Oregon, Dan Lanning Must Pursue Thriving ACC Coach For OC Vacancy

After reaching the halfway point of the 2026 college football season, the Oregon Ducks and head coach Dan Lanning must begin their search for a new offensive coordinator heading into next season.

Lanning and the Ducks unfortunately lost one of the best offensive minds to come through the program in former offensive coordinator Will Stein this past offseason, as he was named the new head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats. This led to the coaching staff hiring Drew Mehringer to take over the offense for this season, but a horrific 4-3 start to the season caused the program to part ways with him midway through the year.

Now, with Oregon desperately searching for a new leader of the offense, the coaching staff must do its due diligence on Wake Forest offensive coordinator Rob Ezell.

Ezell may be one of the youngest offensive coordinators at the FBS level, as the 37-year-old play caller has a limited amount of coaching experience. Still, he has quickly become one of the top coordinators in the country this season with the Demon Deacons.

Prior to taking over as Wake Forest’s offense, Ezell began his coaching career with South Alabama as the program’s tight ends coach in 2021. Three years later, he would be promoted to the offensive coordinator position in hopes of revamping the Jaguars’ offense. And it’s safe to say that Ezell surpassed expectations.

In his lone season as South Alabama’s commander on offense, Ezell’s unit averaged 34.4 points per game and 441.8 yards per game during the 2024 college football season. The Jaguars also finished with the fourth-most average yards per game at the FBS level (537), proving that his run-first style of offense can generate plenty of production.

With such an impressive resume throughout his time with South Alabama, Ezell would eventually take over the offensive coordinator position for the Demon Deacons in 2025. His presence was felt upon his arrival to the program, as Wake Forest finished with a 9-4 record while averaging 28.1 points per game and nearly 400 total offensive yards per game. However, Ezell’s offense continues to make monumental strides in his second year with the program.

Through his first seven games of the 2026 regular season, the Demon Deacons possess one of the best offenses in the ACC, averaging the third-most points per game in the conference (37.4). Thanks to his reunion with former South Alabama quarterback Gio Lopez, Wake Forest is now a top-15 program with a 6-1 record heading into the second half of the season.

Depending on where Lanning and his coaching staff end up going in their hunt for a new offensive coordinator for next season, one thing is clear — Ezell is a young, talented offensive mind who could do wonders with the Ducks’ offense.