EUGENE -- He does his best to mask the injury, offering only a slight limp favoring his left leg as he walks out of Autzen Stadium. In that regard, Mark Helfrich blends in with some of the banged-up Oregon football players also leaving a recent practice.

He reveals no discomfort, no discontent. What the injury is, per team protocol and personal pride, Helfrich won't say.

"Old age," Oregon's offensive coordinator jokes.

Helfrich, at 38, is hardly old. In 2006, he was the youngest offensive coordinator at a BCS school when he took that position at Colorado. Now in his fourth season in the same position with the Ducks, he's been called one of the brightest young coaches in the business.

At this moment, though, the unspecified injury is slowing down this shooting star. So instead of his usual post-practice jog -- a daily ritual for many UO coaches -- Helfrich snaps on a safety helmet and hops on a five-speed bicycle.

He takes off for a light ride on Pre's Trail along the Willamette River. He isn't going far.

Family ties

"It's difficult," Helfrich said of raising a family while working a demanding, 16-hour-a-day job. "But just like anybody you have to prioritize as best you can. My wife is awesome, and she tries to get here whenever they can.

"Any time they're around (the office), it's fun to see them interact. Our players are awesome with them. And spending time with them whenever I can is invaluable."

Helfrich, a 1992 graduate of Coos Bay's Marshfield High School, played quarterback at Southern Oregon and studied pre-med. He met Megan when he was visiting his older brother, John, at UO, and later got his first big coaching break as a UO graduate assistant on Mike Bellotti's staff in 1997.

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Oregon's Mark Helfrich, rising star in college football coaching ranks, finds comfort zone in Eugene