The question has as much to do with his existential state of being as it does his physical. 

As Oregon’s coaching staff makes its way into the homes of some of its most coveted verbal commitments and targets from the 2019 class in the lead up to the start of the early signing period (Dec. 19-21), there has been one glaring omission from the customary post-in-home visit interviews and photos that often surface on social media featuring prospects and coaches chumming it up.

Ducks defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt.

Since the end of the regular season nearly three weeks ago, Leavitt – who just completed his second season as Oregon’s defensive coordinator – has been a notable name linked to the former head coaching vacancies at Texas Tech, Colorado, and most recently, Kansas State.

And while Leavitt was shut out from landing any one of those jobs, his desire to once again lead a program of his own (was formerly the head man at USF from 1997 to 2009 before being dismissed as a result of a “disputed confrontation” with a former player) has been anything but a secret. Following Willie Taggart’s departure for Florida State last December, Leavitt sent the following tweet the same day Mario Cristobal was named the Ducks’ interim coach.

 

Always been honest. Never have I mislead. Have great passion for the Ducks! Want to be a HC someday again Lord willing. Flying back tomorrow but tonight with my girls.

— Jim Leavitt (@CoachJimLeavitt) December 5, 2017

While no reasonable person could fault Leavitt for being disappointed at being passed up for an opportunity he pined for, by the same token, the tweet raised reasonable questions surrounding Leavitt’s desire to remain in Eugene. Leavitt, however, put some of that speculation to rest when he agreed to a new contract extension with the Ducks only weeks after Cristobal was named the head coach in a permanent capacity.

Yet, fast forward a year, and one can’t help but wonder whether Leavitt is truly at peace and motivated by his role on the Oregon coaching staff – particularly given what has (or perhaps hasn’t) transpired over the past several months.

For one, by just about every measure, Oregon’s defense took a noticeable step back in 2018. Despite returning 13 players with at least one game of starting experience and coming off a season in which the Ducks improved from 126th nationally (2016) to 46th (2017) in total defense, Leavitt’s unit has slid to 62nd in the category with a bowl game left to go. Certainly part of the blame can be attributed to a rash of injuries at linebacker, not to mention to a sputtering offense that all too often left the defense in a lurch from a field position and fatigue standpoint. But there’s no denying the fact that the Duck defense played like a unit that was missing the edge they had seemingly gained in Leavitt’s first year directing the defense.

Secondly, while there’s no doubt that Leavitt is among the nation’s most respected and acclaimed defensive minds, it’s been somewhat peculiar to see Leavitt’s name linked to so many job openings considering his age (62), checkered past, and the underwhelming sophomore season in Eugene. Yes, Leavitt’s ties to the openings at Texas Tech (born in Texas), Colorado (former assistant), and Kansas State (former assistant) feel logical enough, but it also smacks of a coach itching for a change of scenery.

Lastly, and perhaps most interestingly, Leavitt has been a virtual ghost on the recruiting trail for the Ducks this fall. Unlike last fall, not only is Leavitt rarely – if ever – mentioned in recruiting reports or seen on Twitter as a coach that recruits are engaging and building a relationship with, but a closer look at his public activity on Twitter reveals that he’s only twice mentioned or retweeted anything related to Oregon’s recruiting efforts since early September. By comparison, Leavitt tweeted about recruiting for Oregon on at least 12 different occasions last December alone.

Admittedly, examining one’s Twitter activity is anecdotal at best, though it’s hard to ignore the obvious disparity and avoid connecting the dots given the context of everything else.

Does it mean Leavitt is on his way out? Any impassioned statement of such feels a bit premature at this stage, but it’s far from an absurd question to ask. For now, it appears the window has effectively closed on Leavitt’s opportunity to land a collegiate head coaching job this year. However, it will be interesting to see if Leavitt considers or is offered any jobs as defensive coordinator in the NFL. For one, an NFL team would likely be able to match or best the hefty salary he’s earning at Oregon. Additionally, Leavitt has experience coaching at the professional level after serving as the San Francisco 49ers linebackers coach from 2011-2014.

If he remains at Oregon, it will be interesting to see whether 2018 was simply an anomaly, or a signal of some of sort of deeper philosophical shift within the program as it relates to Leavitt’s role. It wouldn’t be an outrageous thought to consider either, particularly since safeties coach Keith Heyward and defensive line coach Joe Salave’a each added “co-defensive coordinator” to their respective titles this past May.

With the days melting away as we rapidly approach the new year, the exact nature of Jim Leavitt’s whereabouts – both physically and otherwise – serves as a growing curiosity for those beyond the confines of the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex. Sooner or later though, it feels like the awkward elephant in the room needs to be addressed.