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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend April 9, 2005 Olson steps down as Raider coach He’ll join North Medford staff as defensive coordinator after nine successful seasons at SOU By TIM TROWER Mail Tribune ASHLAND — For years, Jeff Olson told his Southern Oregon football team that when a star player or coach moved on, it created an opportunity for someone else. Now he has to trust his own teachings, for Olson is the one moving on. After 24 years at Southern Oregon as a player, assistant coach, interim head coach and, finally, the head man, Olson announced his resignation Friday. The school’s second-winningest coach delivered the news to his team in an afternoon meeting, ending nine years at the helm. Advertisement He had a win-loss mark of 50-36, tied a program record with five consecutive winning seasons (1999-2003) and advanced to the NAIA national quarterfinals in 2001 and ‘02. Olson, 44, will become the defensive coordinator under Rod Rumrey at North Medford, where he’ll also teach. Olson had mulled the possibility of leaving for months, and many factors came into play. Ultimately, however, the imminence of spring practice and the realization that his workload would not diminish determined the timing. "We start spring practice tomorrow," said Olson. "If I wasn’t going to be here next year, it was not fair to the kids or the program to wait any longer. I wanted to allow them to move in the direction they want to go without me around." Assistant head coach Shay McClure will oversee the team for the immediate future, and a search for a head coach will begin soon. Olson’s primary motivation was to spend more time with his wife, Linda, and son, Dante. "College athletics pose that additional strain on a family," he said. "When the season’s over, you have recruiting, then spring practice. There’s just no end to it. I have an 8-year-old at home, and right now, they’re taking a back seat to my profession." There were other concerns, to be sure. The football team has operated as an independent for several years, and scheduling games became increasingly difficult. Two years ago, the Raiders played Humboldt State twice in the regular season — an anomaly in college football — in order to fill a vacancy on a schedule that featured only three home games. Last season, SOU traveled twice to Montana and once to San Diego. The Raiders then had their hopes of joining the Montana-based Frontier Conference dashed when the price got too steep. In addition, the school is without a full-time athletic director, but a search is ongoing and one should soon be in place. "All of that weighed into it," said Olson. "The road trips aren’t getting any shorter, and there are some challenges out there that certainly added to this. I’m not good at leaving my job at school; I take it home with me. The lack of a conference and so forth played into this as well." Olson expressed excitement that SOU is conducting a national search for an AD and labeled the finalists "incredible candidates." But he couldn’t put his decision on hold while the process played out. "Regardless of who they bring in," he said, "it isn’t going to change the college lifestyle for me." Olson and Rumrey have been friends for years, and it was during a routine, "wish-you-luck-this-weekend" call, said Olson, that the North coach broached the idea of Olson joining him. "When the season was over, I just felt, ‘Wow, this is something I do want to explore,’" said Olson. Linebacker Chad Harrell, who will be a senior, had mixed emotions when he heard of Olson’s decision. The coach has been a big part of his development, which makes it difficult, but Harrell understands family must come first. "Some people were pretty shocked," he said, "and some people were obviously real saddened by it. But we’re rallying around our coaching staff now." The one thing that impressed Harrell most about Olson was that, "He was as good as his word. Everything he always told me, he always followed through with. He gave us definitions of what he expected out of us, and he handled himself in the same manner he expected us to handle ourselves. "Since I’ve been here, he’s been a real role model for me and a big influence in my life." SOU President Elisabeth Zinser praised Olson’s achievements and contributions. "We have enjoyed watching football athletes grow under his leadership," she said in a statement. "The program has thrived under challenging circumstances, and home games have become a favorite fall event for our community." Olson arrived at SOU in 1981 as a defensive back from Palomar Junior College in California and was an Evergreen Conference all-star as a senior. He joined head coach Chuck Mills’ staff as a graduate assistant in 1983 and gradually moved up the ranks. Olson was hired to man the head coaching post on a two-year interim basis in February 1996, pending Ashland coach Jim Nagel’s arrival. But when Nagel decided against coaching SOU, the interim tag was dropped. Olson ranks seventh at the Northwest regional small-college level for career victories and three times has been named NAIA or regional independents coach of the year. He coached 22 NAIA All-Americans and four NFL free-agent signees but also encouraged performance in the classroom. All but eight of 142 seniors during his tenure earned bachelor’s degrees. After so many years, the decision to leave did not come easily. "It’s been an emotional last couple of months weighing the pros and cons of this whole process," said Olson. "Certainly, there was a time when I thought I would never leave Southern. It’s hard for me to be talking about what we’re talking about." Olson will finish out his contract this summer through his teaching assignments. Reach sports editor Tim Trower at 776-4479, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Ztechmedia Website Hosting Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation Online Pharmacy online casino Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Rogue Valley Travel Reservationstogo Hotel Reservations Southern Oregon Loans Online Casino News Natto Kinase Nattokinase Casino Gambling Sites Budget Website Templates Advertisement s