Bill Hayward’s 44-year coaching career at Oregon began in 1904 and laid the foundation for one of the most respected collegiate track and field programs in the country, a distinction that holds to this day.

Known for his gruff demeanor (earning him the nickname “Colonel Bill”), Hayward is credited with launching Oregon track and field into the national spotlight. His athletes set four world records and six American records, and nine went on to become Olympians.

His influence also extended beyond the track. At various points during his tenure, Hayward served as the athletic trainer for the Oregon football team and as UO’s basketball coach. In 1919, the university honored his impact by naming its new stadium Hayward Field, and Hayward was an inaugural inductee to both the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame and the University of Oregon Athletic Hall of Fame decades after his retirement.

Taking the reins from his former coach, Bill Hayward, in 1948, Oregon alum Bill Bowerman guided Oregon through a golden era of track and field success. Though his coaching style was different–Bowerman thought of himself as more of a teacher than a coach–his achievements were equally impressive.

Over his 24-year tenure, the Ducks had 23 winning seasons, including four NCAA championships and 16 top-ten NCAA finishes. Bowerman’s leadership produced 31 Olympians, 12 American record-holders, 51 All-Americans, and 16 sub-4-minute milers.

Beyond coaching, Bowerman revolutionized training methods for runners, including creating a special training program for helping athletes adjust to the high altitude of Mexico City before the 1968 Olympic Games. In 1964, he co-founded Nike, where his innovative shoe designs and dogged pursuit of excellence changed the future of running as a sport worldwide.

After joining Oregon’s coaching staff in 1968, Bill Dellinger became the head cross country coach in 1969 and took over the track and field program when Bill Bowerman retired in 1973. During his nearly three decades leading the cross country team and 25 years as the head coach for track and field, Dellinger left his mark on Oregon’s storied track and field legacy, winning four NCAA cross country team titles and one NCAA track and field outdoor championship. The athletes he coached broke 18 American records, claimed 12 individual NCAA titles, and competed in 17 Olympic Games. 

An Oregon native, Dellinger was an accomplished distance runner for the UO under Coach Bowerman before succeeding him as head coach. With his five decades of track and field success, Dellinger remains the only person inducted into the Collegiate Track and Field/Cross Country Athlete Hall of Fame as both an athlete and a coach.

When Rich Brooks was appointed head coach in 1977, the Ducks had gone seven years without a winning football season. In his 18-season tenure, he turned the tides and paved the way for future success, becoming the first coach in school history to take the team to four bowl games.

Brooks led Oregon to its first Pac-10 championship in 1994 and first-ever Rose Bowl, winning multiple national coaching awards in his final season at Oregon. In 1995, his legacy was honored with the naming of the Rich Brooks Field at Autzen Stadium.

Hired as an offensive coordinator under Rich Brooks in 1989, Mike Bellotti took over as head coach upon Brooks’s departure in 1995 and helmed numerous records and firsts for the program.

Over the next 14 years, Bellotti became the winningest coach in Oregon football history and catapulted the Ducks to national prominence. He led the team to 12 bowl games, a #2 regular season ranking in 2007, and two Pac-10 conference titles, among other historic achievements.

As the men’s basketball coach for 13 seasons, Ernie Kent led the Ducks to five NCAA Tournaments, including two Elite Eight appearances, a Pac-10 regular-season title, and two Pac-10 tournament championships. When he was hired in 1997, Kent made history as the first Black head coach at the University of Oregon in any sport.

During his coaching tenure, Ernie Kent recruited several future first-round NBA draft picks to the Ducks including Fred Jones, Luke Ridnour, Luke Jackson, and Aaron Brooks. A 1977 graduate of the UO, Kent played basketball with the Ducks for four years from 1974 to 1977 as part of the “Kamikaze Kids” teams known for their high-energy play.

Dana Altman took the helm of Oregon men’s basketball in 2010 and quickly built a program known for its consistency, discipline, and postseason prowess. Under his leadership, the Ducks have captured multiple Pac-12 titles, regularly reached the NCAA Tournament, and made a historic first run to the Final Four in 2017.

Altman has produced more than 250 wins at Oregon—more than any coach in program history—and developed a reputation for maximizing team potential year after year. His tactical brilliance and drive for excellence have made Oregon men’s basketball a force in the West and beyond.

Hired in 2014, Kelly Graves has transformed Oregon women’s basketball into a national sensation. With a semi finals run in his second season, multiple Pac-12 championships, and a Final Four appearance in 2019, Graves’s leadership has elevated the program’s profile to new heights.

Graves is also known for cultivating elite talent, most notably 2020 Naismith Women’s Player of the Year and WNBA star Sabrina Ionescu. His commitment to high-level competition and player empowerment has built a foundation for sustained excellence, with the Ducks winning at least 20 games in 17 of the last 21 seasons (and 30+ games three times), and games continue to draw surging crowds and national attention.

Melyssa Lombardi joined the Ducks after 21 years as an assistant coach at Oklahoma, bringing along a championship pedigree. During her time with the Sooners, she helped lead the program to four national championships, including back-to-back titles in 2016 and 2017. 

In 2025, Lombardi led the Ducks to the Big Ten regular-season title and a trip to the Women's College World Series. That same year, Lombardi was named Big Ten Coach of the Year.

Dan Lanning became head coach in 2021 and led the team to a winning season and Holiday Bowl victory in his first year. Under his leadership, the Ducks have delivered historic back-to-back 12-win seasons, played in multiple bowl games, and won a Big Ten Championship in Oregon’s first year in the conference in 2024.

Lanning has the most wins of any Oregon head coach through his first three seasons, and his dynamic leadership continues to push Oregon football to new heights.