Dan Lanning breaks down hiring of North Carolina star Ryan Switzer

Earlier this month, as spring football prep continued, the Oregon Ducks announced their full coaching staff for the 2026 season. There was one name that stood out to a majority of fans, many of whom were big college football buffs about a decade ago.

That name was Ryan Switzer, a former two-time All-American wide receiver and punt returner for the North Carolina Tar Heels. After a standout career in Chapel Hill, Switzer was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys and spent a few years in the NFL before starting his coaching career at Tulsa, where he spent time as a wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator.

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Now, he has joined the Ducks’ staff as an offensive analyst, and the fan base is fired up about it. Head coach Dan Lanning seems to be excited as well.

“Coach Douglas and Coach Samples, I think they all kind of went through — this shows how young they are — but they all went through like, combine work, or a Rivals camp, stuff like that together, so there’s a little bit of that,” Lanning said of Switzer on Thursday after the Ducks’ first spring practice. “And then obviously, anybody who’s familiar with college football is familiar with what he was able to accomplish.”