Dan Lanning Reveals What Ryan Switzer Brings to Oregon Coaching Staff

The Oregon Ducks made changes to their coaching staff this offseason, including the addition of offensive analyst Ryan Switzer. Switzer was previously the wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator for the Tulsa Golden Hurricane.

Dan Lanning Hires Ryan Switzer to Oregon Coaching Staff

Oregon Ducks Coaching Staff Offensive Analyst Ryan Switzer North Carolina Tar Heels NFL Dan Lanning Tulsa Golden Hurricane — Dec 31, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning during the Rose Bowl head coaches press conference at Sheraton Grand LA. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning hired Ryan Switzer to be an offensive analyst for the Ducks, and he spoke about the hiring after Oregon's first spring practice on Thursday.

“Anybody that’s familiar with college football is familiar with what he was able to accomplish, but there’s a lot of thing he can add to our program with his experience as a returner,” Lanning said to the media. “You always look to be able to add hats in the building that can help contribute and make your players better. And he's got a lot of energy. He’s got great experience. And I think there's some real value in that for us, having Ryan on our staff.”

The 31-year-old Switzer started his coaching career in college with Tulsa in 2023 as a wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator. He was in that position through 2025 before making the move to Oregon.

Prior to his coaching career, Switzer played his college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels from 2013-2016. As a wide receiver, he had 244 receptions for 2,912 yards and 19 receiving touchdowns during this time. Switzer also retuned kicks and punts for the Tar Heels. He ended his career with seven punt returns for touchdowns.

Swtizer’s five punt returns for touchdowns in 2013 were the most in the country.

He was named a First-team All-American in 2013 and 2015 while being First-team All-ACC in 2013, 2015, and 2016. Following his senior season in Chapel Hill, Switzer was selected in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys.

Switzer’s NFL career spanned from 2017-2021, bouncing around from team to team. He played for the Cowboys, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Cleveland Browns. For his NFL career, he had 50 receptions for 321 yards and one touchdown. He made the most noise as a returner as a rookie. He had a punt return for a touchdown that season and was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team.

Oregon Adding Kick/Punt Return Specialist

As Lanning said, Switzer can help the Ducks with his expertise in returning kicks and punts. Oregon had a solid return game in 2025. The Ducks had two punts returned for touchdowns: one by wide receiver Malik Benson in their win over the USC Trojans and another by running back Jayden Limar off a blocked punt in the playoff win over the James Madison Dukes.

Special teams can decide games and having the threat of a kick or punt return going the other way for a touchdown can determine a win or loss. This was one Switzer's biggest strengths on the field in college and as a pro. Will he be able to improve Oregon's ability to make these game-breaking plays in 2026?