Oregon associate head coach Mark Campbell has started a new March tradition.
After Oregon’s upset wins over Temple and Duke in Durham over the weekend, Campbell celebrated in a unique way in the locker room.
The two subsequent videos have gotten plenty of traction on social media as well. Over 310,000 people have seen the celebration video on Instagram after Saturday’s win.
“I’ve got two words,” Campbell said as he pull off his coaching polo shirt to reveal his undershirt. “Winner stays.”
Campbell later said the moment was purely spontaneous — not even his wife or kids, who were also there, knew how he’d address the team after head coach Kelly Graves gave him the floor.
“It’s one of those things that if you’re going to do, do it with passion or don’t do it,” said Campbell, who was instrumental in bringing the No. 3-ranked recruiting class to campus last summer. “I never envisioned that it would go viral like it has.
“You’re in the moment. You’re competitive. You get pretty excited when you survive during March Madness.”
.@OregonWBB Winner Stays pic.twitter.com/PdSeuLim1B
— Oregon Video (@QuackVideo) March 19, 2017
Between games, Campbell had the shirt washed. And after the Ducks took down the Duke Blue Devils on their home floor, it was more of the same from Campbell.
“The second time around, I didn’t know what to do,” Campbell said. “I was on the spot. Then I had to come up with something. Winning that game at Cameron Indoor Stadium against Duke is incredible. Punching your ticket to the Sweet 16 with six freshmen — and no seniors in the starting lineup — is not supposed to happen.
“Those were the points I made before I pulled out the ‘Winner Stays’ shirt again.”
#WinnerStays Congrats to @OregonWBB making their first trip ever to the Sweet Sixteen #MarchMadness #TheScoop pic.twitter.com/PyEaWh46F8
— Oregon Video (@QuackVideo) March 21, 2017
The shirts are part of Nike’s line for men’s and women’s teams in the NCAA Tournament. Oregon players have posted the saying again and again on their social media channels. Long-time play-by-play man Terry Jonz used the slogan during the final minutes of his call of the Temple game.
“The Ducks have won it. Winners stay, baby. It’s the Ducks who are staying in Durham, North Carolina,” Jonz said on his call.
Campbell said Oregon knew it was a good sign when they found a coffee shop near Duke’s campus named The Groovy Duck.
“Going into Cameron Indoor Stadium and playing Duke? We’d already been there and done that when you play UW in Seattle in front of sold out KeyArena,” Campbell said. “It’s not like this was a venue the kids were nervous to play in. We were ready.”
The Ducks head to Bridgeport, Connecticut, on Thursday to play against No. 3-seeded Maryland in the Sweet 16 on Saturday. You can be sure Campbell will pack his now-famous shirt.
“If these guys keep winning,” Campbell said, “we’ll keep pulling out [the shirt]. … They believe in themselves. They just keep going. It’s so fun. They’re fearless and we’re excited for the next challenge.”
Follow Jonathan Hawthorne on Twitter @Jon_Hawthorne
Find all of the Emerald’s coverage leading up to the Sweet 16 here.
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