The Oregon Ducks men's basketball program was hit with shocking news on Wednesday, as long-time head coach Dana Altman announced his retirement after 16 years in Eugene and 37 years overall with stops at Creighton, Kansas State, Marshall and finally, Oregon.
With the 2026-27 season tipping off in just over a week with an exhibition against Seattle University, and the first game less than a month away against the Montana Grizzlies, Oregon elected to appoint assistant Tony Stubblefield as the interim. While Stubblefield has head coaching experience, leading DePaul for three seasons, his interim tag is a sign that the Ducks may look elsewhere in their head coaching search.
Oregon fell on hard times last season, winning just 12 games and finishing
15th in the Big Ten. But it remains a program with a history of winning games and playing deep into March, as Altman led the Ducks to nine tournament appearance — plus what would've been a 10th in the Covid year — during his tenure.
With an entire season still upcoming, it's likely that Oregon's head coaching search will be an extended one as they search for a long-term solution. Though it's very early in the process, these five coaches should receive a call from Oregon athletic director Rob Mullens and be considered viable candidates as he conducts the head coaching search.
Josh Schertz — Saint Louis
Josh Schertz is a hot name in college basketball hiring circles, as he's had success at each of his head coaching stops. Since joining the Division-I ranks at Indiana State in 2021, he's compiled an impressive 114-61 record in three seasons at ISU and two at Saint Louis with a pair of regular-season championships and an NCAA tournament appearance in 2026. Known for his high-octane offenses, Schertz led the Billikins to a 29-6 record last season and somehow wasn't plucked by a high-major program. Oregon would be smart to broach Schertz's interest in their head position.
Russell Turner — UC Irvine
Though Russell Turner is on the older side at 56 years old, he would provide stability to an Oregon program that hasn't had much of it in recent years. He's been at UC Irvine for the last 16 seasons, leading the Anteaters to a 344-199 record with an average of over 21 wins per season. Turner has gotten UC Irvine to the postseason 10 times, including a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances. Having dominated the Big West Conference and certainly knowledgable of West Coast recruiting, Turner is a viable option for stability purposes.
Travis Steele — Miami (OH)
Another hot name like Schertz, Travis Steele was the coaching darling during the 2025-26 season, leading Miami (OH) to a 31-0 record in the regular season and an NCAA Tournament appearance. Prior to Miami (OH), Steele coached in the Big East at Xavier for four seasons, gaining experience as a power conference head coach. The Redhawks retaining Steele was a heist in itself — if he has another impressive coaching season, he should be among the Ducks' first calls.
Bryce Drew — Grand Canyon
An NCAA tournament legend with Valparaiso, Bryce Drew has evolved into easily the most recognizable name in the mid-majors at Grand Canyon. After a strong five-year stretch at his alma mater, Drew flamed out after three seasons at Vanderbilt. He then resurfaced at Grand Canyon, leading the Lopes to four NCAA tournament appearances in six seasons at the helm. Grand Canyon just moved up to the Mountain West from the WAC, but if Drew wants to stay in the west, an opportunity has now opened in Eugene.
Quinton Crawford — Portland Trail Blazers
Another West Coast-based coach, Quinton Crawford was hired on to the Portland Trail Blazers' staff as an assistant to head coach Micah Nori. But with Nori on a one-year deal with two consecutive team options, it's unlikely that Crawford has a ton of contract stability with the Trail Blazers either. Young, energetic and having head coaching experience with the G-League's Stockton Kings, Crawford is an outside-the-box option but one that could serve to have the highest ceiling at Oregon.
Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Five potential long-term head coach candidates for Oregon MBB
