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Mario Cristobal left Rutgers in 2003, but Oregon Ducks recruiting is benefiting from lessons learned there

During Mario Cristobal's first weeks on the job as Oregon's co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach, he lived out of a Eugene hotel.

On the rare days last winter when work slowed to a manageable pace Cristobal, along with other UO staffers living in the same accommodations, faced a choice.

"Are you going to work, or try to find a house?" Cristobal said.

It should come as no surprise that Cristobal, 46, felt it was more valuable to spend the time persuading recruits to make UO their home than searching for one of his own.

Since his hiring in December, head coach Willie Taggart has stressed recruiting as the element that will either sustain or break the program and filled out his staff accordingly, hiring coaches skilled in the art of delivering four- and sometimes five-star prospects.