Dan Lanning finally made the kind of move Oregon fans had been waiting for.
After weeks of pressure around a disappointing 4-3 start, Oregon announced Sunday morning that offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer had been relieved of his duties. The Ducks’ offense has struggled even with players like Dante Moore and Evan Stewart back in the mix at times, and the job security questions around the staff had only grown louder as the season wore on.
In a statement released by the program, Lanning explained why he made the change.
"Drew has been a valued member of this staff since 2022, and I am appreciative of everything he's done for Oregon, he played a tremendous role in what this program has accomplished over the last several seasons. This was a decision I felt was in the best interest of our football program, as I believe a new direction is necessary to move our offense forward. I thank Drew for his efforts and wish him all the best."
The timing matters here. Oregon clearly could not head into next season with Mehringer in that role, so Lanning moved now instead of waiting. The Ducks are expected to name an interim offensive coordinator, and that decision will give Lanning five games to evaluate whether anyone already on staff can handle the job.
That part of the conversation is already a sore spot for the fanbase. Oregon supporters are unlikely to embrace another in-house promotion, especially since that approach is part of how the program got here in the first place. Will Stein’s departure drew less attention than it probably should have, and Mehringer’s track record as offensive coordinator at Rutgers was enough for some to wonder whether this setup could work from the start.
Still, losing Mehringer does create one obvious concern for Oregon: tight end development. His work with the position group was a real asset, and the Ducks just sent Terrance Ferguson to the Draft as a second round pick, with Kenyon Sadiq going as a 1st round pick. That kind of production is not easy to replace.
Lanning had been leaning on internal hires, with Will Stein stepping in and continuing what Kenny Dillingham started, but this time the program may need a different route. Oregon invested heavily in this roster, and with the season slipping away, the next offensive coordinator hire has to be the right one.
In Other News...
Dan Lanning Just Opened The Door To Oregon Offensive Changes
Oregons 21-10 loss to Illinois brought another difficult checkpoint in a season that has started to slip, and Dan Lanning did not try to dress it up afterward. The Ducks are now sitting on their third defeat of the year, and the coach pointed to problems on both sides of the ball while noting how much the offense has been affected by the absence of quarterback Dante Moore and several receivers.
Lanning said the staff needs to evaluate everything and get better moving forward, and he left open the possibility of changes on the offensive side. He did not commit to any specific move, but the fact that he did not shut the door on an offensive coordinator shakeup says plenty about where Oregon stands after a game that exposed how much work still needs to be done. [Read more 🡒]
Dan Lanning Has A New Oregon Problem Fans Wont Ignore
Oregons stumble against Illinois landed with the kind of thud fans in Eugene do not usually associate with a Dan Lanning team. The Ducks opened fast with an early touchdown and still had moments on offense, including some solid running from Jordon Davison, but the game quickly turned into a grind as Illinois took over the clock and kept Oregon from finding much rhythm.
Dylan Raiola spent much of the afternoon under pressure, and the Ducks never recovered once the second half turned quiet on their side of the scoreboard. For a program that has built its identity on physicality and control, this was one of those losses that raises a bigger question than the final result, because Oregon looked too easily pushed out of its comfort zone when it mattered most. [Read more 🡒]
Dan Lanning Cant Ignore Oregons Bigger Offensive Problem Anymore
Oregons offense has spent this season looking too uneven to be pinned on one injury or one bad stretch, and that has left Dan Lanning facing a problem bigger than the recent hit to Dante Moore. The Ducks have had issues brewing for a while, with the attack sputtering before Moores concussion and the quarterback room never really finding steady footing.
Drew Mehringers performance as offensive coordinator has come under scrutiny as the inconsistency has continued, and the disappointing play from Dylan Raiola has only added to the uncertainty. For a program that wants to keep moving forward at a high level, the larger concern is no longer just who is under center, but whether the structure around him is good enough to fix what has gone wrong. [Read more 🡒]