Former coach Urban Meyer opened up about the Oregon Ducks changing coordinators for the coming season.
The Oregon Ducks are coming into the new college football season ready to compete for a National Championship yet again.
After falling short again last year, Oregon is looking to do some damage this time around. There are many people across the country who believe that the Ducks are the most talented group in the sport, but wins don't come from paper rosters.
Oregon will need to prove its worth on the field, and there is a lot of pressure on this team to find more success. Head coach Dan Lanning has built something special with the Ducks, but he just hasn't been able to get them over the hump to win the title yet.
And entering the season, Lanning has had to deal with the reality of getting multiple new coordinators into place. Oregon was forced to replace both its offensive and defensive coordinators this past offseason.
The Ducks didn't go outside the program to bring in new coordinators; instead promoting within. This may give the team some continuity, but it's still an adjustment that needs to be made.
There are those who believe that the changes, even from within, could be a detriment to the Ducks' upcoming season. But former Ohio State and Florida head coach Urban Meyer has pushed back on this idea.
"Dan Lanning elevated two coordinators," Meyer said. "That's the positive. A coordinator is a coordinator, but the play caller is the most important piece, and it's never been more important than 2026 in college football… I don't see any issues with the elevation of the coordinators."
Will Stein left the Ducks last year to take the head coaching job at the University of Kentucky. He is being replaced by Drew Mehringer, who was the team's tight end coach and co-offensive coordinator a year ago.
On the defensive side of things, Tosh Lupoi is now at the University of California. Replacing him is Chris Hampton, who worked as a co-coordinator last season.
Both guys are very comfortable with how Lanning likes to run the program, offering the Ducks a strong sense of familiarity. Overall, replacing the coordinators isn't that big of a deal, and Oregon should be just fine for the 2026 season.
If the Ducks come out strong, nobody will bat an eye about the coordinator changes. But if the team were to struggle weirdly, then it could become. true talking point.
The Ducks will kick off their new season at home against the Boise State Broncos, giving them a strong matchup in Week 1.
