Oregon Football: Ducks Sign Two Assistant Coaches To Extensions
Oregon Football has announced the signing of two assistants that played a big role in 2017.
The Oregon Ducks have had a rough month of December. From the departure of Willie Taggart, the promotion of Mario Cristobal to Head Coach, and the Bowl Game/Recruiting fiasco – it appears 2018 will start on a more solid note.
On Thursday, Oregon announced the extension to additional Assistant Coaches that helped Oregon find success on the field. Safeties Coach Keith Heyward and Wide Receivers Coach Michael Johnson have signed two-year contract extensions with Oregon Football.
Johnson helped invigorate a young Wide Receiver Corps finding a leader in Dillon Mitchell who led the team in touchdowns and receiving yards. Johnny Johnson III saw important playing time as a Freshman showing off his athleticism with several diving catches throughout the season.
Heyward helped lead a position group to help the Oregon Defense into the upper tier of the Pac-12. The Ducks finished 4th in the Pac-12 in total Defense, leading the way early in the season with passes defended before Quarterback Justin Herbert went down with an injury.
Johnson has both College and NFL Experience and with the signings, the Ducks retain coaches in key positions. With the early signing period complete, the Ducks can now focus on Signing Day in February, which is a little more than a month away.
Cristobal has to replace to Assistant Coaches. Running Back Coach Donte Pimpleton and Special Teams Coach Raymond Woodie left to join the staff at Florida State.
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Oregon Football finished the 2017 season in a better position than 2016. Despite losing in the Las Vegas Bowl to Boise State it was clear that the atmosphere around the program has had a positive change. Players are working for each other and the Oregon Defense had a noticeable improvement from a season ago.