Dan Lanning: Oregon feels like it has another coach in Bo Nix

Bo Nix is one of the best quarterbacks in the country for a simple reason. He doesn’t just play the game — he understands it.

At least, that’s what Oregon head coach Dan Lanning told On3’s Andy Staples on Thursday to discuss the benefits of having a quarterback like Nix on his team, and how it can make his job easier.

“You have 10 coaches on your staff. With Bo, I feel like we have another coach. When he goes out there, he sees the game how we see it,” Lanning told Staples. “He’s trying to accomplish what we want accomplished offensively. Obviously, he’s a very talented player and has a competitive edge that I’ve never been around before.”

Nix is a 12,000-plus yard passer throughout his collegiate career spanning back to the 2019 season at Auburn. He spent three seasons there before transferring to Oregon in what has been a perfect marriage of sorts. Part of that success has come, according to Lanning, because Nix has been able to sit under so many offensive coordinators through his five-season college football career.

“Ultimately, I think Bo getting to serve under so many offensive coordinators has been so beneficial for him,” Lanning said. “He’s been able to see the game through so many lenses. He understands what he likes, and what he feels good about and he really understands what his coaches want to accomplish.

“I think Will [Stein] has done a phoenominal job of being on the same page as Bo. I think it’s hard for a coach to come in and realize how much Bo can really handle. … When you have that as a coach, it makes you feel more comfortable in saying, ‘Hey, let’s do this. It’s a little bit more funky.’ But if the look is not there, Bo can get us out of it.”

Stein came in to replace Kenny Dillingham, who is now the head coach at Arizona State. Dillingham was Nix’s first OC at Auburn, but was replaced by Chad Morris in 2020 and Mike Bobo in 2021. That type of inconsistency could be enough to hinder any player’s progress — but Nix has taken it in stride and made the most out of having a new OC in every season he has played college football.

Still, Nix is one of the best quarterbacks in the nation and Lanning and his past two offensive coordinators have played a major role in his success. He’ll look to have a dazzling performance against Washington in a battle of two of the Pac-12 Conference’s best collide this weekend.