The past week has been a whirlwind for Oregon Duck fans, but as we head into the weekend, it appears that some loose ends are starting to be tied up rather quickly.
Things started with the news that offensive coordinator Will Stein would be leaving Eugene to take over as the head coach for the Kentucky Wildcats. That was quickly followed by news that defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi would also be leaving to take over as the head coach of the California Golden Bears.
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It didn’t take long for Oregon to fill both roles, though, promoting from within to make co-DC Chris Hampton and co-OC Drew Mehringer the new coordinators. While both are massive moves and ones that should bring a lot of success to the Ducks down the road, the promotion of Mehringer leaves us with some questions about how things will play out going forward. None of these questions has to do with the validity of the hire — I believe that Mehringer will thrive in the role — but the dominoes that come from this move will be interesting to watch.
Here are the biggest questions that we have following the Mehringer move.
How Does This Impact Dante Moore?
Oregon quarterback Dante Moore celebrates after the game as the Oregon Ducks take on the Washington Huskies on Nov. 29, 2025, at Husky Stadium in Seattle, Washington.
Replacing Will Stein and his offensive brilliance is one thing, but hiring a new coordinator/play-caller who meshes with the offense, and quarterback Dante Moore in particular, is another thing entirely. At the moment, there are questions about whether or not Moore is going to return for the 2026 season. If he declared for the 2026 NFL draft, chances are that he would be a top-10, if not top-five pick, which is a hard proposition to turn down. With Stein in place, the notion was that he’d come back for one more year to develop, but without Stein, does that change?
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If the goal is to keep Moore comfortable and bring some continuity in terms of offense, then hiring Mehringer, a coach Moore has been around for two years now, is a good start. There is already a relationship there, and an idea that the offense won’t change much, if at all, under the new leadership. Will that be enough to keep Moore in Eugene for the 2026 season? We will find out in a month or so.
Does Oregon Now Bring in a QB Coach?
Oregon inside linebackers coach Will Stein leads practice as the Oregon Ducks hit the practice field ahead of Michigan State Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024 at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex in Eugene, Ore.
Will Stein was more than just an offensive coordinator; he was an elite QB coach who even became known as a QB whisperer of sorts over the years. In 2023, Stein helped develop Bo Nix into a Heisman Trophy finalist, and he did the same with Dillon Gabriel a year later. While Moore might not get the invite to New York this year, he is on the short list of Heisman candidates, and should be among the favorites in 2026, should he return.
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So, without Stein in Eugene, does Oregon go after another QB coach, or will Mehringer take over that role?
While he has served mainly as a TE coach at Oregon, Mehringer does have experience coaching QBs in the past, acting as the QB coach during his time at Rutgers and New Mexico. Whether or not that’s enough to suffice here is unknown, but this is a potential hire that Lanning is going to have to make in the near future.
What Does the Offense Look Like Under Mehringer?
Oregon tight ends coach Drew Mehringer works with players during practice with the Ducks Wednesday, Aug. 14 2024 at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex in Eugene, Ore.
We’ve gotten used to the Will Stein offense in Eugene over the past few years: a balanced attack with a lot of screens, deep shots, and creativity. So how will the offense differ under Mehringer? Can we still expect to see the heavy usage of different personnel packages, with offset formations, occasional fullback usage, and matchup-driven schemes? That’s a major question that we likely won’t know the answer to until next spring, at the earliest.
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What Moves are to Follow?
Oregon running backs coach Ra’Shaad Samples sprays players during practice with the Oregon Ducks Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024 at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex in Eugene, Ore.
Mehringer (and Hampton) were promoted from co-coordinator to full-time coordinator. So what moves follow this one? It seems likely that the positions of co-coordinator will be filled on both sides of the ball as Lannign works to further groom his coaching staff and prepare them for the move up into coordinator roles. I’m not sure who that man will be on the defensive side of the ball, but it seems fair to assume that RB coach Ra’Shaad Samples will be tabbed to become the next co-offensive coordinator after this Mehringer hire.
Who Calls Plays in the CFP?
Jan 1, 2015; Pasadena, CA, USA; Detailed view of Oregon Ducks College Football Playoff scarves prior to the 2015 Rose Bowl college football game at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
One of the most intriguing questions that stems from this promotion comes in regards to the College Football Playoff. Will Stein is going to return to Eugene and help prepare the Ducks for their future games, as confirmed by Dan Lanning earlier this week.
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“The plan is for those guys to be able to help us as we go through and chase what we want to finish this season,” Lanning said on Wednesday night.
While the question was about whether or not Lupoi and Stein would stay on and call plays through the playoffs, Lanning kept his answer open-ended, unsurprisingly. That makes me wonder if they might transition to Mehringer for this stretch, with Stein working alongside him. That could be a risky move, seeing as a potential championship run is at stake, but it will be interesting to see how Lanning handles this over the next few weeks.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: 5 major questions after Oregon Ducks’ hiring of Drew Mehringer at OC
