Oregon Ducks' Dan Lanning Reveals What Makes New Hire Ross Douglas Special

Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning spoke after spring practice on Tuesday. Lanning raved about new wide receivers coach Ross Douglas. Douglas was hired by the Ducks this offseason after the departure of former Oregon wide receivers coach Junior Adams, now a member of the Dallas Cowboys coaching staff.

Dan Lanning on Ross Douglas: “He Comes To Work Every Day Looking To Work"

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning looks to the clock towards the end of the first half as the Oregon Ducks face the Ohio State Buckeyes Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, in the quarterfinal of the College Football Playoff at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Oregon Ducks have a new wide receivers coach in Ross Douglas. Lanning has been impressed by Douglas' work ethic and what he has brought to the to the table so far.

“Ross is the kind of guy that comes to work every day looking to work. He taps in every single day saying ‘okay, I’m going to go get this and attack it,’” Lanning said. “Brings a lot of experience and knowledge from different programs…His energy, his enthusiasm, his effort to coach every single day, I think thats a credit to the way he approaches each day.”

Ross Douglas played college football at Michigan and Rutgers from 2013 through 2017. Right after his playing career was over, he began coaching as a graduate assistant for Rutgers. From there, he joined the New England patriots coaching staff as an assistant wide receivers coach.

Ross Douglas became the wide receivers coach for the Patriots in 2023 and then went to Syracuse in 2024 with the same title. With Oregon wide receivers coach Junior Adams leaving Eugene for the Dallas Cowboys, there Ducks went out and got Douglas.

Lanning addressed what he has seen in the wide receivers room this spring with Douglas.

“Great leadership and there is a lot of guys that can play at a high level in there. I think thats credit other the recruiting job Junior (Adams) did while he was here and then I think Ross hasn’t missed a step. He’s hit the ground running,” Lanning said. We got some great guys in that room I think will be be able to help us in a big way.”

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Dan Lanning On Spring Ball, Masters Prediction

Oregon inside linebacker Jeffrey Bassa, left, strips the ball from Oregon inside linebacker Brayden Platt as the Oregon Ducks practice ahead of the Rose Bowl Friday, Dec. 27, 2024, at the Moshofsky Center in Eugene, Ore. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

What does Dan Lanning look for from his team during spring ball? He wants to see improvement from one day to the next.

“Are we better today than we were yesterday? It’s simple. If we make a mistake, are we making that same mistake in the next practice,” Lanning said. “Mistakes are going to happen and that’s about growth. It’s about losing a rep in a tackling drill and then saying I want to get back up there so I can do it again.”

Before his press conference ended, Lanning was asked if he had a prediction for The Masters, which gets underway on Thursday. Lanning said it's hard to pick against defending Masters champion, Scottie Scheffler.

"Maybe I can get a little bit of it Sunday. It’s an awesome completion….It’s hard to bet against Scheffler right now. He’s pretty good," Lanning said.