Dan Lanning isn’t making Oregon’s offensive coordinator search sound like a race, but he also isn’t pretending it can sit untouched for long.
With Drew Mehringer fired over the weekend after Oregon’s rough start, Lanning now has one of the biggest staffing decisions of his tenure in front of him. The Ducks still have plenty demanding his attention, though, and the head coach made it clear Monday night that this process will unfold with patience rather than haste.
“I don't think that an announcement is going to happen right around the corner,” Lanning said. “To think that you're not always preparing for moments like that, I think would be wrong too.
So there's an awareness; there's an evaluation process. You want to be really thorough as you go through that.
Is that going to be occurring over the next few weeks, months? Yes.
Does that mean that we make an announcement tomorrow? It just doesn't really fit with the cycle of football to say that that's going to happen here in a week.
And there's other things that our team needs to be focused on right now. But to say that there's not an awareness of what's going on in college football, NFL, other teams, places that can make us better, that'd be wrong.
There's certainly some of that evaluation that's going on.”
That timeline leaves Oregon in a familiar balancing act: sorting through candidates while trying to steady a season that is in the midst of a tailspin. At the same time, the Ducks have to think beyond the present. A quick decision could matter for keeping current players from entering the portal and for selling recruits on what comes next in Eugene.
Lanning has previously mentioned a notebook he keeps filled with names of coaches he has worked with before, along with others he would like to work with someday. Whether that list has changed much over the last couple of years, it figures to come back into play as he evaluates options in the weeks ahead.
Some of those names could belong to coaches who are currently available. Others may still be working through the rest of the season elsewhere. Either way, Oregon knows it cannot afford to drift too long without settling on its next offensive coordinator.
In Other News...
Oregon's Offense Just Got Needed Help As Bigger Absences Loom
Oregons passing game is getting a timely boost as it heads into the Northwestern matchup, with three wide receivers who sat out the Illinois game expected back in the mix. Evan Stewart, Jalen Lott and Messiah Hampton should all be available, which gives the Ducks a little more room to work after a stretch where the offense has had to absorb more than its share of absences.
The return help comes with plenty still unsettled, though. Jeremiah McClellan remains sidelined by a foot injury, Dante Moore is not expected to play again this season after suffering a concussion, and the offensive line remains shorthanded with Dave Iuli and Matthew Johnson out indefinitely following surgeries. Freshman Immanuel Iheanacho is questionable, though he is expected to be available, leaving Oregon to piece together its protection and skill group as it tries to stabilize the offense. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon May Finally Be Getting Needed Offensive Help Back
Oregon has spent most of the season patching together its offense through injuries, and the latest practice news offers a much-needed lift. The Ducks have already taken major hits with Dante Moore out for the year, while Dave Iuli and Matthew Johnson both underwent surgeries, leaving the group thinner than anyone would have expected this early in the schedule.
Now the receiver room is starting to trend in a better direction, with Evan Stewart, Jalen Lott and Messiah Hampton all returning to practice ahead of the Northwestern game. For an offense that has been forced to manage around so many absences, getting that kind of depth back could matter quickly, especially with a road test looming and Northwestern also getting some of its own injury help in tight end Luke Dehnicke. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Unveils A Rare Halloween Look At A Crucial Time
Oregon is leaning into the Halloween mood for its night game against Northwestern at Autzen Stadium, unveiling a black-and-white combination from the Generation O collection. The look includes a black matte helmet with white wings, a sharp contrast that gives the Ducks another one of their trademark fashion-forward national TV moments while still fitting the spooky setting.
What makes this set stand out is the history attached to it. Oregon has never before paired a black jersey with white pants, and the white wings on a black helmet are a first for the program as well. As with so many of the Ducks signature looks, the design came through a collaboration involving Nike, designers, Oregon football staff and athletes, adding another layer to a uniform reveal that arrives at an important point in the season. [Read more 🡒]