After Oregon’s playoff run ended against the Hoosiers, it was clearly time to reload. With both coordinators heading out the door, Dan Lanning had two massive holes to fill on each side of the ball, and he needed to act fast. But instead of shopping around, Lanning and the Ducks took the obvious route: promote from within.

Oregon officially announced Thursday that it replaced new Kentucky head coach Will Stein and new Cal head coach Tosh Lupoi with internal hires. Former co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Drew Mehringer steps up as the new offensive coordinator. On the other end, co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach Chris Hampton takes over as defensive coordinator.

Who is Drew Mehringer?

Drew Mehringer brings plenty of experience to the table and is a familiar face to Oregon fans. A Texas native, Mehringer joined Dan Lanning’s first staff in 2022 and has been a key part of the Ducks’ offense ever since. He’s spent the past few seasons coaching Oregon’s tight ends, working closely with guys like Terrance Ferguson and Kenyon Sadiq.

With Sadiq declaring for the NFL Draft, Mehringer will once again be breaking in a new starter at the position in 2026. His coaching journey goes way back. Mehringer earned his degree at Rice, where he transitioned from playing quarterback to becoming a student assistant. From there, he worked as a graduate assistant at Iowa State, then moved on to Ohio State in the same role in 2012.

In 2014, he stepped away from the FBS to take over as offensive coordinator at James Madison, proving early that he could run an offense. He later returned to the FBS, serving as OC and quarterbacks coach at Rutgers. It was later followed by a stint as wide receivers coach at Houston. Mehringer’s path then took him to Texas in 2016 as wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator, before parting ways in 2019.

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He quickly landed at Florida Atlantic as co-offensive coordinator and WR coach, later shifting to tight ends before taking the quarterbacks coach job at New Mexico. When Dan Lanning took over at Oregon in late 2021, he made Mehringer a priority hire. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Will he be able to fit in his new role? 

Mehringer’s run as tight ends coach in Eugene was a huge success, especially when it came to player development. Terrance Ferguson turned into a program legend under him. He finished as Oregon’s all-time leader among tight ends in both receiving touchdowns (16) and receptions (134). After that, he went on to become a second-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Kenyon Sadiq followed right behind, breaking out in 2025 as one of the best tight ends in the country.

Sadiq led all FBS tight ends with eight receiving touchdowns. He set Oregon’s single-season record for tight end receptions with 51, and earned Big Ten Kwalick-Clark Tight End of the Year honors. Scouts now project him as an early-round pick in the 2026 draft. With Sadiq gone, Louisville transfer Jamari Johnson is expected to step into that role.

Mehringer also brings serious recruiting chops. During his time at Texas, 247Sports ranked him the No. 3 recruiter in the nation for the 2019 class. He’s coached multiple NFL draft picks along the way. That includes Devin Duvernay and Collin Johnson at Texas, and Jack Mewhort and Corey Linsley at Ohio State. Now comes the real test of running the offense and developing the quarterbacks. Mehringer takes over for Will Stein, who built a strong reputation by developing Bo Nix and Dillon Gabriel.

Returning QB Dante Moore already spent a year under Stein, so he knows the system well. Then there’s Dylan Raiola, the former five-star who arrives from Nebraska after two up-and-down seasons. He showed real growth in year two before an injury cut things short. Oregon’s staff believes that with better talent around him and time to settle into the scheme without immediate pressure, Raiola can truly thrive in Eugene.