On Sunday morning, we put out our first initial list of potential candidates to take over as the next offensive coordinator for the Oregon Ducks. There were 7 prospects on the list, two of which were already in-house in Eugene looking for a promotion.
I’ve been able to do a lot of research since then, and expand the list.
Through talking with someone close to the situation, it’s become clear that the Ducks are trying to move quickly on this hire. With the transfer portal opening in a matter of days, and the early signing period for recruits coming not long after that, it’s imperative for Oregon to have a plan in place on the offensive side of things so that they can present said plan to recruits and current players in order to reassure them about the future in Eugene.
I wouldn’t be surprised if we get an announced hire in the coming week.
I’ve also heard a lot more names being mentioned than I initially threw out there, and been told that some of the prospects that I pondered are not going to be considered (sorry Scott Frost). One of the more notable things I was also told is that this will likely be an outside hire, and not a promotion from within. While I still believe that Oregon WR coach Junior Adams is a candidate, I’m not as confident in his front-runner status as I was on Sunday.
With all of that being said, let’s get into the candidates. Here are the guys who I think are on the radar for the Ducks, in no particular order.
Dan Mullen (ESPN Analyst)
Recent Coaching Resume
- HC for Florida Gators (2018-2021)
- HC for Mississippi State Bulldogs (2009-2017)
- OC/QB Coach for Florida Gators (2005-2008)
In my mind, this would be absolute homerun hire, and the best hire that Dan Lanning could make. I’m told it’s not too big of a fish to land, either, and there are donors in the program who are encouraging the Ducks to reach out to Mullen.
Mullen’s coaching resume speaks for itself, with wins in the Peach Bowl and the Orange Bowl with Florida. After a couple of down years, Mullen was fired by the Gators and has been working as an analyst for ESPN in the interim. This may be one of the tougher guys to land on the list, but I think Mullen would present the biggest upside for the Ducks.
Kevin Johns (Duke Blue Devils Offensive Coordinator)
Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Recent Coaching Resume
- OC/QB Coach for Duke Blue Devils (2022-Present)
- OC/QB Coach for Memphis Tigers (2019-2021)
- OC/WR Coach for Texas Tech Red Raiders (2018)
This is a name that might not generate a lot of buzz with the Oregon fanbase, but Johns is a really solid offensive coordinator who had a nice year with Duke under head coach Elko this past season. He also comes from the Mike Norvell coaching tree, just like Kenny Dillingham, so there is familiarity with the system. Johns was also the OC at Memphis for a couple of years after Lanning passed through, so there is a connection there as well. I’m told that Johns is among the top targets, so definitely keep an eye on this name.
Joe Brady (Buffalo Bills QB Coach)
(AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
Recent Coaching Resume
- QB Coach for Buffalo Bills (2022-Present)
- OC for Carolina Panthers (2020-21)
- Passing Game Coordinator for LSU Tigers (2019)
- Offensive Assistant for New Orleans Saints (2017-18)
I maintain that Joe Brady is a legitimate target for the Ducks, and my source told me on Sunday night that the Bills’ QB coach is “a very real possibility.” We’ll see what type of money it would take to bring him from the NFL to the college ranks, but this would a great hire in my opinion. Here’s what I wrote about Brady on Sunday:
As soon as you think of top offensive coordinator candidates, Joe Brady’s name has to immediately come to mind. The former LSU offensive coordinator helped a Joe Burrow-led squad win the national championship after a historic season in 2019, but has bounced around a bit since then. He more recently has served as the QB coach for Josh Allen in Buffalo after being fired by the Carolina Panthers. Regardless, he is still considered an elite offensive mind.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Brady was near the top of the list of guys that Lanning is considering, should the Ducks choose to try and bring in an outside hire.
Jake Spavital (Former Texas State Head Coach)
John Glaser-USA TODAY Sports
Recent Coaching Resume
- HC for Texas State (2019-2022)
- OC/QB Coach for West Virginia (2017-2018)
- OC/QB Coach for California (2016)
- OC/QB Coach for Texas A&M (2013-2015)
Jake Spavital is an interesting name to keep an eye on, since he has west coast ties from working at California and is very familiar with the HUNH offensive system that Oregon ran in 2022. Spavital has worked with a lot of great QBs in his coaching career, including Geno Smith at West Virginia and Johnny Manziel at Texas A&M. His recent firing from Texas State makes him more available to be hired quickly, which goes in line with what the Ducks should be hoping for.
Brian Hartline (Ohio State WR Coach/Passing Game Coordinator)
Coaching Resume
- WR Coach/Passing Game Coordinator for Ohio State Buckeyes (2022-Present)
- WR Coach for Ohio State Buckeyes (2018-2021)
- Offensive Quality Control Assistant for Ohio State (2017)
I’m including this name on the list, but I’m far less optimistic of the possibility of it happening than I initially was. Brian Hartline is currently in a good situation in Ohio, and his name is already being thrown out for some potential head coaching jobs, such as Cincinnati, per FOX Sports’ Bruce Feldman.
Here’s what I wrote about Hartline on Sunday:
If you’re talking about up-and-coming offensive assistant coaches who have a chance to make a leap to the coordinator position, Ohio State’s Brian Hartline should be near the top of your list. He is considered one of the top recruiters in the nation (ranked No. 2 recruiter in the nation according to 247 Sports) and what he’s done with the Buckeyes’ receiving corps can’t be ignored.
With Marvin Harrison Jr. and Jaxson Smith-Njigba leading the way, it’s no question that Ohio State is home to the best receiving group in the nation. Hartline was also named the top recruiter in the nation in 2020. He shows promise as an offensive mind and could explode on the scene if given the opportunity to call plays at a major level.
Junior Adams (Oregon Ducks WR Coach/Co-Offensive Coordinator)
Recent Coaching Resume
- WR Coach, Co-OC for Oregon Ducks (2022-Present)
- OC/WR Coach for Washington Huskies (2021)
- WR Coach for Washington Huskies (2019-2021)
- OC/WR Coach for Western Kentucky (2017-2018)
- WR Coach for Boise State Broncos (2014-2016)
From what I’m being told, the Ducks are leaning towards an outside hire rather than a promotion of Junior Adams, the current co-offensive coordinator and WR coach. While I think that may be smart, it does worry me a little bit that the door is being left open for Adams to go elsewhere, which could lead to a big hit in the recruiting department. While I think that Adams is still a candidate, he no longer holds the front-runner status that I once believed.
Here’s what I wrote about Adams on Sunday:
Promoting Junior Adams from WR coach and co-offensive coordinator seems like the most likely move that the Oregon Ducks will make at this point. It’s clear that Adams has the receiver group going in the right direction for the Ducks, with an absolute explosion at that position in both performance and recruiting this past year. Adams knows the system that Lanning wants to run, and he’s seen what has worked over the past year. In my mind, Adams is the early leader in the clubhouse to be promoted to the OC position.
Chip Long (Georgia Tech Offensive Coordinator)
Recent Coaching Resume
- OC/TE Coach for Georgia Tech (2022-Present)
- OC/QB Coach for Tulane (2021)
- Offensive Analyst for Tennessee (2020)
- OC/TE Coach for Notre Dame (2017-2019)
Chip Long has a previous relationship with both Dan Lanning and Kenny Dillingham after working with the pair back at Arizona State early last decade. He also has ties to Eugene after interviewing for the OC job with Mario Cristobal. The connections keep going, with Long serving as the OC for Mike Norvell at Memphis in 2016 and coming from that same coaching tree. I would definitely keep an eye on this one, it seems to check a lot of boxes.
Mike Bobo (Georgia Bulldogs Offensive Analyst)
John Reed-USA TODAY Sports
Recent Coaching Resume
- Offensive Analyst for Georgia (2022-Present)
- OC/QB Coach for Auburn (2021)
- OC/QB Coach for South Carolina (2019-2020)
- HC for Colorado State (2015-2019)
- OC for Georgia (2007-2014)
This is an interesting name for sure because there are a lot of connections out there. Not only does Bobo have the Georgia connection with Lanning, but he was also the OC/QB Coach for Bo Nix at Auburn a season ago, which may lead to a reunion of sorts in Eugene. Bobo has both OC and HC experience, and would bring a veteran presence to the coaching staff that could be enticing for boosters after the way that the season ended.
Other Names
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
I wanted to include some other names that I’m hearing from a fan perspective, but have been told are not being considered strongly as candidates.
Kliff Kingsbury (Arizona Cardinals Head Coach)
This one is funny to me. While a lot of people are expecting Kingsbury to be fired by Arizona in the coming weeks, it has led several fans to wonder about the possibility that he would return to the college ranks as a coordinator. Kingsbury was the head coach at Texas Tech from 2013-2018 before taking the NFL job. There are endless reasons why Kingsbury won’t be the next OC in Eugene, topped by the fact that he is still an HC in the NFL. Move along.
Brennan Marion (Texas Longhorns WR Coach)
I threw this name out there on Sunday because it is an intriguing option, with Marion acting as an aggressive offensive mind with a potentially groundbreaking offensive scheme. However, I’ve been told that he is not among the list of candidates, while Oregon is looking for more of a sure thing rather than a high-risk, high-reward coach.
Garrett Riley (TCU Horned Frogs OC)
While this is an intriguing name, I’m not sure that the timing will allow it to happen, since TCU is poised for a trip to the College Football Playoff, and the Ducks need to act fast. On top of that, it would be a lateral move, which would likely make Oregon break out the checkbook in a major way to make it happen.
