Lanning Hires Carlos Locklyn As Running Backs Coach

[Charles Fischer]

(Press Release to Credentialed Media by Oregon Athletics)

 

EUGENE, Ore. — Oregon football head coach Dan Lanning added the final offensive piece to his 2022 coaching staff on Tuesday, announcing the hiring of Carlos Locklyn as the Ducks’ running backs coach.

 

“I am thrilled to have Carlos Locklyn join us here at Oregon,” Lanning said. “He is a dynamic addition to our offensive staff, playing a big role in Western Kentucky’s historically productive offense this past season. I was able to see Carlos’ love and dedication to his players in my time together with him in Memphis. Watching him grow in the profession has been true evidence of his drive and focus. He is a servant leader and will do a great job with our running backs."

 

“Our running back room has a lot of talent, and I am really excited for our student-athletes to learn from a teacher of Coach Locklyn’s caliber. He is going to develop some serious playmakers for the Ducks, but most importantly, some terrific young men. Please join me in welcoming Carlos and his wife, Victoria, and their two children, Donovan and Dorian, to the Oregon family.”

 

 

Locklyn made his on-field collegiate coaching debut in 2021 as Western Kentucky’s running backs coach, assisting an offense that ranked second in the nation with 44.2 points per game. Locklyn was Florida State’s director of high school relations in 2020, the same role he served at Memphis in 2019 after starting with the Tigers in 2017 as a weight room assistant and working 2018 as an offensive analyst. Locklyn started his coaching career with eight years as a successful high school football coach.

 

“I want to thank Coach Lanning for this tremendous opportunity,” Locklyn said. “As long as you’ve got true passion, strong faith, a will to serve others and work hard, you can do anything you want in life. Know your passion. Dream it. Live it. Love it. Walk-on coach mentality!”

 

Locklyn rounds out an offensive coaching staff that includes offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham, associate head coach and offensive line coach Adrian Klemm, co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Junior Adams, and tight ends coach Drew Mehringer. Lanning has also hired co-defensive coordinator Matt Powledge, cornerbacks coach Demetrice Martin, defensive line coach Tony Tuioti, and special teams coordinator and nickels coach Joe Lorig.

 

 

Locklyn developed a running back room that played a big role in Western Kentucky’s historic 2021 offense, which was second nationally in both scoring and total offense (536.2 YPG). Noah Wittington led the team with 617 rushing yards, and Adam Cofield added 373 yards rushing and 176 receiving.

 

As director of high school relations for Florida State, Locklyn helped the Seminoles land a recruiting class that ranked No. 20 nationally by Rivals and No. 22 by 247Sports.

 

Locklyn worked with Lanning at Memphis in 2017, where he got his start at the collegiate level as a weight room assistant for the Tigers. He was promoted to offensive analyst in 2018, when Memphis broke multiple program records and ranked second nationally with 48 rushing touchdowns and fourth with 279.9 rushing yards per game. Unanimous all-American Darrell Henderson was a Doak Walker Award finalist after ranking second in the FBS with 1,909 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns.

 

Locklyn took over as Memphis’ director of high school relations in 2019, helping the Tigers land a signing class that ranked 13 spots better than the previous year and third in the AAC. On the field, Memphis defeated Cincinnati to win the school’s second AAC conference title.

 

Locklyn started his coaching career with eight years at the high school level in Tennessee, beginning in 2009 as offensive coordinator at Trezevant High School. He spent the next two seasons as both the offensive and defensive coordinator at Westwood High School, before serving 2012-14 as offensive coordinator at Manassas High School and 2015-16 in the same role at Cordova High School.

 

 

The highlight of Locklyn’s high school coaching career came in his final spot at Cordova, where he helped lead the team to a 20-5 record over two seasons. The Wolves reached the Tennessee 6A State Semifinals in 2016 while scoring 32.6 points per game and racking up 2,397 rushing yards.

 

A four-year letter-winner during an impressive playing career at Chattanooga, Locklyn totaled 1,555 rushing yards and added 71 catches for 676 yards out of the backfield. His average of 123.9 rushing yards per game still stands as Chattanooga’s single-season record, and his 6.5 yards per carry rank fifth on the program’s all-time list.

 

Locklyn signed with the New York Giants as a free agent after college, and also spent time playing in the Arena League. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Chattanooga in criminal justice.

[Red Eddy Green]

It looks like Lanning has assembled a young motivated staff. Lets hope they coach as well as their resumes suggest. Coach Lanning is a fast learner too! He no longer refers to us as Duck Nation. The Nation is our little brothers down the road. We are "Oregon Family". Ohana. 

[Grandpa Duck]

The little brothers down the road are a back yard. Oregon is a “Universe”.

 

I have always disliked calling our program a nation.

[SmithRiverDuck]

Really good words on both sides about the hire. But I'm so sick of "Coach speak". They're all so good at it. When you're winning bigtime games and making playoff appearances it sounds genius. when you're losing games you're supposed to win it sounds like, well, "Coach speak". Can hardly wait to watch these guys "Do something".............Oooh, probably a bad example.

 

In that case, make your words make you look like a genius...........

[woundedknees]

Since Locklyn has been following Gary Campbell,  it would be cool if the two could establish a mentor relationship... Seems as if that would be a good move for the new regime.