Flock Talk: Building the Standard

 

Oregon Adds Rowan, Brown as Ducks Continue Building Staff Depth

Oregon has quietly added two new members to its coaching staff, bringing defensive assistant Elwyn “Rip” Rowan and special teams analyst James Brown into the program as Dan Lanning continues refining the infrastructure around the Ducks.

While the roles are different, both hires reflect a common theme in Eugene: adding young coaches with diverse experience and strong ties to player development.

Rowan Strengthens Defensive Line Expertise

Rowan arrives after spending the 2025 season in the NFL with the Las Vegas Raiders, where he worked with the defensive front under Pete Carroll. Prior to that, he built a strong reputation developing defensive linemen at Georgia Southern.

His defensive line units there consistently created disruption. The Eagles finished in the top 20 nationally in tackles for loss in 2023, while players like Elhadj Fall, Isaac Walker, and Justin Rhodes earned national or all-conference recognition. In 2024 the group combined for 34.5 tackles for loss and helped Georgia Southern finish 10th nationally in fourth-down conversion defense.

Before Georgia Southern, Rowan spent several seasons at Washington, eventually serving as the Huskies’ defensive line coach in 2021. That defense allowed just 22.7 points per game and played a major role in a secondary that led the nation in passing yards allowed.

A native of Marietta, Georgia, Rowan also played defensive line and linebacker at Austin Peay before beginning his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Southern Miss and Florida Atlantic.

Brown Returns to Oregon

Brown’s path back to Eugene is more familiar.

A graduate of the University of Oregon, Brown earned both his bachelor’s degree (2018) and master’s degree (2020) from the school while working as a recruiting and operations intern for the Ducks. He also completed two internships within the program before beginning his coaching career.

Since leaving Eugene, Brown has steadily built a résumé centered on special teams. He served as a special teams analyst at Eastern Kentucky before joining UNLV in 2021 as a graduate assistant. Most recently, he spent the 2025 season at Purdue as a special teams analyst.

Brown also spent multiple seasons working under Barry Odom at both UNLV and Purdue, gaining experience preparing special teams game plans and breaking down opponent tendencies.

He now returns to Oregon to work alongside special teams coordinator Joe Lorig after the departure of analyst Zach Tinker to California.

My Thoughts

The addition of Rowan feels very intentional.

He has experience as an on-field defensive line coach, and Oregon already returns one of the most talented defensive line groups in the country. Bringing in another coach with that level of expertise should only elevate the development of a unit that already projects as a strength.

If the Ducks are going to make a legitimate run at a national championship this season, it is very likely going to start with the defensive front. Rowan’s background developing disruptive defensive linemen makes him a logical piece to add to that equation.

Brown’s hire makes sense for a different reason.

He already understands Oregon’s culture and expectations, and there is real value in bringing back young coaches who have genuine ties to the program. Spending the last few seasons working under Barry Odom is also a strong foundation for a young coach, especially in the analytical and preparation-heavy world of special teams.

For Brown, returning to Eugene gives him an opportunity to continue building his career in a place he already knows and clearly cares about. For Oregon, it adds another detail-oriented voice to a special teams unit that has quietly become one of the program’s more consistent strengths.