Ryan Switzer, Ross Douglas reunite as friends on Oregon coaching staff
The Ducks were forced to shuffle the coaching staff during the offseason and wound up uniting old friends Ross Douglas and Ryan Switzer on offense.
There was more change than usual behind the scenes for the Oregon Ducks this offseason, not because of poor performances, but rather as a consequence of success. Will Stein and Tosh Lupoi both left the program for head coaching opportunities at Kentucky and Cal, respectively, vacating both coordinator roles under Dan Lanning . The Ducks quickly chose to promote from within, elevating Drew Mehringer to offensive coordinator and Chris Hampton to defensive coordinator.
The move was made to maintain consistency with a core group of returning players with the common goal of competing for a Big Ten and national championship next season. Still, there were other roles to backfill, leading to a surprise hire that some college football fans might recognize. Ryan Switzer was brought aboard as an offensive analyst for the Ducks after previously serving as the passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach at Tulsa.
Switzer played three seasons in the NFL after becoming a fan-favorite receiver at North Carolina. He had 2,912 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns in four seasons with the Tar Heels. Switzer made a name for himself as a dynamic return man, tying the NCAA single-season record with five return touchdowns as a freshman and earning First-Team All-American honors on special teams in 2013 and 2015.
Switzer's inclusion on the Oregon coaching staff wasn't totally random because he had a connection. Ross Douglas , who is the Ducks' wide receivers coach, has a history with Switzer that dates back to their days on the other side of the table on the recruiting trail. At one point, Switzer and Douglas were committed to being teammates within the Big Ten.