Will Stein got a roaring ovation in Rupp Arena, exchanging a hug with the Wildcat mascot, playing catch in the blue end zone with his toddler son, but the Ducks need him back on that plane with a playoff game in 16 days.
He's agreed to do double duty and call plays for the Oregon offense through the playoffs, something Dan Lanning did four years ago as the defensive coordinator at Georgia, the right way for a coach to handle it in the manic compressed environment college football creates at the end of the year.
The 36-year-old Stein got a five-year contract to coach the Wildcats, the place where Rich Brooks went after a brief stint in the NFL back in the '90s.