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Oregon's Matt Powledge Named New Defensive Coordinator at Baylor

Powledge will return to Dave Aranda's staff in Waco after spending just one season in Eugene.
Max Torres|
Oregon's Matt Powledge Named New Defensive Coordinator at Baylor
Oregon's Matt Powledge Named New Defensive Coordinator at Baylor

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Oregon Ducks

The coaching carousel moves quickly.

Less than 24 hours after Oregon's 28-27 win over the North Carolina Tarheels in the 2022 Holiday Bowl, Dan Lanning is losing a key member of his coaching staff. 

On Thursday morning, Baylor announced the hiring of Oregon co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach Matt Powledge as the Bears new defensive coordinator.

Powledge returns to Baylor, where he spent the 2020 and 2021 seasons as the special teams coordinator and safeties coach.

"We are thrilled to welcome Matt back to Waco," head coach Dave Aranda said in a statement. "Matt is an elite defensive mind who has a great understanding of our system, on and off the field. His experience both on our staff and elsewhere, paired with his understanding of person over player and his ability to connect with student-athletes, make him an ideal fit to serve as our defensive coordinator.

Powledge spent time with Dan Lanning on the same coaching staff at Sam Houston State during the 2014 season and was a key piece of Oregon's recruiting efforts in the state of Texas during the 2023 recruiting cycle. He helped the Ducks sign two safeties in Las Vegas (Nevada) Bishop Gorman standout Kodi DeCambra and San Antonio (Tex.) Brennan High School safety Tyler Turner, who recently enrolled early with the Ducks in the days leading up the the Holiday Bowl.

A native of Huntsville, Texas, Powledge is the second assistant coach to depart Lanning's staff since the conclusion of the regular season, with Kenny Dillingham taking the head coaching job at Arizona State. 

Viane Talamaivao, a graduate assistant working Oregon's offensive line, recently accepted a job as the offensive line coach at Northern Arizona.

READ MORE: Austin Novosad gives Will Stein first big recruiting win at Oregon

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Max Torres
MAX TORRES

Max Torres is the publisher and lead editor of Ducks Digest. He's covered the Oregon football and recruiting beats for four years. He's based out of Long Beach, CA and travels around Southern California and the country covering top high school football prospects.

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