Mike Bellotti
Encyclopedia
Robert Michael "Mike" Bellotti (born December 21, 1950) is a college football
analyst for ESPN
and ABC. A native of California
, he was hired as football
offensive coordinator
by the University of Oregon
in 1989. From 1995 to 2009, he was the head coach
of the Oregon Ducks football team
. In July 2009, after 13 years as head coach during which time he became the Ducks's most winning head coach, he resigned to become the school's athletic director; he resigned that post to become an ESPN analyst in March 2010.
in Concord, California
, where he played football, basketball and baseball and graduated in 1969. After high school he went to the University of California, Davis
and played football at the positions of tight end and wide receiver. He started at tight end as a sophomore and junior, then earned second-team all-Far Western Conference honors at wide receiver as senior. Bellotti graduated from UC Davis with a B.A.
in Physical Education
in 1973. He completed the teaching credential program at UC Davis in 1974. In 1982, Bellotti earned his Master of Science
degree in Physical Education at California State University, East Bay
(then known as Cal State-Hayward).
coach Jim Sochor
. The next season he worked as the JV teams offensive coordinator, and during the 1975 and 1976 seasons he was the JV teams head coach. Also at that time he served as the receivers coach for the varsity team and as a coach for UC Davis' JV baseball team.
(Cal State Hayward or CSU-Hayward; now California State University, East Bay) in 1977 and worked as the offensive coordinator for two seasons. He returned to the school as offensive coordinator in 1980, and remained until 1983. In 1982, he earned a masters degree from the school in physical education.
, returning to CSU-Hayward after just one season.
(Chico State) hired Bellotti to serve as their head football coach in 1984. He remained head coach until 1988 and compiled a record of 21–25–2.
head coach Rich Brooks
hired Bellotti as offensive coordinator in 1989
. Bellotti remained in that position through the 1994 season
, when Brooks left to coach in the National Football League
, and Bellotti was promoted to head coach starting with the 1995 season.
Bellotti's record at the University of Oregon
stands at 116–55. In 2006, he passed his former boss, Rich Brooks, as the winningest football coach in Oregon's history. He owns the first four ten-win seasons in school history (2000
, 2001
, 2005
, 2008
). His best season was 2001, when he led the Ducks to a school-record 11 wins and a victory in the Fiesta Bowl
. They finished second in both major polls, the highest final ranking in school history.
Bellotti also led Oregon to a regular season #2 ranking in the 2007 season, albeit very briefly. After achieving that ranking, the Ducks lost Heisman Trophy
candidate quarterback Dennis Dixon
to a season-ending knee injury, and Oregon proceeded to lose three straight games to Arizona, UCLA and archrival Oregon State to close out the regular season. Earlier that season, Bellotti led Oregon to a resounding 39–7 victory over Michigan at "The Big House"
, earning the Ducks and Dixon much national attention. Oregon also defeated #9 USC and #6 Arizona State in back-to-back games at Autzen Stadium
earlier that season. The Ducks recovered from their three game losing streak following the Dixon injury by defeating South Florida
in the Sun Bowl
in dominating fashion (56–21), thus reversing a trend of four straight bowl losses. In 2008, the Ducks recovered strongly from a mid-season lull to win their last four games against solid competition, including a Holiday Bowl
win over No. 13 ranked Oklahoma State
. Bellotti has more post-season appearances and victories than any football coach in Oregon history.
in the Civil War
to prevent them from clinching a Rose Bowl berth, the university announced that Bellotti would pass the head coaching position on to Offensive Coordinator Chip Kelly
at some undetermined point in the future and take over as the university's Athletic Director at that time.
During his tenure as athletic director, Bellotti dealt with a number of disciplinary issues involving members of the football program, including LaGarrette Blount, LaMichael James
, and Jeremiah Masoli
, and fired long-time basketball coach Ernie Kent
, whose teams had performed poorly in recent seasons. After just nine months on the job, Bellotti announced his resignation March 19. He is joining ESPN as a college football analyst. Bellotti had agreed to terms with UO officials, but there was no written contract stating his salary and the $2.3 million severance payout. The resignation agreement, including the payout terms, finally was placed on paper and signed by Bellotti on March 16, with university president Richard Lariviere signing it March 19. Because of the lack of an initial written contract, the Oregon Justice Department confirmed it plans to review the $2.3 million severance payment from the University of Oregon to the former athletic director.
In 2009, Bellotti was named third vice president of the American Football Coaches Association
. According to AFCA tradition, he would move up to second vice president in 2010, first vice president in 2011 and president in 2012.
, with his first appearance on ESPN to occur in April.
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
analyst for ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
and ABC. A native of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, he was hired as football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
offensive coordinator
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
by the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
in 1989. From 1995 to 2009, he was the head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
of the Oregon Ducks football team
Oregon Ducks football
The Oregon Ducks football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the University of Oregon located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The team competes at the NCAA Division I level in the Football Bowl Subdivision and is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. Known as the Ducks, the...
. In July 2009, after 13 years as head coach during which time he became the Ducks's most winning head coach, he resigned to become the school's athletic director; he resigned that post to become an ESPN analyst in March 2010.
Early life
Bellotti attended Ygnacio Valley High SchoolYgnacio Valley High School
Ygnacio Valley High School is a public secondary school located in Concord, California. It draws students from Concord as well as from the neighboring communities of Walnut Creek and Pleasant Hill. The school opened in 1962, and its first senior class graduated in 1964...
in Concord, California
Concord, California
Concord is the largest city in Contra Costa County, California, USA. At the 2010 census, the city had a population of 122,067. Originally founded in 1869 as the community of Todos Santos by Salvio Pacheco, the name was changed to Concord within months...
, where he played football, basketball and baseball and graduated in 1969. After high school he went to the University of California, Davis
University of California, Davis
The University of California, Davis is a public teaching and research university established in 1905 and located in Davis, California, USA. Spanning over , the campus is the largest within the University of California system and third largest by enrollment...
and played football at the positions of tight end and wide receiver. He started at tight end as a sophomore and junior, then earned second-team all-Far Western Conference honors at wide receiver as senior. Bellotti graduated from UC Davis with a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Physical Education
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
in 1973. He completed the teaching credential program at UC Davis in 1974. In 1982, Bellotti earned his Master of Science
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
degree in Physical Education at California State University, East Bay
California State University, East Bay
California State University, East Bay is a public university located in the eastern region of the San Francisco Bay Area. The university, as part of the 23-campus California State University system, offers over 100 areas of study...
(then known as Cal State-Hayward).
UC Davis
In 1973, he started his career in football coaching at his alma mater as an assistant coach under College Football Hall of FameCollege Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
coach Jim Sochor
Jim Sochor
Jim Sochor is a former American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at the University of California, Davis from 1970 to 1988 during which time compiling a record of 156–41–5 and won 18 consecutive conference championships,...
. The next season he worked as the JV teams offensive coordinator, and during the 1975 and 1976 seasons he was the JV teams head coach. Also at that time he served as the receivers coach for the varsity team and as a coach for UC Davis' JV baseball team.
Cal State Hayward
Bellotti was hired at California State University, HaywardCalifornia State University, East Bay
California State University, East Bay is a public university located in the eastern region of the San Francisco Bay Area. The university, as part of the 23-campus California State University system, offers over 100 areas of study...
(Cal State Hayward or CSU-Hayward; now California State University, East Bay) in 1977 and worked as the offensive coordinator for two seasons. He returned to the school as offensive coordinator in 1980, and remained until 1983. In 1982, he earned a masters degree from the school in physical education.
Weber State
In 1979, Bellotti served as offensive coordinator at Weber State UniversityWeber State University
Weber State University is a public university located in the city of Ogden in Weber County, Utah, USA. It was founded in 1889 and is a coeducational, publicly supported university offering professional, liberal arts and technical certificates, as well as associate, bachelor's and master's degrees...
, returning to CSU-Hayward after just one season.
Chico State
California State University, ChicoCalifornia State University, Chico
California State University, Chico is the second-oldest campus in the twenty-three-campus California State University system. It is located in Chico, California, about ninety miles north of Sacramento...
(Chico State) hired Bellotti to serve as their head football coach in 1984. He remained head coach until 1988 and compiled a record of 21–25–2.
Oregon
University of OregonUniversity of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
head coach Rich Brooks
Rich Brooks
Rich Brooks is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Oregon from 1977 to 1994 and at the University of Kentucky from 2003 to 2009, compiling a career college football record of 128–154–4. Brooks was also the head coach of the...
hired Bellotti as offensive coordinator in 1989
1989 Oregon Ducks football team
-Schedule:...
. Bellotti remained in that position through the 1994 season
1994 Oregon Ducks football team
-Schedule:-Washington:In the 1994 edition of the heated rivalry with the University of Washington, the #9-ranked Huskies came into Autzen Stadium with a 5-1 record, including a victory over the University of Miami, snapping a 58 game home winning streak. The game was a tough and close contest, with...
, when Brooks left to coach in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
, and Bellotti was promoted to head coach starting with the 1995 season.
Bellotti's record at the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
stands at 116–55. In 2006, he passed his former boss, Rich Brooks, as the winningest football coach in Oregon's history. He owns the first four ten-win seasons in school history (2000
2000 Oregon Ducks football team
-Schedule:-Arizona State:Oregon played at Arizona State in the 2000 college football season. Oregon trailed 49-35 in the final four minutes. The Ducks scored a touchdown to make it a one possession game, but then were unable to score after getting the ball back late in the game...
, 2001
2001 Oregon Ducks football team
-Schedule:...
, 2005
2005 Oregon Ducks football team
In 2005, Oregon had success behind senior quarterback Kellen Clemens and a new spread offense. During a game at Arizona, Clemens suffered a broken ankle. At that point Oregon was 8-1 , and still in the hunt for a BCS game...
, 2008
2008 Oregon Ducks football team
The 2008 Oregon Ducks football team represented the University of Oregon in the college football season of 2008. This was the final season for Mike Bellotti as the Ducks' head coach; he was promoted to become the school's athletic director after the season. The Ducks played their home games at...
). His best season was 2001, when he led the Ducks to a school-record 11 wins and a victory in the Fiesta Bowl
2002 Fiesta Bowl
The 2002 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, played on January 1, 2002, was the 31st edition of the Fiesta Bowl. The game was played at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona between the and the Oregon Ducks...
. They finished second in both major polls, the highest final ranking in school history.
Bellotti also led Oregon to a regular season #2 ranking in the 2007 season, albeit very briefly. After achieving that ranking, the Ducks lost Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
candidate quarterback Dennis Dixon
Dennis Dixon
Dennis Lee Dixon, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
to a season-ending knee injury, and Oregon proceeded to lose three straight games to Arizona, UCLA and archrival Oregon State to close out the regular season. Earlier that season, Bellotti led Oregon to a resounding 39–7 victory over Michigan at "The Big House"
Michigan Stadium
Michigan Stadium, nicknamed "The Big House," is the football stadium for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan Stadium was built in 1927 at a cost of $950,000 and had an original capacity of 72,000. Before playing football at the stadium, the Wolverines played on Ferry Field...
, earning the Ducks and Dixon much national attention. Oregon also defeated #9 USC and #6 Arizona State in back-to-back games at Autzen Stadium
Autzen Stadium
Autzen Stadium is an outdoor football stadium in Eugene, Oregon, United States. Located north of the University of Oregon campus, it is the home field of the Oregon Ducks of the Pacific-12 Conference. Opened in 1967, the stadium has undergone several expansions...
earlier that season. The Ducks recovered from their three game losing streak following the Dixon injury by defeating South Florida
2007 South Florida Bulls football team
The 2007 University of South Florida Bulls football team represented the University of South Florida in the 2007 college football season. Their head coach was Jim Leavitt, and the USF Bulls will played all of their home games at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL...
in the Sun Bowl
Sun Bowl
The Sun Bowl is an annual U.S. college football bowl game that is usually played at the end of December in El Paso, Texas. The Sun Bowl, along with the Sugar Bowl and the Orange Bowl are the second-oldest bowl games in the country, behind the Rose Bowl...
in dominating fashion (56–21), thus reversing a trend of four straight bowl losses. In 2008, the Ducks recovered strongly from a mid-season lull to win their last four games against solid competition, including a Holiday Bowl
Holiday Bowl
The Holiday Bowl is a post-season NCAA-sanctioned Division I-A college football bowl game that has been played annually at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California, since 1978. Beginning with the 2010 playing the bowl will officially be known as the Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl after...
win over No. 13 ranked Oklahoma State
2008 Oklahoma State Cowboys football team
The 2008 Oklahoma State Cowboys football team represents Oklahoma State University for the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision intercollegiate football season of 2008-2009.-Schedule:Source:-Washington State:-Houston:...
. Bellotti has more post-season appearances and victories than any football coach in Oregon history.
Oregon athletic director
On December 2, 2008, shortly after defeating the Oregon State Beavers2008 Oregon State Beavers football team
The 2008 Oregon State Beavers football team represents Oregon State University in the college football season of 2008-2009. The team's head coach is Mike Riley...
in the Civil War
Civil War (college football game)
The Civil War is the colloquial name for an American college football rivalry game played annually by the Oregon Ducks football team of the University of Oregon and the Oregon State Beavers football team of the Oregon State University...
to prevent them from clinching a Rose Bowl berth, the university announced that Bellotti would pass the head coaching position on to Offensive Coordinator Chip Kelly
Chip Kelly
Charles "Chip" Kelly is the head football coach at the University of Oregon. Widely regarded as one of the most innovative offensive minds in college football today, the 2009 and 2010 Pac-10 Coach of the Year, 2010 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year, 2010 Walter Camp Coach of the Year, 2010 Sporting...
at some undetermined point in the future and take over as the university's Athletic Director at that time.
During his tenure as athletic director, Bellotti dealt with a number of disciplinary issues involving members of the football program, including LaGarrette Blount, LaMichael James
LaMichael James
LaMichael Keondrae James is a college football running back for the Oregon Ducks football team. The 2010 season was a breakout one for James, as he rushed for 1,682 yards during the regular season, the highest in the nation. He finished third in balloting for the Heisman Trophy and received the...
, and Jeremiah Masoli
Jeremiah Masoli
Jeremiah Taeatafa Masoli is an American football quarterback for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. He was signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2011...
, and fired long-time basketball coach Ernie Kent
Ernie Kent
Ernie Kent is an American college basketball coach. He is the former head men's basketball coach at the University of Oregon. Kent replaced Jerry Green as coach following the 1996-97 season. Prior to becoming head coach at Oregon, Kent was an assistant at Stanford University and also coached at St...
, whose teams had performed poorly in recent seasons. After just nine months on the job, Bellotti announced his resignation March 19. He is joining ESPN as a college football analyst. Bellotti had agreed to terms with UO officials, but there was no written contract stating his salary and the $2.3 million severance payout. The resignation agreement, including the payout terms, finally was placed on paper and signed by Bellotti on March 16, with university president Richard Lariviere signing it March 19. Because of the lack of an initial written contract, the Oregon Justice Department confirmed it plans to review the $2.3 million severance payment from the University of Oregon to the former athletic director.
In 2009, Bellotti was named third vice president of the American Football Coaches Association
American Football Coaches Association
The American Football Coaches Association is an association of over 11,000 football coaches and staff on all levels. According to its constitution, some of the main goals of the American Football Coaches Association are to "maintain the highest possible standards in football and the profession of...
. According to AFCA tradition, he would move up to second vice president in 2010, first vice president in 2011 and president in 2012.
ESPN analyst
In March 2010, Bellotti announced that he was resigning as athletic director to become a college football television analyst on ESPNESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, with his first appearance on ESPN to occur in April.