If Dan Lanning leaves Oregon to take the LSU job, with Brian Kelly already removed from that role, the Ducks would be entering one of the highest-stakes coaching searches in the country. Oregon is built to win now with a playoff-caliber roster, strong NIL backing and clear identity. The next hire would not be about rebuilding, but about maintaining momentum, retaining roster talent, and competing at the national level. Below are the current odds for possible replacements, followed by a closer look at five leading candidates.
Current Odds for Oregon’s Next Head Coach
| Name | Odds | Implied Probability |
|---|---|---|
| Jon Sumrall | +450 | 18.2% |
| Will Stein | +550 | 15.4% |
| Matt Rhule | +600 | 14.3% |
| Alex Golesh | +800 | 11.1% |
| Brian Hartline | +900 | 10.0% |
| Tosh Lupoi | +1000 | 9.1% |
| Lane Kiffin | +1000 | 9.1% |
| Ryan Silverfield | +1000 | 9.1% |
| Jedd Fisch | +1400 | 6.7% |
| Matt Campbell | +2000 | 4.8% |
| Kenny Dillingham | +2500 | 3.8% |
| James Franklin | +2500 | 3.8% |
| Brian Kelly | +8000 | 1.2% |
| Lincoln Riley | +8000 | 1.2% |
| Dabo Swinney | +8000 | 1.2% |
| Mike Norvell | +10000 | 1.0% |
| Kirby Smart | +10000 | 1.0% |
| Ryan Day | +10000 | 1.0% |
| Steve Sarkisian | +10000 | 1.0% |
| Kalen DeBoer | +10000 | 1.0% |
| Jon Gruden | +15000 | 0.66% |
*Odds are for entertainment purposes only
Jon Sumrall Favorite to Take Over at Oregon if Lanning Leaves
Jon Sumrall’s name crops up in every major school’s search for a new college football coach, and for good reason. He is currently the head coach at Tulane after a dominant run at Troy, where he went 23-4 and won consecutive conference titles. His teams have been defined by physical play, defensive accountability, and roster development that doesn’t require blue-chip dominance to win.
Sumrall is known for connecting with players and building strong culture quickly, which has followed him across stops. He has recruiting access in the Southeast and beyond, and he doesn’t rely on one system or scheme identity, he adjusts to personnel.
Tulane’s immediate competitiveness under him gained national attention and elevated his stock in coaching circles. Oregon would be a different stage, with higher recruiting expectations and pressure to maintain playoff-level performance. The question becomes how his defensive-forward personality fits with Oregon’s brand of high-tempo offense and explosive scoring. However, the strengths: discipline, identity, steady structure, translate to any level.
Sumrall represents the rising-program builder with real momentum and respect behind his name.
Will Stein Among Internal Options at Oregon
Will Stein is Oregon’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, and he has become one of the more recognizable young offensive names in college football. He played quarterback at Louisville, worked his way up through high school and college coaching roles, and eventually coordinated a fast, efficient offense at UTSA before arriving in Eugene.
At Oregon, Stein’s offense emphasizes matchup creation, RPO flexibility, and controlled aggression in the passing game. His work developing quarterback efficiency and sequencing plays has earned attention from coaching networks.
He also carries strong recruiting ties into Texas and the South, which matter for building roster pipelines. The benefit of Stein as a head-coach option is continuity, he maintains offensive identity, locker room familiarity, and roster retention in a transfer-portal era where disruption can be costly.
The challenge is experience; he has not yet been a head coach, and Oregon expects national-contention decision-making from day one. Stein would require a strong staff structure to stabilize the head-coach transition. He’s the continuity candidate with upside but also the one requiring the biggest organizational leap.
Matt Rhule Could Be a Larger Scale, Veteran Hire for Oregon
Matt Rhule is the current head coach at Nebraska and has built a reputation for rebuilding struggling programs and restoring competitive identity. His earlier stops at Temple and Baylor each saw measurable turnaround and cultural reset.
Rhule prioritizes player development, physicality, and long-term structure rather than quick-result roster flipping. His teams tend to play disciplined football and gradually raise baseline performance levels. Oregon would present a different scenario, not rebuilding, but sustaining and elevating a winning roster.
Rhule is a steady and experienced leader, comfortable managing large operations, donor environments and the broad demands of a Power conference program.
His NFL chapter did not produce strong results, which is part of the ongoing reputation debate around his ceiling. Moving him from Nebraska would also involve significant contract and program-top-level buy-in. But his known strengths: stability, predictable culture, proven developmental framework, are attractive for a roster already built to win.
Rhule is the proven operator with fewer unknowns than the younger candidates.
Brian Hartline Represents Oregon’s High-Upside Play
Brian Hartline acts as Ohio State’s offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach, building some of the strongest receiver rooms college football has seen.
His recruiting ability is nationally recognized, and his development track record has led to repeated first-round NFL talent.
Hartline understands offensive spacing, route discipline, and how to maximize downfield matchups with layered passing concepts. He carries instant credibility with elite offensive prospects across the country.
The question with Hartline is leadership experience; he has not yet run a full program or managed staff structure beyond the offensive room. Taking over Oregon would require delegation, clear defensive staffing, and an organizational learning curve. That said, his upside is as high as anyone on this list, if he hits, he hits at a national title level.
Oregon would be betting on trajectory, recruiting influence, and high-ceiling system identity rather than proven CEO readiness. Hartline is the ambitious option with major recruiting power baked in.
Ryan Silverfield In the Running for Oregon Job
Ryan Silverfield is the head coach at Memphis and has been part of that program since 2016, working his way up before taking the head role in 2020.
His teams have been stable, competitive and structurally sound, with strong development in the trenches and consistent offensive performance. His coaching background includes offensive line play and a long, patient climb through numerous assistant roles at different levels.
He is respected internally for his ability to manage players, staff, and program identity without chaos or churn. The move to Oregon would represent a jump into the highest-expectation tier of college football.
Silverfield would bring operational steadiness, culture continuity, and a balanced approach to roster building. The challenge is whether his recruiting footprint and scheme edge would scale to playoff-level demands.
He’s not the headline-grabbing hire, but he is the credible, reliable program-runner type. Oregon would be looking at him as the stable foundation coach rather than the identity-defining splash.
