Pennsylvania Duck Moderator No. 1 Share Posted November 26, 2023 It happened a year ago when former Oregon Ducks offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham left Eugene after just one season to take over as the head coach for the Arizona State Sun Devils. It could potentially happen again this year, with new Oregon OC Will Stein being named among several candidates to take over as the new head coach for the Houston Cougars following the firing of Dana Holgorsen. After going 4-8 at Houston this season, Holgorsen got fired on Sunday despite having won 20 games over the previous two seasons with the Cougars. This early in the coaching carousel, you can expect a number of names to be floated out as potential candidates, and it’s not too shocking to see Stein be mentioned after the unprecedented success that the Ducks have had on offense under his leadership in 2023. Here is what The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman (subscription required) had to say about Stein... Oregon OC Will Stein named potential candidate for Houston Cougars job DUCKSWIRE.USATODAY.COM Oregon Ducks offensive coordinator as been mentioned as a candidate for the Houston Cougars HC job, thanks to his Texas... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDuck Moderator No. 2 Share Posted November 26, 2023 On 11/26/2023 at 2:54 PM, Pennsylvania Duck said: It happened a year ago when former Oregon Ducks offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham left Eugene after just one season to take over as the head coach for the Arizona State Sun Devils. It could potentially happen again this year, with new Oregon OC Will Stein being named among several candidates to take over as the new head coach for the Houston Cougars following the firing of Dana Holgorsen. After going 4-8 at Houston this season, Holgorsen got fired on Sunday despite having won 20 games over the previous two seasons with the Cougars. This early in the coaching carousel, you can expect a number of names to be floated out as potential candidates, and it’s not too shocking to see Stein be mentioned after the unprecedented success that the Ducks have had on offense under his leadership in 2023. Here is what The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman (subscription required) had to say about Stein... Here is what The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman(subscription required) had to say about Stein: Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein is another young up-and-comer. After serving as Traylor’s offensive coordinator at UTSA, he was brought to Eugene and has had a great debut season, with quarterback Bo Nix in the thick of the Heisman Trophy race. The 34-year-old former Louisville quarterback coached a few seasons of high school football in Texas after spending three seasons on the Texas staff. We think he’s a guy who will start getting consideration for some FBS head coaching jobs sooner than later. "While it is widely believed that Stein will eventually leave Oregon for a head coaching job elsewhere, I don’t expect it to happen this season. Dillingham’s departure a year ago was considered rare, with the young offensive guru never having spent time as a head coach, and being the primary play-caller for very little time at a Power 5 level. The same can be said for Stein, who has spent time as the OC at UTSA a year ago, and was coaching in the Texas high school ranks at Lake Travis as recently as 2019. While some teams may reach out to Stein, I would be surprised if he was not in Eugene for at least one more season as the OC." My hope is Stein will stay and not lose another OC after one year! 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandpa Duck No. 3 Share Posted November 26, 2023 While I would like to see staff continuity, it occurs to me that bright young offensive experts everywhere are salivating at the opportunity to learn from the coaches Lanning has assembled at Oregon. I suspect that there would be a bounty of applicants should Stein be the successful applicant at Houston. New blood can bring new ideas that will keep Oregon on the cutting edge of advancing the ball down the field. 1 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverDuck No. 4 Share Posted November 26, 2023 And if we've learned anything about DL, he probably has a list 5 deep of what coaches he would go after at every coaching position, anticipating that the Ducks' success will mean other teams will come calling. 2 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
idontrollonshobbas No. 5 Share Posted November 26, 2023 On 11/26/2023 at 12:17 PM, SilverDuck said: And if we've learned anything about DL, he probably has a list 5 deep of what coaches he would go after at every coaching position, anticipating that the Ducks' success will mean other teams will come calling. Yep, we are in Bama/Georgia strata for now in terms of coordinator poaching....there will be a rotation through the program as long as we are successful. In a couple of years, we will be rehabilitating someone like Chip or Billy Napier into a second chance HC. I hope we hang on to some position coaches that recruit like banshees and maintain the culture. 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Kamikaze Kid Moderator No. 6 Share Posted November 26, 2023 All this one and done UO coach poaching is getting ridiculous. Taggart had Justin frigging Herbert. Dilly and Stein had Nix. QBs like that don't just grow on trees and will make any offense look great . If I were throwing around millions of dollars to hire the face of my university, I'd want to see a larger sample size of what the coach can accomplish and what they look like when not coaching generational talent. 2 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fischer Administrator No. 7 Share Posted November 26, 2023 I'd love to see what Stein can do in his second year at Oregon, as I think he will be even better next year as he's learned the lay of the land. He will have a tougher road with a new QB, but I do think he is a great QB coach... 1 2 3 Mr. FishDuck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flyin Vee No. 8 Share Posted November 26, 2023 A pleasant problem. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven A Moderator No. 9 Share Posted November 26, 2023 On 11/26/2023 at 12:27 PM, The Kamikaze Kid said: If I were throwing around millions of dollars to hire the face of my university, I'd want to see a larger sample size of what the coach can accomplish and what they look like when not coaching generational talent. And that is exactly why you are not in charge of a coaching search, you make too much damn sense. 2 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Augduck No. 10 Share Posted November 27, 2023 But the author made the point that he doesn’t think Stein moves. Given Trayler was passed over at TAMU, he could be a fit for UH. Could not see Stein making a lateral move as OC to UH. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
spartan2785 No. 11 Share Posted November 27, 2023 If I was an AD at another school I would be a bit hesitant to elevate Stein to a HC position. I'm not saying he couldn't do it, but I would wait until he can show me that he can develop a QB at the power 5 level. It's not exactly surprising that the offense has been successful, most experienced QB of all time, a great running back combo, premier receivers, an O-line with a lot of talent. I think he's a good one, but maybe pump the breaks and show that he can develop something rather than simply keep the train going. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
woundedknees No. 12 Share Posted November 27, 2023 If, and I mean IF, Stein stick's and TT has an enormous breakout campaign next season, Stein will be the hottest OC on the market. That fete would demonstrate a massive "Mission Accomplished" moment. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haywarduck Moderator No. 13 Share Posted November 27, 2023 It is only a matter of time. The decision will be Stein's and what program, money, and the life he wants. The guy who is gone as soon as he finds the right job is Tosh too. The guy can recruit like nobody else, and has proven he can develop, run a pretty nice defense. Same metric will entice Tosh, program, money and the life he wants. At some point we may get a few Morgan Scalley's who stick around, but with a head coach who isn't going anywhere, and is only 37, there won't be guys sitting around thinking they will be taking over the program. I think Lanning coaching tree is going to become long and deep as the years go by. I hope so because that means lots of success! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrJacksPlaidPants Moderator No. 14 Share Posted November 27, 2023 If Houston doesn’t jump on Gary Patterson then they need to reevaluate whether or not they want to continue having a football team. He wants to be a HC again and he’s been helping Sark as a special assistant at Texas. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandpa Duck No. 15 Share Posted November 27, 2023 I'm a really old guy. Were I Lanning replacing poached coaches, I would stay with youth. The most important thing college coaches do is recruit. The right raw material will make any coach look good, as we saw with Lanning's predecessor. We have a group of young coaches who can sit in a high school player's living room and speak the kid's language. Older guys have difficulty making that connection, as I well know from talking with my Grandchildren. 3 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasDuck No. 16 Share Posted November 28, 2023 Nobody poaches staff from mediocre and bad teams. This is the price we pay for excellence. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Marsh No. 17 Share Posted November 28, 2023 On 11/27/2023 at 6:50 AM, Haywarduck said: The guy who is gone as soon as he finds the right job is Tosh too. The guy can recruit like nobody else, and has proven he can develop, run a pretty nice defense. Same metric will entice Tosh, program, money and the life he wants. I'll probably look like a fool in a week or two... But... I don't get the sense that Lupoi wants to be a head coach. If that is something he wanted he could of had it by now. He may have proven his DC chops a bit this year but the hiring of most HCs these days is less and less about how good a coordinator is and more about whether they can recruit, develop, and manage a team. I think if Lupoi wanted to be HC then he could have gotten a job somewhere, even a power 5 job. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haywarduck Moderator No. 18 Share Posted November 28, 2023 I think Tosh is a more talented MariØ, except Tosh is learning the trade of coaching. Mario wasn't a good coordinator, could recruit, manages a team pretty well, and didn't develop, but that was partly because he wasn't a good coordinator. I would argue a coach needs to be a great coordinator, but then again the hiring process is what you are referring to. You might be right, the decision makers are looking at recruiting and management, missing the Lannings, and Deboers, for the flash of the MariØ's. Where is the head coach! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Ducky No. 19 Share Posted November 28, 2023 Granted a good head coach position is a bank account builder but comes with risk. Failures and career damaging jobs are out there but some don’t want the risk. No question that money is a great mind changer. It would be for me. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
