Mike Bellotti bolts from Oregon

University of Oregon Athletic Director, Mike Bellotti, has resigned from the university in order to accept a job as a college football analyst for ESPN.

Mike Bellotti took over as the University of Oregon's Athletic Director last July, and now less than one-year into the job he has decided to leave for a position with ESPN as a college football analyst. Bellotti had been the Ducks' football coach since 1995 with the 2008-2009 season being his last. He watched first year head coach Chip Kelly guide the Ducks to their first Rose Bowl appearance since January of 1995, when Bellotti was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach under then head coach Rich Brooks. Bellotti leaves the university as their winningest head coach with a 116-55 record. ESPN is getting a man with 36 years of college football coaching experience. They also get the coach that helped the 2001 team gather 11 wins and a Fiesta Bowl win over Colorado to finish the season ranked second in the country. Bellotti never got a chance to coach in the Rose Bowl, but watched as Athletic Director this year as Kelly and the Ducks fell short against Ohio State. According to ESPN's Norby Williamson, "Coach Bellotti ranks as one of the most successful head coaches in the perennial power Pac-10 Conference. His knowledge and experience will deepen our roster of analysts and provide us with a unique perspective of someone who recently coached in the game." The news of Bellotti's departure broke around 2:30pm Friday afternoon with an ESPN news release. Bellotti's first game with be the Auburn spring game on April 17th, which will be televised on ESPNU. In a statement Friday Bellotti said, "Working as an analyst for ESPN is a dream come true and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." He also stated that he would be working for the best in college football broadcasting and said he couldn't wait to get started. He also said that he would be maintaining his residence in Eugene and that he wasn't going to be moving away.