Nike plans to lay off 740 employees at its Oregon headquarters before June 28, the company has told state officials.
The company notified state and local officials about the workforce reduction at its Beaverton, Oregon headquarters in a notice mandated by the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act on Friday.
The sportswear giant “will be permanently reducing its workforce at its World Headquarters” in a “second phase of impacts” that would begin by June 28, wrote Nike vice president Michele Adams in the notice, first reported by Reuters and Oregon Public Broadcasting.
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Two months ago, Nike CEO John Donahoe told employees in a memo of plans to reduce its workforce by about 2%, or more than 1,600 employees, The Wall Street Journal reported at the time. The company had about 83,700 employees as of May 31, 2023.
Celebrate 4/20: Get food deals at Wingstop, Popeyes, more. Or sip Snoop Dogg’s THC drinks
Nike layoffs are due to cost-cutting measures
The reductions are part of a three-year plan to cut $2 billion in costs Nike announced in December.
Nike is targeting cost reductions as it forecasts a “low single-digits” decline in revenue during the first half of its 2025 fiscal year – which begins June 1. “We are taking our product portfolio through a period of transition,” Nike chief financial officer Matt Friend said during the March 21, 2024 earnings call.
Nike shares rose nearly 2% this past week, but are down more than 11% so far this year and have fallen more than 23% over 12 months.
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More Nike news: Olympic uniform flap and will Caitlin Clark get her own shoe?
Nike’s track and field Olympic uniforms cause controversy
Nike’s new track and field uniforms for the Paris 2024 Olympics are stirring controversy amongst critics and fellow athletes.
Earlier this week, Nike’s new 2024 Paris Olympic track and field uniforms were met with criticism for being too skimpy.
Meanwhile, Caitlin Clark, who on April 15 became the top pick in the WNBA draft, may be about to land a new eight-figure contract with Nike and get her own signature shoe, The Athletic reported.
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For Oregon Duck fans that were gripping their seats and tracking flight logs to Tuscaloosa, Alabama while unfounded rumors of coach Dan Lanning’s departure ran amok last year; be ready to experience some deja vu.
With the No. 1 Oregon Ducks currently standing at the top of the College Football rankings with an 11-0 record and a likely bid to the Big Ten Conference Championship, there’s a lot of praise coming Lanning’s way as well as a lot of expected rumors towards a potential departure to the NFL.
Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning and former Alabama coach nick Saban / Imagn
In the midst of rumors circulating that Lanning is becoming a prospect for a coaching job in the pros, former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky joined “The Next Round Live” podcast to share his own praise for the coach.
“He’s authentic. I think he’s got a no-stone-unturned youth, a Nick Saban youth to him,” Orlovsky said. “Nick Saban is notorious for; there is nothing that is small. Everything is big. I think Lanning has that quality to him.”
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Lanning coached under the legendary coach Saban early in his career in 2015 when he was a graduate assistant at Alabama. During that season, Lanning helped the Crimson Tide win yet another National Championship for their dynasty against the Clemson Tigers. After a tenure at Memphis, Lanning went on to coach outside linebackers and eventually become the defensive coordinator under Georgia coach Kirby Smart; another coach Orlovsky lauded kind words to.
Nov 16, 2024; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning looks on during the third quarter against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images / Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
“It’s funny, when they beat Ohio State and did that 12-man on-the-field penalty, I said, ‘It’s very clear that we have two elite coaches in college football. Kirby Smart being one and Dan Lanning probably being the second. And people are like, ‘You’re an idiot, this and that,” Orlovsky said.
Lanning’s calling card on the field has been seen this season through gutsy plays and team-involved gestures. The 12-man penalty vs. Ohio State, Dillon Gabriel’s NCAA record breaking touchdown throw to offensive lineman Gernorris Wilson during the Maryland game, his “Gladiator” inspired timeout for his athletes to watch Michigan’s stadium clear out (“Are you not entertained?”), and the most recent ploy for the Ducks to crash Wisconsin’s “Jump Around” fourth quarter celebration are all stimulated by Lanning himself. Several of these strategies and play calls have social media sports enthusiasts calling Lanning a “mad man” for his inspired coaching choices.
Despite claiming detractors, to the former 12-year NFL veteran, there’s something very clear about Lanning, who just received a $200,000 contract bonus from the Ducks for beating the Badgers 16-13.
“It’s very clear that Dan Lanning, at worst, is the second-best College Football coach in the country right now,” Orlovsky said.
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And with so much positive attention coming the way of Lanning and the Ducks, so do the ever-evolving rumors of a potential Lanning departure. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler brought up Lanning’s name last week when discussing NFL buzz-worthy topics.
“The once-popular trend of plucking college head coaches for NFL jobs has slowed in recent years,” Fowler said. “All but one of the 32 sitting head coaches (Chargers’ Jim Harbaugh, formerly Michigan) came directly from an NFL job. Recent NFL failures of Urban Meyer and Matt Rhule haven’t helped the collegiate pipeline. But a league exec I trust brought up an interesting name to me this week: Oregon’s Dan Lanning. ‘He’s got some Dan Campbell to him,’ the exec said. While Campbell is in his own class right now, Lanning knows how to command a room, and the Ducks are 32-5 since he took over.”
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning gathers his team during a timeout as the Oregon Ducks host the Maryland Terrapins at Autzen Stadium Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024 in Eugene, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
It seems Oregon has constantly fielded coach departure rumors for the better part of a decade at this point. From the “blink and you’ll miss it” coaching tenure of Willie Taggart, who left the Ducks after one year for Florida State in 2018, and former coach Mario Cristobal’s unceremonious goodbye to join the Miami Hurricanes in 2022; Duck fans have a history of feeling anxious about their coaches.
However, it seems Lanning might possess a different perspective. Last year, when rumors flew about the young coach departing for the seat retired by Saban at Alabama, Lanning shared a statement that has since become a brand for the program.
“The reality is, the grass is not always greener; in fact the grass is damn green in Eugene,” Lanning said. “I want to be in Eugene for as long as Eugene will have me…This is a destination, not just for me but for elite players.”
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Lanning appears to be on a quest to prove he can win a championship without the prestige of an SEC or tenured program. His bold moves and gutsy play calling are welcome in a program like Oregon that embraces innovation. Lanning’s continued efforts on the recruiting trail, intentions to include more alumni in the program, and deep family involvement in Oregon culture like the “Heroes” uniforms designed by the Lanning family all indicate deeper roots than a temporary tenure.
As rumors will no doubt continue to swirl around the sports world as Oregon continues their opening season in the Big Ten, it’s a safe bet to think Lanning will stick where the grass is green until other notice.
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Peyton Scott scored 17 points and No. 23 Oregon used a fast start to earn a 70-54 victory over Grand Canyon on Monday night, the Ducks’ fifth straight homecourt win.
Oregon now has started the season with five straight wins five times in coach Kelly Graves 11 seasons.
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Trinity San Antonio’s layup with 8:10 left in the first quarter put the Lopes in front, 4-2, but Sofia Bell tied the game with a pair of free throws and Scott drilled back-to-back 3-pointers. Nani Falatea matched Scott’s feat in the final three minutes as Oregon put together an 18-6 run to take a 22-10 lead after one quarter and doubled up Grand Canyon at halftime, 36-18.
Scott hit 6 of 13 from the field, including 3 of 5 from behind the arc to lead the Oregon offense. Amina Muhammad posted a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds and Falatea added nine points off the bench.
San Antonio scored 18 points, grabbed six rebounds, dished five assists and added four steals to lead Grand Canyon (2-2). Tiarra Brown added 12 points with five rebounds and three assists. Alyssa Durazo-Frescas chipped in 11 points with five rebounds.
Oregon continues its homestand Wednesday when it plays host to unbeaten Auburn (3-0).
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Oregon State has been looking to make potential additions to its defensive back room for next season especially those who could make a potential instant impact next season. The Oregon State coaching staff including defensive back Rod Chance who was at Oregon when Tucker was previously with the Ducks was familiar with the San Diego native. As this fall progressed, the Beavers were able to evaluate Tucker and felt the San Diego Mesa College standout would be a good fit. They hosted him in October for an official visit coinciding with the home against UNLV and a few weeks later he committed to the Beavers.
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