Three Reasons Oregon Ducks Coaching Staff Could Look Very Different Next Season

The Oregon Ducks' coaching staff could look a lot different next season as the coaching carousel continues to pick up. Both of the Ducks' coordinators plus an offensive position coach are in the mix for a couple of new job openings.

Oregon Ducks dan lanning schedule Dante moore Tosh Lupoi Will Stein Recruiting NIL College Football Playoff Ra'Shaad Samples | Oregon Ducks on SI Jake Bunn

The Oregon Ducks have one of the best coaching staffs in the country and other programs are beginning to seriously take notice.

With more and more head coaching searches beginning to narrow down their searches, the Ducks' assistant coaches, like offensive coordinator Will Stein and defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi, have begun to emerge as viable candidates for some of the vacancies.

Will Stein

New Oregon offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Will Stein leads a drill on the first practice of spring for Oregon football as the Ducks prepare for the 2023 season. Eug 031623 Uo Spring Fb 15 | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

Will Stein has quietly become one of the most underrated offensive coordinators in all of college football. He's developed a reputation for being a quarterback whisperer dating back to his time at UTSA with Frank Harris to Bo Nix, Dillon Gabriel, and now Dante Moore at Oregon.

There's an uncanny resemblance from Stein's career to his predecessor at Oregon, Kenny Dillingham's. Although he had quite the resume built up prior to his lone year at Oregon, Dillingham was an up-and-coming, young coach who was also a tenacious recruiter.

Atheltic directors and those leading coaching searches are looking for invigorating, offensive minds that could bring life to a program. A young coach like Stein who has done it at the Power 4 and Group of 5 is a very intriguing candidate.

Stein will likely be a head coach in college football. The question is just a matter of when, not if.

Tosh Lupoi

Oregon defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi directs his players during warmups before the Spring Game at Autzen in Eugene April 26, 2025 | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Ducks' defensive coordinator, Tosh Lupoi has been the right-hand man for Oregon coach Dan Lanning on the defensive side of the ball. Lupoi been with Lanning during his entire tenure at Oregon, but he has begun to emerge as one of the top candidates for the Cal job.

Cal is Lupoi's alma mater and he's a Northern California native, making the connections between him and the job opening pretty apparent.

Oregon has been able to keep Lupoi in previous coaching cycles, but the allure of the Cal opening could be too much to pass up on. If he does ultimately end up leaving Oregon, it would be the first time the Ducks have a defensive coordinator opening under Lanning.

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Digging Deep Into The Ducks' Staff

Oregon running backs coach Ra'Shaad Samples works with the team during the Ducks’ fall camp Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex in Eugene, Ore. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

Oregon running backs coach Ra'Shaad Samples has emerged as a head coaching candidate for the second offseason in a row after flirting with the Sam Houston State gig before Phil Longo was hired. Another Texas program could potentially be looking to reel in the Lone Star State native, Samples.

Eric Morris left North Texas to become the coach at Oklahoma State, leaving the Mean Green with an opening at one of the better Group of 5 program in the country. There will be no shortage of suitors for North Texas job, but Samples is a legitimate darkhorse candidate for it.

It could be an interesting offseason for Lanning as he attempts to keep the Ducks' valued assistants amidst interest from other programs.