Well that didn't take long. Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports college football reported Friday afternoon that Dan Lanning is close to naming two new coordinators to replace Will Stein and Tosh Lupoi after the two Duck assistants won head coaching jobs this week.
Departing from his pattern of previous hires, Lanning is staying in-house. Tight ends coach Drew Mehringer will be promoted to offensive coordinator, while secondary coach and co-defensive coordinator Chris Hampton will be elevated to defensive coordinator.
Lupoi and Stein are staying for the Ducks' playoff run to aid in the transition and help their guys finish what they started, although this move takes some of the pressure off that role.
On this staff, game-planning and film breakdown has always been a collaborative effort, geared toward solutions and a high degree of results-oriented, trust your people thinking. Always the effort is toward thinking players, not plays, toward putting Oregon's talented, committed athletes in position to succeed.
Thoughts on this? I like it https://t.co/DZioSoOSCS
— Oregon Updates (@oregon__updates) December 5, 2025
Mehringer, 37, has been Oregon's tight ends coach since 2022. He was an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Rutgers in 2016 and over his 16-year coaching career he's coached wide receivers, quarterbacks and tight ends, as well as a one-year stint as co-offensive coordinator and quarterback coach at James Madison.
Although his play-calling experience is limited to that one-year stint with the Scarlet Knights, he's been the Ducks man in the booth for three seasons, on the headest and sharing in the decision-making process and in-game analysis.
Two new coordinators steeped in the operation, know the players
Perhaps most importantly, he's worked with and alongside Dante Moore for two seasons, and they have a trust relationship. As of now three Oregon coordinators under Dan Lanning have become head coaches, and the first of those, Kenny Dillingham at Arizona State, took a 3-9 team fresh off recruiting violations to the playoffs in two seasons, nearly beating a heavily favored Texas team, taking them to double overtime.
In short, Dan Lanning's hiring instincts have been impeccable, though it's a big promotion for Mehringer. a former quarterback at Rice. From Arlington, Texas, he's being handed the keys to one of college football's most potent offenses, an array of talent a competent coach can turn into 40 points a game.
For best results, look for Oregon's all-time leader in winning percentage (46-7, tied with Chip Kelly) to hire a quarterback coach to assist in Moore's development toward the first pick in the NFL draft, followed by the ascension of Akili Smith Jr. and the rest of the talented quarterback room. Austin Novosad is a strong candidate to follow Will Stein to Kentucky.
On the defensive side of the ball, Zenitz says the Ducks are close to promoting Hampton, 39, a Memphis native who was defensive coordinator at Tulane for two seasons. He improved the Green Wave defense from No. 82 to No. 32 in scoring defense on their way to a 12-2 record in 2022.
Under his tutelage Oregon's young secondary has blossomed with Brandon Finney and Jadon Canady becoming two of the best cover guys in the country. The Ducks are No. 5 nationally in yards per play allowed.
It's a bold move by Lanning, but his track record proves he knows what he's doing. The staff anticipated this growth in Stein's and Lupoi's careers and they had a plan for it.
Lanning said at the Early Signing Period press conference, "I've been very adamant about the fact that my goal is to help people reach their dreams and goals." Coaching tree success is just another solid evidence of the strength of the program.