https://www.hornsports.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Helfrich.jpg
Under former head coach Chip Kelly, now in his rookie season as front man of the Philadelphia Eagles, the Oregon Ducks became known for their explosive offense as much as their endless combination of uniforms. Â Behind the rising star of Kelly, was offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich, who ascended to the head coach position when Kelly left for the NFL. Â Everyone knows all there is to know about Chip Kelly, but lets take a look behind the first year leader of the 1oth ranked Ducks.
Helfrich played at Marshfield High School in Coos Bay, Oregon, where he went on to attend NAIA school Southern Oregon after declining a walk-on opportunity at Oregon. As the starting quarterback at Southern Oregon from 1992-1995, Helfrich was an All-American and set school records for passing yards, touchdowns, and total offense during his best season in 1993. After college, Helfrich took a unique position for the 1997 season as quarterback AND offensive coordinator of the Vienna, Austria Vikings Football Team.
Helfrich took the long road to the top, going back home and working as a graduate assistant for then offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter at Oregon. He got his first big break when Koetter went to Boise State, coming on as quarterbacks coach. Boise State broke out into the mid major power of the last 15 years under Koetter, and it started with Helfrich’s tutelage of Broncos QB Bart Hendricks, who went on to be a two time Big West Conference Player of the Year. In the 2000 season, Boise State had the fourth best passing offense in the nation.
When Koetter left Boise State for Arizona State, Helfrich followed and began to work his magic on Sun Devlis QB Andrew Walter, who went on to break almost every Arizona State passing record and John Elway’s long standing Pac-10 touchdown record. Walter would go on to be a 3rd round pick in the NFL draft and play a few seasons in the league.
2006 saw Helfrich become the youngest offensive coordinator in college football on the BCS level (32), when he joined the staff at Colorado. During his three years at the school, Helfrich did all he could to turn a horrible Buffalo offense into a serviceable unit, which gained the attention of Oregon’s Mike Belloti. Though Helfrich declined, Belotti went so far as to try and get Helfrich as his offensive coordinator (he declined) before hiring Chip Kelly for the position. Helfrich never left the Ducks’ radar, and was hired as Chip Kelly’s offensive coordinator in April of 2009.
Over the next four years, Helfrich and Kelly developed the Oregon offense into one of the most feared units in the country, one which was built on speed and fast paced execution to wear down opponents who simply could not match up with Oregon’s athletes. During this period, the Ducks were near the top of the country in just about every statistical category. The Ducks went to four consecutive Bowl Championship Series games, won three Pac-12 Championships, and played in the BCS National Championship game in 2011, losing to Cam Newton and Auburn 22-19.
From 2009 to 2012, the Ducks averaged  44.7 points per game, 283.4 rushing yards and  500.7 yards of total offense. Helfrich trained three outstanding Oregon quarterbacks, Jeremiah Masoli, Darron Thomas, and Marcus Mariota.
Helfrich was promoted to head coach in January 2013, becoming only the fourth head coach at Oregon since 1977. Â This year, Helfrich led the Ducks to a #10 ranking and a 10-2 regular season record. Oregon was not as strong on offense as they had been, and lost to Arizona in a 42-16 blowout late in the season to keep them from reaching a 5th consecutive BCS bowl.
Helfrich is clearly a rising star whose innovative offensive mind will be a strong opponent for Texas Defensive Coordinator Greg Robinson in the chess match to come in the Valero Alamo Bowl.
