Oregon Remains Committed to Dana Altman, but Is That a Mistake?

Most power four, big-name schools have the type of athletic notoriety they have based on their football programs. That's a fact. There are obviously schools that break the mold, like Duke, North Carolina, Kansas, and Kentucky, but for the most part, it's the football program. 

The University of Oregon is no different. Yes, the Ducks have been able to find some basketball success, even making it to the Final Four in 2017, but it's not the same level of success the football program has seen. 

Why is that? Now they're in a tougher conference in the Big Ten, but prior to playing in the now-dissolved Pac-12, they should've frankly been dominating. Instead, teams like Arizona and UCLA found the bulk of the success. 

Even though the Ducks are consistently able to bring in top-tier talent recruiting-wise, they're just not able to crack into that upper echelon. Why is that? Could it possibly be head coach Dana Altman?

Recently, it was reported by ESPN's Jeff Borzello that Altman isn't going anywhere. He said in an article from February, "Oregon also remains fully committed to the longtime head coach." Is this the right move for Oregon?

There are two schools of thought when it comes to head coaches. What does your full body of work look like, and what have you done for me lately? Let's start with his recent past. 

Despite being one of the top schools in the country, not only in terms of booster funding, but also in terms of facilities, Oregon's basketball team has never reached the heights it should have. 

They're able to bring in top-tier recruits, but since arguably Chris Duarte, no legit players have left the program to go on to the NBA. Most of the successful Ducks in the league are from that 2017 team. Is that a fault with Dana Altman that elite players are coming to Eugene and not leaving NBA-ready? 

You can also look at his recent success in March. Since his amazing run in the 2016-2017 season, what postseason results does he have to show? Yes, he's getting to the tournament, but he and the Ducks have only made it back to a single Sweet Sixteen in the past nine years. That is not good enough. 

Now, you do have to factor in his overall body of work. Were the Oregon Ducks a prominent basketball school before Altman? The answer is simply no. Before Altman, outside of a few flashes in the pan, Oregon was about as mid-tier as it gets. While he lacks postseason success, this will mark Altman's first season under 20-wins. 

That's incredibly impressive. The question the University has to ask itself is whether it wants to be good at basketball or great, like it is in football. If the answer is great, then the next question is, how much longer are you willing to accept just good from Dana Altman?

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