Three-peat!
All three members of Oregon coaching staff set to return
Staff Hiring Stage 3, 2007
Portland, OR (ESPN) – The Oregon Ice announced today that head coach
Kendrick Upshaw, offensive coordinator
Brenden Sinclair and defensive coordinator
Sammie Kohn have all been re-signed to long-term contracts.
“This was a real coup, getting all three back,” said general manager
Jack “Grid” Iron of a coaching staff that has compiled a 32-18 record and two division titles over the last three years. “We have a chance to accomplish something very special, and keeping these three guys together was essential to reach that goal.”
Keeping them together, as it turns out, was not an easy task. The 65-year-old Sinclair signed immediately, indicating that he intends to retire with the Ice when his $2.3 million per year contract expires after the 2009 season. Bringing Upshaw and Kohn back into the fold, however, was a different matter entirely.
The Memphis Express made a strong push to sign Upshaw, offering him $2.84 million per season for three years. The offer was a compelling one, given that Upshaw grew up in Southhaven, Mississippi, just 13 miles from Memphis. Grid Iron, however, put an end to any chance of losing the team’s winningest coach by giving him a five-year $3.5 million-a-year pact.
Defensive coordinator Sammie Kohn, one of the best defensive strategists in the league, fielded offers from five different teams before inking a five-year $3.11 million-a-year deal to stay with Oregon. The Albany Crows came the closest to luring Kohn away, offering him $2.96 million per year over five years.