Oregon head coach Dan Lanning has turned to staff member Jay Johnson to take over play-calling duties on offense.
The move comes one day after the Ducks officially parted ways with offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer following a 21-10 loss at Illinois that dropped Oregon to 4-3. Lanning had left the door open to a change after the game, saying “all things are on the table” as the offense continued to struggle.
Johnson, listed on the staff as an assistant quarterbacks coach, brings extensive experience as a play-caller. He has served as offensive coordinator at Southern Miss, Louisiana Lafayette, Minnesota, Colorado, Michigan State, and most recently Wyoming.
A former quarterback at Northern Iowa, Johnson has coached the position and served as an OC across multiple levels for more than two decades. He also worked as an offensive quality control coach at Georgia in 2017-18, overlapping with Lanning’s time on the Bulldogs staff. Oregon added him ahead of the 2026 season to support the quarterback room under position coach Koa Ka’ai.
The Ducks’ offense has been inconsistent this fall after Will Stein left for the Kentucky head-coaching job and Mehringer was elevated from within. Scoring has dipped, particularly in recent weeks amid injuries (including starting quarterback Dante Moore), third-down issues, and an inability to consistently establish the run or create explosives. Oregon ranks outside the top 40 nationally in scoring offense entering Week 9. Lanning also announced that he doesn't anticipate Moore returning to play this season, a significant blow to the Ducks' season.
Johnson’s elevation provides an experienced hand for the remainder of the regular season as Lanning evaluates longer-term options. The Ducks host Northwestern (coached on offense by former Oregon head coach Chip Kelly) on Saturday at Autzen Stadium, then travel to Ohio State the following week.
Mehringer, who joined the staff in 2022 as tight ends coach and added co-coordinator duties before taking the full OC role, had been with Lanning since the head coach’s arrival in Eugene.
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