Dan Lanning Names Oregon's Offensive Play Caller After Drew Mehringer Firing

Coach Dan Lanning broke down the tough conversations the Oregon Ducks had to have following the firing of offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer.

Oregon football coach Dan Lanning speaks during a press availability on Aug. 26, 2026, at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex in Eugene. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Oregon Ducks announced on Sunday morning that they relieved offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer of his play-calling duties after a third loss in seven games. The major short-term question presented after the news was: Who would call Oregon’s plays for the rest of the season?

Coach Dan Lanning answered that question on Monday during his press conference before a Oct. 31 matchup with the Northwestern Wildcats.

Oct 24, 2026; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning arrives before a game against the Illinois Fighting Illinois at Gies Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“We've had Jay Johnson’s been here on our staff. He has a lot of experiences to play callers with me at Georgia when we were part of national championship team,” Lanning said. “He went on to have a lot of success at Colorado and Michigan State. He's going to head the efforts there with the offensive staff.”

“But it'll still be a collaborative effort with a lot of the work that we do. He's also coming in with a different perspective, a different view,” he added. “Not being with us the last few years, where he can provide a couple things that might be different than what we've done. That I think can trigger some success for us on that side of the ball.”

Johnson currently holds the role of the Ducks’ assistant quarterbacks coach. He’s previously served as the offensive coordinator at Wyoming, Michigan State and Colorado, while being part of the Georgia Bulldogs staff with Lanning in 2018. Lanning indicated, however, more than just Johnson will contribute to play-calling efforts.

Lanning spent his Monday night press conference addressing tough conversations within the program amid the Mehringer firing, whether or not quarterback Dante Moore would play again for the Ducks in 2026 and how the team focuses on growth-based goals after three losses.

What Dan Lanning Said

Opening Statement:

“Have to go back and evaluate the game. Obviously, it's frustrating not to be able to have success in one. There's moments where we played well and did some things really well, but not consistently enough. And it's that's obviously bit us. And again, credit to Illinois and the job that they did.”

“But we have to be more efficient. Obviously, that leads to tough decisions in an organization. Felt like we needed a change on offense. Certainly, grateful for Drew and all his contributions, and there were plays out there to be made where it wasn't the play call was the reason that it wasn't effective.”

“But ultimately, you're looking for a spark and an opportunity to make sure that you can salvage and have some success this season. So, we made a change there. Drew's done an unbelievable job here for a long time. He's a phenomenal coach, and it just didn't work out.”

Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning, right, and Oregon Ducks offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer talk before the game as the Oregon Ducks host the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Oct. 17, 2026, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

“So that being said, we're about to play a really good Northwestern team. They're playing complete football. What they do on offense, it's almost like they have three different offenses and the way they operate. They're running the ball extremely effectively. Their quarterback is playing at a really, really high level, extremely efficient.”

“He completes the ball on the field. He has legs. This will be the third time that we've actually faced him, and different teams, but he is playing really good football. Their players play extremely hard. When you watch them on defense, they're you know they're really stingy in the red area. They do a good job of being at assignment sound.”

“It's one of the sounder teams when you watch them in college football. There's not places where you can say, ‘Okay here exists a big play.’ They do a great job defending explosives, and they play very physical. So that that shows up continually for them.”

“And there's a reason that they've had the success that they've had this season. So, it'll be a real challenge for our guys, especially with what they do, the variety that they provide on offense, and the way that Coach Braun has his guys playing as a whole is really impressive.”

The Benefit of Announcing the Drew Mehringer Change Publicly:

Oregon offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer walks the field before the game as the Oregon Ducks host the Portland State Vikings on Sept. 18, 2026, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

“In announcing, that's not necessarily speaking towards earlier. I think I said it wasn't beneficial to say what the changes are that we've made. This one it's obviously the world knows the changes that we've made.”

“If that makes sense, like we made changes internally before, right? But it wasn't necessarily reflective to anybody else. There's the changes now is Drew's not with our program anymore.”

“Not sure if I completely understand the question, but I guess what I'm saying is Drew was still calling our offense this last week, but there were changes in the way that we were operating. Drew is not calling our offense anymore. I think that for us to move forward, it was best for us to move forward in this way. Does that make sense?”

The Conversation With Drew Mehringer:

“Every decision you make as a head coach, you always try to have your eyes a little bit forward, and you think about scenarios how to play out the way things are happening. I mean, it's something that certainly was on my radar before.”

“It's something that I wanted to make sure I gave our staff and our team every opportunity to have success. If there was an opportunity for us to be able to have successful, I mean, it's the same offense that you saw run or take it to take the ball down 70 yards and create a scoring drive on the very first series.”

Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning, left, talks to Oregon Ducks offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer before the game as the Oregon Ducks host the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Oct. 17, 2026, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

“And I think if you saw more of that, I think it shows that we're really close. But this is a game of inches, and ultimately, I felt like we need to be able to develop more consistency there. And this gave us a spark and an opportunity to be able to do that.”

“That being said, it's something that's on your mind as a coach every single day you step into this building or when you leave this building, you're always thinking about how can you improve, how can you do better, and making sure you have a plan for all scenarios.”

Hopes for Offensive Identity:

“Yeah, a team that can stay on schedule, right? We have to be better on third down. Obviously, that's something that showed up. We have to be able to run the ball. We did that much more effectively in last game. I think we found some things with our rotation inside on the offensive line. I think it starts there.”

“We've been really successful with runs, play-action passes, right? Getting the ball to our playmakers. I think those things have to show up, and then we'd like to be able to be more effective in the way we push the ball down the field, which hasn't shown up yet this year for us. But that's something we have to be able to do.”

Players’ Response to the Drew Mehringer News:

“I always communicate with our players when situations happen, and I think at the same time there's disappointment because they realize everyone else sees Drew and our offensive staff. They see the football coach, right?”

“That's also an unbelievable dad, a great husband, a guy's been part of our staff for the last five years. That's done some really good things here, and I think all of us feel like, wait, we shoulder some of the blame because we didn't create success for our team this season, but yeah, I absolutely shared it with the players.”

“Really talked to our guys about creating value, right? And you're either creating value for yourself on this team, or you're not. And the only thing that you have as a decision in my mind is how can I continue to create value and make this team better, make yourself better. If everybody finds a little bit of value that they can create themselves collectively, that's going to make us much better as a group.”

Quarterback Dante Moore’s Future:

Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore | Oregon ducks on si jake bunn

“Really got clarity for us this past week for him, and I think if it was up to Dante in any shape way, he would want to be out there playing for the guys, but unfortunately, it's not really up to Dante. It's not really up to me.”

“We can control the setting at practice where he's able to do things for us, where that's not always the case in the game. And we said before that this is a serious deal that he'll 100 percent be able to make a full recovery from. That hasn't changed.”

“Definitely feel that way. But for him to be out there on the field for us right now, that's not going to happen. And he's communicated that to some of his teammates. Obviously, that's made news a little bit today. We'd love to have Dante out there.”

“He's still going to be a big part of this team and helping us move forward, finding opportunities for us to be better. I can tell you we're getting one of the best scout team quarterback looks every single week in practice, and he looks good out there.”

“But there's a reality that I'm not a professional to be able to recognize, and even Dante. In some senses, he can't take advantage of situations because it's out of our territory.

If Dante Moore Is Ruled Out the Rest of the Season:

“I’m not anticipating him being back this season. No.”

If Offensive Tempo Can Be a Focus for Jay Johnson:

Oregon Ducks on SI Jake Bunn

“Yeah, I think all avenues are going to be explored. And again, I think that's the idea of having, like, a fresh face that's able to look at it and kind of take back a deeper picture, a further view from, okay, what's been successful, what hasn't.”

“It's something we've evaluated throughout as well. But there's also acknowledgement that some of our personnel groups have changed, and when you have to change personnel groups, then that changes. When you're down some players, it looks a little bit different.”

“When you're changing that, you lose some rhythm because of that. What jobs are you asking guys to do? So, all those things contribute, but that certainly will be something we'll evaluate and have.”

Keeping Players Motivated If Their Original Goals Are Out of Reach:

“Yeah, again, I think it goes back to outcome-based goals are not necessarily great goals, right? Growth is a great goal, and that's what I think that we redirect our guys to is you have an opportunity to improve and get better and it's going to pay dividends for you, if not this season it's going to pay dividends for you in life.”

“How you respond to adversity, how you attack it, and there's still an opportunity for you to improve if you want to have a future in football or just a future in life when you deal with those moments, so that's where we try to put our focus.”

Bringing in Veteran Eyes to the Program:

Oct 17, 2026; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning watches his team warm up before a game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“In some ways, it's something we've done too. It's just not something that you guys would necessarily know about. And the great thing about today's technology is there's the ability to zoom, evaluate film from a distance, right? Put different eyes and perspective on some of the stuff that we've done.”

If Dante Moore Isn’t Playing for Medical Reasons:

“He's not choosing.”

“I can't go into great detail about it, other than it's bigger than what we can say. Now I do know, like I said, that he's going to be 100 percent recovered and be able to be an effective player in the future. But this isn't like a selfish decision on Dante's part, saying I don't want to come back. The season doesn't look like the way I want it to look. That's not at all what this is.”

Conversations With Dante Moore:

“It’s tough, man. It's tough. It's not you never step out on the football field in the middle of a game playing and then anticipate that you're not going to get the opportunity to be able to continue to do that right now in this season and the way it is, so it's tough. But he's handled it really well.”

The Possibility of Dante Moore Playing Another Season at Oregon:

Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore celebrates as the Oregon Ducks host the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Oct. 17, 2026, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

“Yeah, that's not fair for me to say or speculate. Obviously, he'll have a decision again when at the end of the season of what that looks like. I think we all can acknowledge that Dante's a great player, and he'll get the opportunity to be drafted.”

“But what that looks like in the future, I think that's a decision for a later date. I don't know where his mind's at on that. We haven't had that conversation. That's not where my focus is at, or his. I don't think that's where his focus is at right now. There's a reason you get time to be able to make that decision, you know, later on.”

Need From the Quarterback Position:

“Yeah, consistency. And again, we got to be able make sure that we can help create consistency with play calls. We've been a really good quarterback room off the bench. We haven't been a very good quarterback room consistently at the start of games.”

“Finding out why that is. In the last game again, we did start off really well, and it just didn't we didn't finish well. But I think again we have to find the rhythm that we can, and we need competition at that position, as well as other positions on the field.”

“Like, there's some spots that guys are playing at the level that we need to be able to play to play winning football, and then there's some spots where we got to take a step up and step up a notch. But there's so much external pressure on that position specifically because everything run on offense runs through that position.”

Oct 24, 2026; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dylan Raiola (8) passes the ball as Illinois Fighting Illini linebacker Ismael Kante (26) defends during the second half at Gies Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“So, does that mean that we simplify? Does that mean that we make things really clear and concise? And some of those moments, I think, are happening. We just got to be able to operate a little bit better, but it has to happen on the field.”

“And we have guys that are capable for us to be able to have success on the field. We're not the only team in the country that are playing with a different quarterback, right? So, we have to be able to do that at a high level. I think we have guys that can do that. We have to make sure, as coaches, we put them in position to do that.”

More Opportunities for Akili Smith Jr. With How the Season is Going:

“There’s 100 percent an opportunity. Again, you want to see it in practice before it just relates to the game, and things have to look a little bit different for what his game fits and how he does it, he's grown, and you guys don't necessarily get to see that every single day when you're out there, because you don't get to see every single day of practice.”

“And because it doesn't show up on the game field all the time doesn't mean that he's not growing. So, he is. I think he has a lot of value. His arm strength, some of the best in that room. He's able to do some things with his legs. He's become a much better player for us. We need a level of consistency from him throughout practice.”

“And then again, I think we all recognize that there's moments we're playing really good defense this year. We have to make sure that we have a chance to be successful in the game because we're protecting the ball well and doing that. And that's every quarterback. That's not just Akili. That's all of our position has to do a great job of controlling the ball.

Timeline on a Coordinator Search:

Oregon offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer during a press conference on March 14, 2026, in Eugene, Oregon. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

“Yeah, I don't think that an announcement is and is going to happen right around the corner. To again think that you're not always preparing for moments like that, I think would be wrong too. So, there's an awareness, there's an evaluation process.”

“You want to be really thorough as you go through that. Is that that going to be occurring over the next few weeks, months? Yes. Does that mean that we make an announcement tomorrow?”

“It just doesn't really fit with the cycle of football to say that that's going to happen here in a week, and there's other things that our team needs to be focused on right now. But to say that there's not an awareness of what's going on in college football, NFL, other teams, places that can make us better, that'd be wrong. There's certainly some of that evaluation that's going on.”

If He Anticipates Offensive Traits to Drastically Change After Drew Mehringer:

“Well, I think ultimately, like the DNA traits of what you want the offense to be, still has to fit right with who we've been philosophically here-a team that can run the ball, play-action, passing game. The ability to get the ball to playmakers.”

“That's got to be something that's a piece to say that the terminology is all the same. That's not necessarily the case. A lot of times, I always feel like it is easier for a coach. When Will (Stein) came in, we didn't change our terminology for when Will came in.”

“That doesn't mean that it wouldn't or couldn't. Did some things change? Yes. But a lot of the formations were still the same. What plays were called were still the same. So, I don't know if that's specifically what you're asking, but that would be an evaluation.”

People He’s Leaning on During a Challenging Season:

Oct 10, 2026; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning greets fans before the game against the UCLA Bruins at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“Yeah, I mean the same people that any of us would. Coaches that I've worked with in the past. There's been some conversations, but again, your head's down a lot during the season, and you work.”

“And when you get an opportunity to check in and ask for some advice or how situations will be handled, a lot of times you've got to see that firsthand because you've experienced it at another place. So, there's been conversations. There's been opportunities for that, but we'll continue to find opportunities to improve.”

What ‘Salvaging’ the Season Looks Like:

“Yeah, it's probably an unfair word for me to say. The reality is, it's about winning today, right? It's like let's go be the best version of us today, and it's about again what I said earlier about creating value.”

“How do we create value for each individual on our team and create value for our team, and recognize there's a lot to play for. College football has looked a lot different, I think, for a lot of programs this season. There is no script. I think that's very clear.”

“So, you got to go out there and play every single week. Northwestern's obviously an unbelievable team. Our schedule is not going to get any easier as it moves forward. We want to go be the best version of us, and if that doesn't lead to success, that's okay.”

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning, left, talks with Oregon wide receiver Evan Stewart before the game as the Oregon Ducks host the UCLA Bruins on Oct. 10, 2026, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

“As long as we gave our best effort to be the best version of us, and we didn't beat ourselves. And there's been moments this year where we beat ourselves, right? And again, haven't necessarily matched the identity of what we've had in the past.”

“There was moments in this last game where, on fourth-and-one, I wouldn't blink, and we'd be going for those in the past. We're playing good defense. We have to be able to get back to, in a lot of ways, who we are, but also recognize that we have to have success for those opportunities to come.”

Defensive Back Na’eem Offord’s Second Half Absence:

“Yeah, he's just a little banged up. He's gonna be fine though.”

Receivers Hudson Lewis, Gatlin Bair, Iverson Hooks’ Performances:

“Yeah, some moments good, some moments not. But I think in all, you don't get a lot of reps, and it's tough in those moments. I think 45 percent of our snaps on Saturday were from first- or second-year players, right?”

“Which is a great indication of, okay, there's a bright future with some of the guys that we have out there, but there's also, like, you gotta grow up quick when those moments happen when you're down some people, and they did some good things. But there's also some things, like every position, that have to be corrected and have to get better.”

Characteristics of a Chip Kelly-Led Northwestern Offense:

Sep 5, 2026; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Northwestern Wildcats offensive coordinator Chip Kelly looks on before a game against the South Dakota State Jackrabbits at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“Yeah, I think the great thing about Chip is he always does an unbelievable job of utilizing his personnel and finding things that they do at a really high level. So, there's things you're seeing at Northwestern now that they haven't done in the past anywhere that he's been.”

“And then there's wrinkles that are like, okay, that's a Chip play. That's an identity play that he's kind of always carried in his future or in his past, so you see a little bit of elements of both. And it's like I kind of described before. It's almost like you're playing three different offenses.”

“The new wrinkles that he has at Northwestern, some of the old flavor that he has that he's carried all the way to his time back here at Oregon, and then there's always going to be something new when you walk into a game that it's going to be like he's never put this on film. He might not know how you're going to line up against it, and you have to figure it out there within the rules of your defense and how you execute.”

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