Martin a candidate for Oregon's staff

The Register-Guard reported that former Tennessee quarterback Tee Martin is among the candidates to join Oregon’s coaching staff when Chip Kelly replaces coach Mike Bellotti.

Martin, who helped the Vols win the national championship in 1998, said he planned to meet with Kelly and Bellotti during the three-day national coaches’ convention that concluded Tuesday in Nashville.

“There’s nothing official, there’s nothing offered, but I’ve known Chip for a few years from working at quarterback camps,” Martin told the newspaper. “I knew about the changes going on (at Oregon), and we’ve discussed it a few times.”

The Ducks will have three open coaching positions when Kelly becomes head coach. He is offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach and would likely surrender one or both of those titles. Kelly has also informed receivers coach Robin Pflugrad and defensive line coach Michael Gray they will not be retained on his staff.

Bellotti has not specified when he will replace Pat Kilkenny as athletic director and clear the way for Kelly to take over the football program. The newspaper speculated it could happen as soon as next month.

Martin said he had an informal discussion with Kelly prior to the Holiday Bowl about potentially joining the staff at Oregon.

“We’ve just kind of talked loosely,” Martin said. “At the time we talked, nothing had happened yet, and out of loyalty he didn’t get into that stuff. … It was just a conversation like, ‘I have a lot of respect for you and would love to work with you,’ ”

Martin, 30, played professionally in the NFL, NFL Europe and the Canadian Football League. He entered the coaching ranks as passing game coordinator at Morehouse College in 2006, and coached quarterbacks at North Cobb High School in Kennesaw, Ga., in 2007.

For the past two years, Martin has worked at camps for top high school quarterbacks, including the Elite 11 camps. In that capacity he became acquainted with Tajh Boyd, who has indicated he will sign with either Oregon or Ohio State next month.

Boyd committed to Tennessee in November but de-committed to Tennessee on Dec. 3 after being told he didn’t fit in new coach Lane Kiffin’s pro-style offense.

Martin said Boyd’s family has consulted with him about the recruiting process.

“We have a strong relationship there,” Martin said. “Tajh is very intrigued about the Oregon situation out there. I think he has Oregon high on the list right now, and we’ll see how that goes.”

© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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