing their in-state Civil War game since 2007.
Helfrich, 43, took over for an NFL-bound Chip Kelly in 2013 after working as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Oregon since 2009. He leaves the program with a 37–16 record as head coach.
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“It is a great honor to have served as the head football coach at the University of Oregon,” Helfrich said in the release. “It is with respect and disappointment that we receive this decision. Plain and simple — we didn’t win enough games this season. Thank you first to my wife, Megan, and our family, the fans, the campus community, the board, our donors and administration. To our coaches, staff and their families, it is impossible to communicate my gratitude for the environment we got to work in every single day. Finally, to the players — thank you, and I love you. The future is bright for this young, talented team, and we will be supporting them and their new leadership.”
Oregon went 11–2 and 13–2 in Helfrich’s first two seasons, then 9–4 last year.
