BELLOTTI DECISION COMING SOON?

Oregon begins their spring practice this year on March 30.By then, head coach Mike Bellotti told the Portland Tribune, fans of the football program should know whether he will be returning as coach or moving on to become the school’s athletic director.”l hope to have some decision prior to the start of spring ball,” Bellotti told the paper. “If I declare I’m going to be the coach, then it’s full speed ahead."Should Bellotti decide to hang up his whistle, Chip Kelly is waiting in the wings to take over.Early in December of last year, Kelly was named as the Ducks’ head coach in waiting. Kelly was the target of at least two schools -- Syracuse and Mississippi State -- which likely provided the final impetus for the school and Bellotti to take the path they have chosen.When the decision was announced that Kelly would be taking over the program for Bellotti, there was no timeline given for when the transfer in power would take place. Even now, three weeks before his self-imposed deadline for making a decision, Bellotti is not giving any hints as to which direction his future will take him or which direction he is leaning."I probably was (leaning one way) after the season, but right now, it’s 50-50,” Bellotti says. “When you spend a couple of weeks after the season doing the things you do as coach, there is a lot of excitement. We have a chance to be a real good football team next season.”