Tag: Kenny Dillingham

Dante Moore opens up about decommitment from Oregon, transfer back to the Ducks

Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore broke down his decision making when transferring from the UCLA Bruins to the Oregon Ducks.

Dan Lanning, Kenny Dillingham, and the Oregon Ducks were rolling with a full head of steam during the summer of 2022. They had just picked up a commitment from Dante Moore, the highest-rated quarterback to ever commit to the Ducks in the modern era. Getting ready for their first official season in Eugene, vibes were high up in Oregon.

Fast forward a few months, and that excitement around the quarterback position had changed slightly. After a successful season saw Dillingham leave the Ducks to take over as the head coach for the Arizona State Sun Devils, Moore announced that he would be decommitting from Oregon. Not long after, he announced his commitment to UCLA, joining Chip Kelly and the Bruins.

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Fast forward another year, and Moore was back in the transfer portal after a bumpy start to his career in Westwood. This time, he came back to Oregon, the place that he fell in love the first time around.

“Many people say there’s many reasons why I left but the real reason why is because Coach Dillingham left,” Moore said on Thursday after practice. “You know, as a quarterback, your OC needs to be your best friend and really at the end of the day when they hired Coach Stein, I didn’t know much of Coach Stein.”

Moore details that he talked with Oregon’s new offensive coordinator a bit before making his decision, but he ultimately felt like going to UCLA and joining Chip Kelly was the right decision.

Things didn’t go smoothly at UCLA, though, where Moore played in nine games, throwing for 11 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. After getting in and out of the starting lineup, Moore decided that it was time for a change of scenery after his freshman year, one that had a better chance to develop him.

“When I hit the portal, you know, I contacted Coach Lanning and he texted me back. I kind of knew where I was going already,” Moore said. “At the end of the day, out of high school, if things were right, I would have been here right now.”

Now, while Moore is competing with Gabriel for the starting QB spot, he says he feels happy to be where he feels like he belongs, around players who he helped recruit to Oregon when he was a commit.

“Just being out here, you get the best facilities in the world,” Moore said. “Got a great coaching staff. Best playmakers out here on the field. Just have everything around here.”

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Oregon Ducks to hire Arizona State’s Ra’Shaad Samples as new RB coach

Welcome Ra’Shaad Samples to Eugene, the Oregon Ducks’ new RB coach.

It didn’t take long for Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks to find a new running backs coach after Carlos Locklyn left to join the Ohio State Buckeyes at the start of April.

Sources tell me that the Ducks will officially be hiring Ra’Shaad Samples, the former running backs coach for the Arizona State Sun Devils. The first report came from 247Sports’ Matt Zenitz.

Samples currently holds the title of pass-game coordinator and wide receivers coach at ASU, but he was previously the youngest RB coach in the NFL, working under Sean McVay with the Los Angeles Rams as a 28-year-old.

Samples also spent time with SMU and TCU at the start of his coaching career.

While Lanning said after the coaching position opened up that the team wasn’t in any rush to hire someone, it’s not hard to see that their ability to move relatively quickly by bringing in Samples is of benefit to the players on the roster, who are currently in the middle of spring practices. You also have to consider the fact that the transfer portal opens up in less than two weeks, so having a new coach in place before that is never a bad idea.

We will see when Samples gets to town, and how quickly he can settle in at Oregon and take over what looks like an incredibly strong backfield with Jordan James, Noah Whittington, Jayden Limar, Jay Harris, and Da’Jaun Riggs.

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Kenny Dillingham has harsh statement for college coaches complaining about their job

Arizona State football coach Kenny Dillingham is tired of his fellow coaches moaning about their job.

Former Oregon offensive coordinator and current Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham has had enough.

He has not had enough of his job in Tempe, but he’s tired of his fellow coaches around the country having the gall to complain about their current positions.

Being a head coach in college football and other sports has changed a lot over the last few years. They not only have to deal with their current players, but now coaches have to deal with agents, NIL issues and a transfer portal exploding with talent.

Some coaches have adapted to the new landscape while some have not and those who haven’t are probably out of a job or soon will be. For example, UCLA’s NIL situation is so bad that Chip Kelly left a head coaching position to be the offensive coordinator at Ohio State.

Dillingham told On3 that he’s tired of the moaning.

“I literally spent nine years of my life doing anything to become a coffee boy,” he said. “So, don’t give me the ‘Oh, it’s hard to be a coach right now.’ Yeah, it’s hard. Then quit.”

That’s a lot of coffee, but now Dillingham can have his own coffee boy at ASU. He’s in the middle of rebuilding the Sun Devil program as they finished 3-9 last season as ASU heads to the Big XII next year. Assuming Dillingham drinks coffee, maybe he could take men’s basketball coach Bobby Hurley away because by the way he acts on the sidelines, Hurley drinks enough coffee.

But the big question still remains, How does Dillingham take his cup of joe? Black, cream, sugar, one lump or two? Inquiring minds want to know.

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Former Oregon DB Cole Martin to transfer to Arizona State

Oregon Ducks freshman defensive back Cole Martin has announced that he will transfer to the Arizona State Sun Devils.

Sometimes, being closer to home is important.

So while former Oregon Ducks defensive back Cole Martin might have had a slice of home up in Eugene with his father, cornerback coach Demetrice Martin, helping in his development, the idea of playing in his home state ended up winning out, with Martin announcing on Friday that he would be transferring to the Arizona State Sun Devils.

Martin’s entry into the transfer portal a couple of days ago came as a surprise to many Oregon fans, with a projection that he would be among the top defensive players on the team next year with a clear chance to grab one of the starting safety spots in the secondary. However, he now ends up in Tempe with former Oregon offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham as his new head coach.

Martin played 157 snaps as a true freshman, which was among the most by players in his class. He had 17 total tackles and one interception in that time. Martin was a member of the 2023 recruiting class, and was a blue-chip piece on the defense.

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6 potential transfer portal destinations for former Oregon QB Ty Thompson

Here are six possible destinations for former Oregon Ducks’ QB Ty Thompson to transfer to after leaving Eugene.

You have to hand it to Ty Thompson. He could have transferred out of the Oregon football program many times, but he chose to get better, choosing loyalty and hard work over instant opportunity.

Thompson, a 6-foot-4, 220-pounder from Mesquite, Arizona, was the highest-rated quarterback to sign with the Ducks in 2021. He was passed over a couple of times in favor of more veteran quarterbacks, but he chose to stay in Eugene and continue to compete for a starting spot.

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He showed remarkable improvement this season under offensive coordinator Will Stein and showed he could be a viable college quarterback.

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With Bo Nix leaving after this season, 2024 seemed to be Thompson’s true chance to win the QB1 job. That hope was crushed when Oklahoma QB Dillon Gabriel announced he would transfer to Oregon. Understandably, that was the last straw for Thompson, who announced his transfer on Sunday morning.

Going forward, Thompson will be an attractive option on the open market, with two years of eligibility remaining as former five-star player. Here are some potential destinations for Thompson to start immediately and get his college career rolling.

Kenny Dillingham compares Oregon Ducks to 2022 Georgia Bulldogs

Kenny Dillingham had nothing but great things to say about the Oregon Ducks after Saturday’s game.

When you talk to opposing head coaches after a blowout loss, they usually aren’t too interested in discussing the team that just beat them. Most will offer their respect and declare that the team they played is very talented, but be quicker to lament on the things that they could have done better to get their guys prepared.

For Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham, though, there was no shortage of praise for the Oregon Ducks, his former team, on Saturday following a 49-13 blowout.

Whether it was lauding Bo Nix as the Heisman Trophy leader, or declaring that this Oregon team is as good as he’s seen in his career, Dillingham showed a lot of love for what Dan Lanning and the Ducks have going in Eugene. Here are some of the top things that he had to say after the game.

‘Go win the Natty,’ Kenny Dillingham wishes former team well after blowout loss to Ducks

After seeing his former quarterback Bo Nix torch his Sun Devils, Kenny Dillingham wants the Ducks to win the whole thing.

Former Oregon offensive coordinator and current Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham still has abundant love for his past employer.

After the Ducks came into Tempe and routed his Sun Devils, 49-13, Dillingham said he wants Oregon to win everything.

“Win the Pac-12, win the Natty,” was his departing message to Dan Lanning and the Ducks.

The sentiment is a nice one, especially since Dillingham’s departure wasn’t exactly filled with roses last season. Many thought his mind was elsewhere for last year’s Civil War because he took to ASU job shortly after that loss to the Beavers.

But Dillingham obviously wants to see his former quarterback Bo Nix and the rest of the Ducks to do as well as humanly possible for the rest of the 2023 season.

Oregon and its fans are completely in agreement with Dillingham in this case.

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10 major takeaways from Oregon Ducks’ record-breaking 49-13 win in the desert

A look at some of the biggest takeaways from the Ducks’ dominant 49-13 win over Arizona State.

For experienced fans of the Oregon Ducks, a late November trip to the desert to play either of the Arizona schools is always an idea that is met with some timidness. That’s a place where good seasons have gone to die over the years.

That wasn’t the case this year under Dan Lanning. On Saturday afternoon, the Ducks earned their first November win at Arizona State, blowing out the Sun Devils, 49-13 win that was more than over by halftime.

Bo Nix tied the school record for most passing touchdowns in a single game with six, all of which came in the first half of a game that was 42-0 at the break. The Ducks’ defense pitched a shutout until the starters were far away from the field, and in general, the Ducks received a great opportunity to rest and prepare for what is undoubtedly going to be a highly intense game next week against the Oregon State Beavers in the Civil War.

Here are some of the biggest takeaways I had from the afternoon:

‘He is the opponent;’ Bo Nix, Dan Lanning balance competition and friendship vs. Kenny Dillingham

Going up against a close friend and former colleague, Dan Lanning and Bo Nix have to balance competition and friendship this week vs. ASU.

It’s not uncommon to see a pair of head coaches meet at center field as the clock ticks down before kickoff while their teams warm up behind them. They’ll often share a handshake or a friendly hug and chat for a few minutes about their season, making small talk about their families while wishing each other the best of luck going forward.

It’s something that you see every week of the college football season. This week, however, I think there might be more love and adoration felt during that mid-field exchange than we often see.

Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning and Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham will greet each other as old friends on Saturday afternoon in Tempe. After meeting on the Sun Devils staff years ago, the two kept tabs on each other and eventually joined up in Memphis with the Tigers. Years later, Dillingham was among the first hires that Lanning made when building his staff in Eugene.

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The respect between the two head coaches will certainly be there, but it’s outweighed by years of close friendship and memories of late nights while the two were coming up in the coaching world together. Even at different schools, Lanning and Dillingham have still kept regular contact throughout the season, continuing that brotherly bond.

“We have certainly been in contact throughout the season,” Lanning said on Monday. “This week we’ll probably talk a little bit less.”

With the Ducks preparing for the Sun Devils, the two have been roleplaying as foes. I’m sure that both will be happy to drop that facade for a brief moment on Saturday and let the love flow.

This upcoming game between Oregon and Arizona State is certainly unique. You have Dillingham taking on his old team a year after seeing a meteoric rise in the coaching world as the OC in Eugene. You also have a man with close relationships across the board. You could argue that none are closer than the bond between Dillingham and Oregon QB Bo Nix.

The two got together during Nix’s freshman year at Auburn and saw great success. After going separate ways, Nix saw a downturn in his career. That’s what made it a no-brainer to join Dillingham once again, this time up in Oregon. There, both saw a season that would completely change their lives.

It wasn’t just the development that Dillingham offered to Nix, but the trust that he showed in giving the QB leeway to operate the offense and let him take full control on the field.

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“That was huge,” Nix said. “I think it just allowed me to play free and that’s how we’ve continued to operate this year. I think it’s helped us a lot this year of getting into the right plays. Our system right now is as good as I’ve been a part of.”

As a leading Heisman candidate, Nix is playing as well as anyone in the nation right now. There has been a lot of hard work that’s gone into that success, but the Oregon QB knows that part of the reason for his current status is the development that Dillingham aided in early in his career.

“I think his willingness to meet you where you are and coach you from there,” Nix said. “I think his story where he had to work for everything he’s gotten, I think has really helped to put him in position to see the perspective of every quarterback and see where they are.”

Don’t be surprised to see a warm embrace between QB and opposing coach on Saturday, either.

Though there will be a lot of emotion and a lot of reunion before this game, that doesn’t change a thing once the clock starts. There are still major ramifications on the line — Oregon can clinch a Pac-12 title spot with a win and some help — and a football game to be played.

“It’s another game, and he is the opponent,” Nix said. “He’s thinking the same thing about us. I think it is cool to play against him and against a coach you worked with for so long, but I just think it’s another opportunity for us to go out there and put together a complete game.”

It’s just another game, for sure. But it’s a game where the pre-game and post-game hugs might be a bit more genuine than we’re used to.

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Oregon vs. ASU: ‘Tale of the Tape’ for No. 6 Ducks vs. Sun Devils

A breakdown of the numbers and specific matchups that will be important when the Oregon Ducks face the ASU Sun Devils this weekend.

There will be a lot of familiarity on the field this weekend when the No. 6 Oregon Ducks travel down to Tempe to take on the Arizona State Sun Devils. Whether it’s Dan Lanning and Kenny Dillingham reuniting, or Bo Nix and Kenny Dillingham reuniting, there will be some hugs shared before the game, undoubtedly. You also have Lanning going back to a place where he coached very early on in his career as well.

The love may be felt before the game starts, but there are no guarantees that the same thing can be said once the clock starts. The Ducks are currently massive 23.5-point favorites in this game, and based on the numbers, it could get ugly quickly.

Here’s a look at the stat breakdowns and advanced metrics going into this game: