Potential replacements for Dana Altman at Oregon

Dana Altman announced his retirement Wednesday after 16 seasons leading the Oregon Ducks, ending arguably their basketball program's most successful coaching tenure. 

Altman went 382-182 at Oregon, leading the Ducks to nine NCAA Tournament appearances, four Pac-12 regular-season titles, four Pac-12 Tournament championships and the program's first Final Four since 1939.

Tony Stubblefield will serve as Oregon's interim coach for the 2026-27 season, but the Ducks will conduct a national search for Altman's permanent replacement after the season. Oregon has the resources to make an aggressive hire, and several coaches would fit the Ducks.

Kyle Smith, Stanford

Smith has spent much of his coaching career on the West Coast, making stops in San Francisco and Washington State. Smith has repeatedly shown that he can build competitive programs without the same resources available at some of the biggest programs.

He turned Washington State into an NCAA Tournament team in 2024 and won Pac-12 Coach of the Year honors that season. He also became the first Stanford coach to lead the Cardinal to consecutive 20-win seasons.

Smith has gone 299-220 as a Division I head coach and has developed NBA talent along the way, including Maxime Raynaud and Ebuka Okorie. Oregon would give Smith a much larger platform and significantly more resources than he has had at most of his previous stops.

Bryce Drew, Grand Canyon

Drew has quietly built Grand Canyon into one of the best mid-major programs in the country. The 52-year-old has gone 140-52 during his six seasons with the Antelopes, leading the program to four NCAA Tournament appearances. He also guided Grand Canyon through its move from the WAC to the Mountain West, giving him experience navigating a changing conference landscape.

Drew has also coached at the high-major level. He spent three seasons at Vanderbilt after previously establishing Valparaiso as a consistent NCAA Tournament contender. 

Josh Schertz, Saint Louis

Schertz's teams are known for playing fast, spacing the floor and emphasizing three-point shooting. The biggest question is his lack of high-major head-coaching experience.

But Oregon could view that as an opportunity rather than a weakness. Schertz is already proving he can build a winning program at St. Louis, and moving to Oregon would give him access to considerably more resources and recruiting opportunities.

Tony Stubblefield, Oregon

Stubblefield spent 11 seasons on Altman's staff before leaving Oregon to become the head coach at DePaul. He returned to Eugene in 2024 and is now positioned to spend an entire season auditioning for the permanent job.

He knows the program, the administration, the recruiting landscape and what it takes to play for Oregon. His head-coaching record at DePaul is the biggest concern. The Blue Demons went 28-54 during his three seasons.

If Stubblefield can lead Oregon back into the NCAA Tournament and establish himself as the right person to continue the program's trajectory, the Ducks could decide they do not need to look elsewhere.

Eric Olen, New Mexico

Olen spent 12 seasons at UC San Diego, helping transform the program from a Division II school into a legitimate Division I contender. He then took over at New Mexico and immediately produced a 26-11 record in his first season.

That combination of development and immediate success is difficult to ignore. Olen knows the West Coast recruiting landscape and has experience building a program rather than simply inheriting one. His UC San Diego tenure also showed that he can establish a winning culture over time.