It was announced on Oct. 25 that coach Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks relieved former first-year offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer of his duties. This is the first staff member that Lanning has had to fire midseason since taking over the reins of the Pacific Northwest program back in 2022.

Year 1 with offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer was underwhelming, lacked an identity, and didn't use Oregon's five-star talents to their full potential. Mehringer's offense averaged just 14.0 points over the course of the last three contests, which included two losses to the UCLA Bruins at home and the Illinois Fighting Illini on the road.

Lanning announced at the Oct. 26 media availability session that first-year assistant quarterbacks coach Jay Johnson with the Ducks is now the interim play-caller for the rest of the 2026 season.

“He’s coming in with a different perspective, a different view, not being with us the last few years, where he can provide a couple of things that might be different than what we’ve done," Lanning stated.

Here are three facts to know about Oregon's newest play-caller.

Coached Alongside Dan Lanning at Georgia

Along with then-outside linebackers coach Lanning, Johnson was on the Georgia Bulldogs coaching staff during the 2018 campaign.

He was the offensive quality control coach in Athens, Georgia, for two seasons from 2017-18. The Austin, Minnesota, native coached in the 2017 national championship game, resulting in a 26-23 overtime victory for the Alabama Crimson Tide at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.

Has Been an Offensive Coordinator for Seven Different Programs

Johnson is a veteran offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach with multiple stops across the country in that role at the Division I level since 1997.

• Southern Miss Golden Eagles (2005-07)
• Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns (2011-15)
• Minnesota Golden Gophers (2016)
• Colorado Buffaloes (2019)
• Michigan State Spartans (2020-23)
• Wyoming Cowboys (2024-25)
• Oregon Ducks (2026)

He's been a journeyman throughout his coaching career, joining 11 different Division I college football programs during that span. In 2021, Johnson was named a Broyles Award finalist for the nation’s top assistant coach with Michigan State.

Relieved of His Duties Halfway Through 2025 Season

The 57-year-old was fired as the offensive coordinator at Wyoming in the middle of the 2025 season by coach Jay Sawvel. His offense with the Cowboys only averaged 20.0 points through the first seven games last year.

An additional fun fact about Johnson is that during his playing days with the Northern Iowa Panthers as a quarterback, future NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner served as his backup for three seasons, 1990 to 1992.

How Johnson does without senior quarterback Dante Moore going forward will be interesting to watch. Lanning announced to the media that Moore is expected to miss the rest of the 2026 season. He suffered a concussion after a hit by junior linebacker Desman Stephens II at the USC Trojans on Sept. 26.