‘A new direction is necessary’: Oregon fires a coach after another loss

The Oregon Ducks entered the 2026 season with College Football Playoff expectations, but their offense has fallen apart over the last few weeks. Now, head coach Dan Lanning has decided that a change is needed.

On Sunday, Oregon announced that it had parted ways with one of its coaches on the offensive side of the ball, firing offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer, one day after a 21-10 loss to Illinois dropped the Ducks to 4-3.

Lanning said that a "new direction" was necessary to get the offense back on track.

Oregon hasn't scored more than 17 points in any of its last three games, and Saturday's loss in Champaign dropped the Ducks to 2-2 in Big Ten play.

Injuries have played a big part. Starting quarterback Dante Moore has been out since suffering a concussion against USC in Week 4, and Oregon has also dealt with injuries and absences at wide receiver.

In Moore's absence, Dylan Raiola and Brock Thomas have struggled to move the ball. Raiola has completed 74 of 114 passes for 761 yards, six touchdowns, and two interceptions this season, while Thomas is 23-of-40 for 226 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

With Northwestern coming to Eugene next week, followed by a trip to Ohio State, Oregon's playoff hopes are hanging by a thread if they're not already dead.

On3's Pete Nakos was first to report that Oregon was moving on from Mehringer, and the school confirmed the news shortly after.

"Drew has been a valued member of this staff since 2022, and I am appreciative of everything he's done for Oregon," Lanning said in a statement . "He played a tremendous role in what this program has accomplished over the last several seasons.

"This was a decision I felt was in the best interest of our football program, as I believe a new direction is necessary to move our offense forward. I thank Drew for his efforts and wish him all the best."

Mehringer joined Oregon's staff as tight ends coach in 2022 and added co-offensive coordinator duties before the 2025 season. He took over as the full-time offensive coordinator this year after Will Stein left to become the head coach at Kentucky.

Oregon did not immediately announce who will take over as offensive coordinator or play-calling duties.