Five Things to Know About New Oregon Defensive Coordinator Chris Hampton

When Oregon Ducks defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi was hired by his alma mater, the California Golden Bears, Oregon's co-defensive coordinator Chris Hampton was expected to assume Lupoi's position with the Ducks.

On Friday, CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz confirmed that Hampton will be promoted by Oregon coach Dan Lanning and the Ducks. So, here are five things to know about Oregon's newest defensive coordinator, only the second under Lanning.

Oregon Ducks defensive coordinator Chris Hampton Dan Lanning coaching tree tosh lupoi california golden bears — New co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach Chris Hampton, right, joins the first practice of spring for Oregon football as they prepare for the 2023 season | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

Proven Difference Maker

When Hampton was hired as Oregon's co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach in January of 2023, he made an immediate impact. The year before Hampton's arrival in 2022, the Ducks defense surrendered 27.4 points per game, good for No. 74 in the nation. Oregon's passing defense gave up an average of 256.4 yards per game, ranked No. 102 in the country.

Hampton was brought in to help the defense, specifically with his experience coaching the secondary, and the move worked. In 2023, Oregon had the No. 9 scoring defense in the country allowing 16.5 points per game. The Ducks defense allowed 215.9 yards in 2023, up from No. 102 to No. 54 in the nation.

Oregon's 2025 passing defense ranks No. 3 in the nation, surrendering 144.3 yards per game so far, and the continued improvement can be partially explained by Hampton's abilities on the recruiting trail.

https://x.com/PointAfterCFB/status/1996968294188773724?s=20 — Oregon head coach Dan Lanning, right, walks the field during warmups as the Oregon Ducks take on the Washington Huskies on Nov. 29, 2025, at Husky Stadium in Seattle, Washington. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Recruiter of the Year

Under Lanning, the Ducks have had success recruiting nearly every position, but Hampton has stood out. In the 2025 recruiting cycle, Hampton was named 247Sports' No. 1 recruiter of the year after landing four top-100 prospects: five-star safety Trey McNutt, five-star cornerback Na'eem Offord, four-star cornerback Brandon Finney Jr., and four-star cornerback Dorian Brew.

In the 2026 recruiting class, Hampton and the Ducks recently signed five-star safety Jett Washington, four-star safety Devin Jackson, and four-star safety Xavier Lherisse.

MORE: Five Things to Know About Oregon's New Offensive Coordinator Drew Mehringer

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MORE: Oregon's Dan Lanning Reveals Recruitment of 5-Star Anthony Jones from Alabama

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Defensive Coordinator Experience

Before coming to Oregon, Hampton worked at Tulane for two seasons as the defensive coordinator with the Green Wave. Tulane was led by coach Willie Fritz, now the head coach of No. 21 Houston, at the time, and the Green Wave finished 12-2 with a win over USC in the Cotton Bowl in 2022.

Like the improvement that Hampton sparked at Oregon, Tulane saw a similar jump in scoring defense under Hampton's leadership. Tulane's defense gave up an average of 22.2 yards per game in 2022 and ranked No. 32 in the country, up 82 spots from the year before.

Future Head Coach

Hampton has brought a lot of defensive experience to Oregon's staff, but he also fits in with the youth movement that Lanning as cultivated. At 39, it's more than likely that Hampton will eventually be considered for head coaching jobs in the future.

Lanning's coaching tree is slowly starting to grow, and programs will be curious to see how Lupoi as well as Kentucky coach Will Stein perform as head coaches. Hampton has been on Lanning's staff since 2023, and he now has the opportunity to prove himself as the leader of the Ducks defense.

Meanwhile, Lanning hasn't been shy about wanting his next coordinators to become head coaches after losing both coordinators during a run in the College Football Playoff.

Former Player

Hampton played college football at South Carolina, and he started at safety for two seasons with the Gamecocks. As a student-athlete, he won the Harold White Award as the player with the highest grade point average.

His playing career ended in 2007, and he was a graduate assistant at Arkansas State in 2008. He has worked in college football ever since with stops at Georgia Tech, Central Arkansas, McNeese State, Duke, and Tulane before coming to Oregon.