The PAC-10 Reprimand: You Want Him on that Wall

Lots of newsprint being wasted on Chip Kelly's official reprimand (no fine) for being critical of the officials in his brief halftime interview with ABC's Erin Andrews during the Stanford game and his salty language and Stoops-like behavior in the 2nd quarter.

I was proud of the coach. First, he had a point. Officials should clarify and explain a call to both benches if asked, particularly if three of them had pointedly taken the time to explain a call to the other sideline. That officiating crew should have been reprimanded (and fined) for their apparent catering to Jim Harbaugh.

I also like that Kelly's focus immediately shifted. He said to Andrews: It's a great game, we've got to do some things better.

It was refreshing to see a coach give a candid answer in the pre-half interview for once. Those are usually full of mealy-mouthed cliches and clipped, rehearsed answers, and twice now Kelly has shown his wit and fire.

As for his outburst on the sideline, duh. It's a passionate, physical game, and it was the right time for him to ramp it up a little. I never had a coach who didn't swear, and I can guarantee you most of the conversation between the two lines during the game is not PG-13. Kelly is self-aware enough to know what his job is and where his attention should be. Selectively showing some ire and fire during a game is a great tactical move. It was a point in the game some fire had to be shown. The Ducks and their coach had a drink of water and a few minutes to gather themselves, and they came out and played a perfect second half. Kelly's focused and professional. He'll be all right. There's no danger of him turning into the Mike Stoops of the PAC-10 North.

I also liked the role Gary Campbell played in the misunderstanding with LaMichael James over the play, formation and substitutions in the second quarter. LaMichael was visibly amped and upset, pointing and gesturing wildly. Campbell listened, and pointed to his chest. "Talk to me," you could seeing him saying. Campbell is a great assistant coach. He advocates, he teaches, and he steps in and defuses when necessary. His players know they can turn to him in any moment, even in the middle of the night, homesick with their bags packed. The trust and the bonds Campbell has formed with his athletes make them better players, and better people, and the poise he modeled for James in that situation got LaMichael back on track and kept him out of trouble with his head coach. The ABC cameras gave us a rare glimpse of the important role of an assistant coach in action, stepping in for his star player in a critical moment.

Oregon not only has a tremendous head coach, who knows when to dial it up; it has great assistants who recognize teachable moments and when to dial it down.