Whether his Oregon defense had forced a turnover or given up a touchdown, held firm on third down or yielded a long run, Nick Aliotti came to appreciate the predictable silence from one familiar voice.
“He never once said a word on the headset during a game,” Aliotti said of the former Ducks’ head coach. “Almost unheard of.”
Kelly also rarely popped into the defensive meeting room or was involved in the unit’s game-planning during the four seasons he supervised Aliotti, the team’s defensive coordinator. Kelly fully trusted his assistants and preferred to give them complete autonomy.