Will Oregon Ducks Football lose coach Will Stein due to his tremendous offensive success?

When a Power Five school like the Oregon Ducks has been successful in recruiting top players and building a team into a championship contender, it’s only a matter of time before assistant coaches and coordinators become targets of search committees looking to fill vacant head coaching positions. For the Ducks, that person is offensive coordinator and quarterback coach Will Stein.

Stein's coaching career includes stops at Louisville (2013-14), Texas (2015-17), Lake Travis High School (2018-19) and the University of Texas at San Antonio (2020-22), where Stein started as the pass game coordinator and wide receivers coach and was named co-offensive coordinator and quarterback coach in the 2022 season. He was subsequently hired by Oregon coach Dan Lanning to become the Ducks' offensive coordinator and quarterback coach.

“In our quest to find the absolute best fit for the University of Oregon, we committed to a detailed search for the right person to lead our offense, Lanning said. Will is that person. He is a passionate and innovative coach who consistently finds ways to maximize his personnel.

“Will has done a tremendous job developing dynamic quarterbacks throughout his career, and he can see the game through a different lens as a former quarterback. He is a tremendous teacher and a tireless worker, and his focus on the student-athlete experience aligns with our philosophy here in Eugene, Lanning explained. I am excited to see our team and offense reach new heights under his leadership and direction with our entire offensive staff.”

Stein’s performance in 2023 has drawn attention from other programs, with his name being mentioned in head coaching vacancies at the UCLA Bruins, Washington Huskies, Kentucky Wildcats and Houston Cougars.

Last season, Stein's Ducks ranked second in the nation in scoring offense (44.2 points per game) and passing offense (342.8 yards per game), as well as total offense (526.6 yards per game). Additionally, Stein further developed his stellar reputation as a quarterbacks coach through his work with Heisman Trophy finalist Bo Nix.

Before anyone thinks a retirement party is a certainty for Stein, there are a few concerns that can’t be overlooked. His limited coaching experience and lack of a head coaching job top that list. There’s a significant disconnect between the role of coordinator and that of leader. The argument here isn’t whether Stein can succeed in the top position, but rather whether he’s ready to make the leap.

A few weeks ago Andy Staples of On3 had Stein on his show. Staples was impressed with what Stein has to offer.

“He's very mature for his age,” Staples said. “If he can get the same results out of Dillon Gabriel that he did out of Bo Nix, there's no looking for a coach who doesn't at least mention Will Stein's name, because (athletic directors) love offense. They believe offense sells tickets. If they want to sell excitement, they want an offense that scores a lot of points, Will Stein's name is going to be mentioned.

In addition to his success on the field, Stein has proven himself to be the frontman of a college football team. Whether that’s his ability to recruit top prospects, coach quarterbacks and build relationships with donors, fans and alumni, Stein has proven he can thrive in the spotlight, something that often goes unnoticed when making hiring decisions.

On the other hand, athletic directors and search committees only have one year to fully evaluate Stein, and so 2024 could be a pivotal year in his career. There’s no doubt that Oregon’s offense is loaded with Gabriel under center, running backs Jordan James and Noah Whittington, and the 1-2 punch of wide receivers Tez Johnson and Evan Stewart. The question is whether Stein can produce similar results to the 2023 campaign with Nix.

Staples believes Stein's attacking team needs to put up good numbers to confirm that last year wasn't a fluke.

If Dillon Gabriel has a high completion percentage of 70, and they average 8-9 yards per play, I think Will Steins' name is going to be mentioned a lot, Staples said.

During the national coaching shuffle earlier this year, Lanning made it abundantly clear that Oregon is where he wants to live and coach football. There’s no reason to think Stein wants to move on, but this is a competitive sport coached by competitive individuals. Continued success at the highest level makes it more likely that a school will be susceptible to coaching changes. The dilemma for Ducks fans is that they want Stein to be wildly successful, but they have to find a way to keep him in Eugene.