- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 403,177
- Reaction score
- 43
Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks were dealt a tough blow earlier this offseason when former wide receiver coach Junior Adams left Eugene to take a job with the Dallas Cowboys. By all accounts, Adams was considered one of the best talent developers in the nation, helping players like Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua, Rome Odunze, Troy Franklin, and Jalen McMillan all succeed at the next level.
Lanning was in a tough position, searching for someone to replace Adams as the Ducks' new WR coach in Eugene. Now, Ross Douglas is in a tough position, having to try to fill Adams's shoes with Oregon.
Early in his tenure with the Ducks, though, it sounds like Douglas has been doing an incredible job of contributing to the culture and hitting the ground running in Eugene.
"I've been really pleased with Coach Douglas so far, the energy that he brings on the field," Lanning said after the Ducks' first spring practice earlier this month. "I think he's looking to coach every single moment."
Douglas has coached at both the college and NFL levels, spending time with the New England Patriots before taking over with Syracuse in 2024. He helped the Orange produce the nation's No. 1 passing offense, with QB Kyle McCord, WR Jackson Meeks, and WR Trebor Pena leading the way.
More than the production on the field, the culture and energy that Douglas brings to the WR room have impressed his new coworkers the most so far.
"I love Ross," offensive coordinator Will Stein said. "If you put on the Syracuse tape from last year, everybody sees all the production and the passing yards, and that's great. I love that. But, when you watch his players specifically, it's the effort with which they play without the ball that was really impressive, their selflessness as a group. Wideouts are different birds at times. They all want the ball, and I love it, I want them to all want the ball, but what are they doing without it? You saw Ross's group was extremely connected. They played really hard without the football and they run with the ball really well."
It's not easy to hit the ground running and dive into a new team right before spring football, but Douglas has taken on that challenge head-on. As Lanning has said in the past, it's like "drinking out of a fire hose."
Learning it in the spring is not the easiest thing," Lanning said. "He's done a great job of coming and attacking it and building relationships with those guys. He knows it doesn't happen overnight, so he's working really hard at it, but I'm really pleased with Ross so far."
Trying to come in and be Junior Adams is not something that Douglas is going to be able to do. However, as a former member of 247Sports' 35-under-35 and a rising coach in the college football world, Douglas can further establish himself as an elite developer and an elite recruiter.
More than any of that, though, he can add to the culture in Eugene, and help foster a championship team as this program moves forward. On that front, so far so good.
"I think he was just a great culture fit for us," Stein said. "I'm excited that he's on our team and what he's going to bring to Oregon football for the years to come."
This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon Ducks WR coach Ross Douglas impressing early in Eugene tenure
Continue reading...
Lanning was in a tough position, searching for someone to replace Adams as the Ducks' new WR coach in Eugene. Now, Ross Douglas is in a tough position, having to try to fill Adams's shoes with Oregon.
Early in his tenure with the Ducks, though, it sounds like Douglas has been doing an incredible job of contributing to the culture and hitting the ground running in Eugene.
"I've been really pleased with Coach Douglas so far, the energy that he brings on the field," Lanning said after the Ducks' first spring practice earlier this month. "I think he's looking to coach every single moment."
Douglas has coached at both the college and NFL levels, spending time with the New England Patriots before taking over with Syracuse in 2024. He helped the Orange produce the nation's No. 1 passing offense, with QB Kyle McCord, WR Jackson Meeks, and WR Trebor Pena leading the way.
More than the production on the field, the culture and energy that Douglas brings to the WR room have impressed his new coworkers the most so far.
"I love Ross," offensive coordinator Will Stein said. "If you put on the Syracuse tape from last year, everybody sees all the production and the passing yards, and that's great. I love that. But, when you watch his players specifically, it's the effort with which they play without the ball that was really impressive, their selflessness as a group. Wideouts are different birds at times. They all want the ball, and I love it, I want them to all want the ball, but what are they doing without it? You saw Ross's group was extremely connected. They played really hard without the football and they run with the ball really well."
It's not easy to hit the ground running and dive into a new team right before spring football, but Douglas has taken on that challenge head-on. As Lanning has said in the past, it's like "drinking out of a fire hose."
Learning it in the spring is not the easiest thing," Lanning said. "He's done a great job of coming and attacking it and building relationships with those guys. He knows it doesn't happen overnight, so he's working really hard at it, but I'm really pleased with Ross so far."
Trying to come in and be Junior Adams is not something that Douglas is going to be able to do. However, as a former member of 247Sports' 35-under-35 and a rising coach in the college football world, Douglas can further establish himself as an elite developer and an elite recruiter.
More than any of that, though, he can add to the culture in Eugene, and help foster a championship team as this program moves forward. On that front, so far so good.
"I think he was just a great culture fit for us," Stein said. "I'm excited that he's on our team and what he's going to bring to Oregon football for the years to come."
This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon Ducks WR coach Ross Douglas impressing early in Eugene tenure
Continue reading...
