Zachary Neel
April 1, 2024 6:00 pm PT
On Monday afternoon, I was able to officially confirm the multiple reports that Oregon Ducks’ running backs coach Carlos Locklyn will be leaving Eugene to take over as the new RB coach for the Ohio State Buckeyes. Locklyn spent two years in Eugene, coaching alongside Dan Lanning, and helped develop dynamic backs like Bucky Irving, Noah Whittington, and Jordan James, among others.
The timing is precarious for Lanning and the Ducks, who are set to resume their spring practices on Tuesday morning, this time without a running backs coach. It will be interesting to see how the Ducks choose to handle things going forward, and how quickly they will look to hire someone to fill the position.
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Carlos Locklyn is leaving Oregon for Ohio State; 5 takeaways for Duck fans
As we always know, Lanning has kept a long list of coaches whom he has worked with before, and it’s a list of names that we’ve seen him call upon to make new hires several times before.
So who might some of those names be? We’ve got a few options. Here are the top coaches who either have ties to Lanning or other offensive coaches on the staff who could be a good fit.
Colorado Coach Tommie Robinson
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
If you’re looking for someone who has multiple connections with current coaches on Oregon’s staff, then it’s hard to ignore Tommie Robinson. He recently accepted a position on Deion Sanders’ staff at Colorado, but spent time at Texas A&M as the RB coach when Oregon Chief of Staff Marshall Malchow was with the program. He also spent time with the Texas Longhorns when both Oregon OC Will Stein and TE coach Drew Mehringer were on the staff as well.
Robinson has also spent time at the NFL level, working as the RB coach for the Arizona Cardinals from 2010-2012, along with stints at Miami, USC, Texas, and LSU.
Temple HC Stan Drayton
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Temple head coach Stan Drayton is an intriguing name, but you have to consider whether or not he would take the perceived step down from HC to RB coach, even if it is in a much bigger conference going forward. Drayton is another person who spent time coaching alongside Oregon TE coach Drew Mehringer both at Ohio State and Texas. Before his time as Temple’s coach, he was the RB coach at Texas for four seasons, and he also worked as the RB coach for the Chicago Bears in 2015-16 as well.
It may be an aspirational hire, but it’s a call that could certainly be made to test the waters.
Georgia Offensive Analyst Darrell Dickey
(Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
Darrell Dickey is one of the more experienced potential coaches on this list, working as a college coach since 1985. He is currently an offensive analyst for the Georgia Bulldogs, but he spent time at Memphis as the OC and RB coach while Dan Lanning was there, and he worked as the offensive coordinator at Texas A&M while Marshall Malchow was working with the Aggies.
With more than 35 years in the coaching world, Dickey would bring some valuable experience to Eugene.
UTSA RB Coach Julian Griffin
John Gutierrez-USA TODAY Sports
Former Oregon OC Kenny Dillingham was the biggest advocator for Carlos Locklyn when Dan Lanning made that hire, so maybe current Oregon OC Will Stein will be an advocator for UTSA RB coach Julian Griffin?
Having worked alongside Stein in the Roadrunner’s offense from 2020-22, Griffin helped produce some of the most successful rushing attacks in recent UTSA history, breaking school records for rushing yards, rushing yards per game, and rushing touchdowns in Griffin’s first year with the program.
Miami Dolphins Offensive Assistant Kolby Smith
(Photo by NFL Photos)
NFL pedigree and connections to Oregon staff, that’s what Kolby Smith brings to the table. Having spent time as the RB coach for the Louisville Cardinals back when Oregon OC Will Stein was a quality control coach, there may be enough of a connection there for the Ducks to draw upon. Most recently, Smith spent time as the Rutgers RB coach, and then has worked as an offensive assistant with the Miami Dolphins since 2020.
Before his coaching career, Smith played for the Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos, and Jacksonville Jaguars. He played at Louisville, but graduated a year before Stein joined the program.
Western Kentucky RB Coach Andre Crenshaw
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A former Duck back in Eugene? It may not be too crazy of an idea. Andre Crenshaw played for Oregon during the end of the Mike Bellotti era, so he has history in Eugene. He is now the RB coach for Western Kentucky, and he served as the South Dakota State RB coach before that, winning the FCS National Championship with the Jackrabbits.
Memphis RB Coach Lee Marks
(Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)
Lee Marks brings a bit of northwestern familiarity to the table, as a former player for the Boise State Broncos, and a former coach at Boise State and Washington. Back when Junior Adams was on the staff at Boise State from 2014-16, Marks was the RB coach there. He then spent time at Fresno State, and followed Kalen DeBoer to Washington from 2022-23. He most recently took the RB coaching job at Memphis this offseason.
Former Michigan RB Coach Mike Hart
Michigan running backs coach Mike Hart watches a play against Ohio State during the first half at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023.
Oregon bringing in Mike Hart would fit this RB coaching triangle perfectly, wouldn’t it? After the Wolverines poached Tony Alford from Ohio State, the Buckeyes poached Carlos Locklyn from Oregon. So could Oregon go and hire Mike Hart after his contract wasn’t renewed at Michigan? It seems strange that he currently isn’t publicly under contract anywhere, since he was seen as one of the better RB coaches in the nation last year, coaching Blake Corum and the Wolverines to a national championship.
He certainly wouldn’t come cheap, but if you’re looking for an upgrade at the RB coaching spot, this would be it.
Wake Forest RB Coach John Hunter
Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Back when Oregon OL coach A’lique Terry was in his playing days at Wake Forest, John Hunter was starting his tenure for the Demon Deacons as the RB coach. Hunter is still there, helping produce one of the best rushing stretches in Wake Forest history. Should the Ducks be after a veteran coach who has familiarity with the offensive line coach, Hunter may be your guy.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Assistant QB Coach Jordan Somerville
(Photograph via Zachary Neel)
Now there is a familiar name. While Jordan Somerville may be an assistant quarterbacks coach with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he does have experience coaching running backs. Somerville served as a running backs coach alongside Drew Mehringer at New Mexico for two seasons before coming to Eugene to work as an offensive analyst for the Oregon Ducks, primarily working with the quarterbacks last season.
Of course, Somerville is lower on our list because it seems that he has moved to a QB-centric coaching role, but because of his past with RBs, and his familiarity with the Oregon staff, I felt like I had to include him.
Arizona State WR Coach RaShadd Samples
Arizona State Sun Devils WR coach/passing game coordinator Ra’Shaad Samples instructs his players during spring football practice at the Kajikawa practice fields in Tempe on March 16, 2023.
Ncaa Football Asu Spring Football Practice
His current title may be a WR coach, but Ra’Shaad Samples has spent a ton of his coaching career working with running backs, both at the college and NFL level. In 2022, Samples coached RBs for the Los Angeles Rams before moving to Arizona State and joining Kenny Dillingham as the WR coach and passing game coordinator. If Lanning is looking for a young, up-and-coming coach the fits the mold of the current staff, then Samples should be a popular name.
Burton Burns
New York Giants running back coach Burton Burns with players during rookie minicamp at Quest Diagnostics Training Center in East Rutherford on May 14, 2021.
East Rutherford Newgiantsmini 021
Is Dan Lanning looking to pull an old name out of the rolodex? He didn’t spend a ton of time around Burton Burns, coaching with him for just one year at Alabama under Nick Saban, but Burns is an experienced coach who spent 11 years with the Crimson Tide, winning five national championships. He most recently worked with the New York Giants in 2021.
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