The Ducks are in transition, and bringing up a ton (prob half a dozen) of their prospects this year.
Eakins knows them all. He's got the leg up, and has proven success.
It's a smart move for where the org is at the moment.
Not sure why the lengthy interview process seems odd - he's done this every time. He always hire like mid-June, after SCF. He's thorough, as long as it got done before the draft who cares?