Oregon softball coach Melyssa Lombardi grew up in a competitive and rambunctious household with her two younger brothers. It was all she knew. Her parents also filled their household with tough love, and Lombardi used those lessons to fuel her to success and a college playing career at the University of Oklahoma. After playing with the Sooners, Lombardi latched on to coaching and was an assistant with Oklahoma softball for 21 years, where she helped direct one of the nation’s top pitching staffs in route to four NCAA titles. Now in her third season at Oregon, she challenges her Duck players to get out of their comfort zones to achieve things they never thought they could.  

Brady Breeze was born to be a Duck. They were his team for as long as he can remember, and when the time came to choose a place to play football, it had to be the Ducks. In the beginning, Breeze struggled for playing time and thought about leaving. But, the man from Medford stuck it out, and Oregon fans are glad he hung around. His exploits in 2019 led the Ducks to the Pac 12 title and a Rose Bowl win over Wisconsin, and despite the ups in 2019, Breeze encountered downs in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic ended his chances at a senior season and his hometown burned due to wildfires. Through it all, the recent NFL draftee learned a valuable lesson through those tough times: Always be thankful for the opportunity. 

Oregon baseball coach Mark Wasikowski has seen it all on a baseball diamond- the highs and lows. And if you ask him, his ability to accept those moments come from the tough love and discipline he got from his parents. Those core lessons learned in his life helped him overcome adversity in his early college days and eventually led to winning a national championship at Pepperdine, where he was a throwback player for the Waves that was tough, disciplined and showed no fear. After initially wanting to work on Wall Street, Wasikowski instead chose to coach and after a winding coaching journey, which included being an assistant coach with Oregon, he was named the head coach of the Ducks in 2019. Wasikowski has his Ducks playing with his throwback mentality and the team is excelling, and he knows that there are expectations across the board for the Oregon athletic department. He wants to live up to his end of the bargain.  

The Hold. Extra Point Jesus. Just a couple of nicknames for a play that will be associated with Nate Costa and the annals of Oregon Football history. Oregon fans also associated Costa with a career that might’ve been. Multiple knee injuries derailed his chance to become the next great Oregon quarterback, but to Costa, it’s just part of the game. Costa’s gracious attitude has now turned to coaching, where he is an offensive analyst on Mario Cristobal’s staff. He sees lasting impacts as a coach – even more so than when he played for the Ducks. One thing is for certain for Costa. He knows how special his Oregon experience was and what it has brought him in his life, and there’s always something new to learn.

Oregon track athlete Charlie Hunter almost quit running. The fastest Australian to ever run the indoor mile and 800 meters had lost his love of the sport. Little did he know what a journey across the world to run for the Ducks would do for him. Hunter’s engine was fine-tuned in March of 2020 when COVID-19 destroyed any goals he had at the time. It had all been taken away from him in a blink of an eye. Interestingly, Hunter looks back at his time in lockdown in Australia as extremely beneficial to where he is in 2021. Which to put it mildly, is a pretty good place. COVID also brought a sense of appreciation to living in the moment for Hunter, because he always knew returning to a new Hayward Field and being with his teammates was a possibility when he was locked down in Australia. He knows he has a lot to be thankful for. 

Former Oregon great Kenjon Barner was on some of the most explosive teams in Duck football history, playing alongside some of the Ducks’ greatest players and winning at an unprecedented clip. To Barner, his success stems from being raised in a large family and doing whatever it takes to win. Barner left his home in Southern California and headed up the coast to play for Oregon, where he became a consensus All-American in 2012 and finished ninth in the Heisman Trophy voting. He was used all over the field, on offense and defense, and was truly a jack of all trades for the Ducks. His versatility and unselfishness landed him a spot in the NFL, where he has thrived on special teams and been a part of three Super Bowl champions, including this past season with the Tampa Bay Bucs. Barner’s mentality is contagious, and it’s quickly apparent why NFL teams would want him on their roster.    

Oregon great and all-things-golf Peter Jacobsen has had quite the journey. He’s played in the world’s top tournaments, befriended some of the greats of the game, and lived a life around the sport he loves. But before he became a household name in the golf world, he and his family just wanted to play golf. Jacobsen turned his early life lessons with his family into a very successful golf playing career. He was a three-time All-American at Oregon, won the Pac 8 individual title in 1974, and went on to have a stellar career on the PGA Tour, where he won seven Tour events and played in two Ryder Cups. With his on-course success, Jacobsen would also come to appreciate the social aspect of the game and how he could connect with others. And it all started with his dad and the lessons he was taught on the course when he was young. Jacobsen cherishes those early days, and to him, the game has taught him many life lessons and given him a life that he could have never imagined.

Oregon head football coach Mario Cristobal has lived a life of football since a very young age. But at the end of his football playing career, Cristobal entertained other options for his future work life, but eventually chose football, and life has never been the same. Cristobal has learned from the best throughout his coaching career, and he’s taken those lessons to great heights for the Ducks since becoming the team’s head coach in 2017. The Ducks won the Pac 12 conference championship in 2019 and 2020 and are considered among the nation’s best football programs. Accolades and championships are nice, but it’s the day-to-day grind to get better and the potential he sees for his team that motivates the Oregon head coach. 

From the bottom to the top. That’s a good way to describe Oregon women’s soccer coach Graeme Abel’s career path. Abel played soccer at small schools in his first foray into American life and his move was a culture shock. Bye-bye big city. Hello rural Kentucky. Abel wound his way around the country as an assistant coach at Nevada, Washington State, and Oklahoma before securing the goalkeepers’ coach position with the U.S. Women’s National Team. His success with stars like Hope Solo helped project him into premiere coaching circles, and when Oregon came calling, it was too much for him to turn down. A boy from Liverpool is now the head women’s soccer coach in one of the nation’s best collegiate athletic departments and has helped the U.S. Women’s National Team to two World Cups and tremendous international success. But in the beginning, it took a leap of faith.

Eugene Omoroyi has lived quite a life. Emigrating from Nigeria to Canada as a young boy, he has seen his share of obstacles. Although he lived a Canadian life outside of his home, inside it was Nigerian language, Nigerian customs, and an appreciation for the sacrifices his family has made for him. After playing soccer growing up, Omoruyi came around to the sport of basketball late in high school and found his way to the United States. After spending three years at Rutgers, he transferred to Oregon in 2019 and has been a major force in the Ducks’ second consecutive Pac 12 regular season title this season. Omoruyi has big aspirations. He’d like to play in the NBA and succeed at the highest level. But more importantly, he wants to give back to those who have helped him get to where he is today.