Dan Lanning details promotion of OC Drew Mehringer, DC Chris Hampton
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When it was announced that both Oregon Ducks offensive coordinator Will Stein and defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi were leaving Eugene this offseason to take over their own respective programs, a lot of pressure was put on Dan Lanning to fill their shoes on the coaching staff.
While some big names emerged as potential candidates, Lanning and the Ducks eventually ended up promoting tight ends coach Drew Mehringer to OC and defensive backs coach Christ Hampton to DC. There are certain fans out there who wish that the Ducks had gone with an outside hire instead, but ultimately, Lanning trusted his evaluation of the coaches who have been on his staff for multiple seasons.
"From the outside looking in, I don't think people get to see what I see every day, and the impact that these coaches have made on our program," Lanning said on Wednesday during the team's National Signing Day event. "The relationships they have with our players, the insight and contribution that they make to our gameplan already. It's always a team effort, and certainly somebody gets to wear that hat, but those guys have earned it by the way that they've worked."
Mehringer has been with Oregon since Lanning took over in 2022, acting as a TE coach and co-OC. Before coming to Eugene, Mehringer made stops at Texas, Florida Atlantic, and New Mexico, among other places. Meanwhile, Hampton was a newer addition to the staff, coming to Eugene in 2023 after serving as the defensive coordinator at Tulane.
For both coaches, this opportunity is the biggest that they've had yet, and Lanning is working to assure fans that they are ready for the moment.
"Everybody wants an opportunity to advance, and we don't hand them out," Lanning said. "It's the work that you see every day. I've seen Coach Mehringer gameplan for four years here. I've seen coach Hampton and the impact he's made on our team in the last three years.”
In the end, there's very little reason for fans not to trust Lanning's evaluation of both coaches. Throughout his time in Eugene, he has yet to make any mistakes in the hiring process, turning all three of his former coordinators — Stein, Lupoi, and Kenny Dillingham — into head coaches at the Power 4 level. Now, he hopes that both Mehringer and Hampton can do the same.
"You never want to put anybody in a position where they're not ready for the opportunity, but I'd say both these guys have prepared their entire careers, and certainly prepared here in their time here at Oregon to be ready for this opportunity when it came their way," Lanning said. "It made it really easy to say this guy is a perfect fit."
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Dan Lanning details OC and DC promotions for Oregon Ducks
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