When Nick Saban retired, it sent shockwaves through college football. The Alabama coaching search immediately targeted former Crimson Tide coaches and assistants. Dan Lanning was atop of that list. There were rumors of phone calls, meetings, and flights. Then, Lanning posted a video to Twitter saying "The Grass is Damn Green in Eugene". Lanning is not going anywhere, and with a move to the Big Ten, he is slowly turning Oregon into a powerhouse in the modern era of college football.
From: Christian Petersen (Getty Images)
Lanning's Path to Eugene
Long before his time at Oregon, Dan Lanning started his coaching career at Park Hill South High School in Missouri. He decided he wanted to coach at the Division 1 level, but recognized it would be a tough path forward. So how did Lanning get started in college coaching? By believing in himself. His belief and drive led him to a GA position at Pittsburgh. To even get the chance at the job, Lanning drove from Missouri to Pittsburgh in an effort to convince the existing staff to give him a chance.
Arizona State
After one year, he followed his Head Coach, Todd Graham, to Arizona State, where his coaching career began to take off. In his time at ASU, Lanning realized he needed to set himself apart as a GA. He decided it would have to be on the recruiting trail. When taking a look at the Sun Devils' recruiting map, he noticed one gaping hole: Kansas. Lanning committed himself to becoming dominant in the state of Kansas, which he did. It only took him one year to be promoted to On-Campus Recruiting Coordinator for ASU.
Saban, Smart, and SHSU
Lanning's next stop in his career was at Sam Houston State, where he was the Defensive Backs Coach and Co-Recruiting Coordinator there for a year. He then went back to the GA ranks, where he went to Tuscaloosa to be on Nick Saban's coaching staff. Lanning was blessed to work on one of the best coaching staffs of all time at Alabama. Saban, Kirby Smart, Mel Tucker, Lane Kiffin, Mario Cristobal, and Billy Napier all spent time as HCs at major programs in the sport. Then, his old coworker from ASU, Mike Norvell, gave him a call. Now the HC at Memphis, Norvell hired Lanning to be the Inside Linebacker's Coach and Recruiting Coordinator.
Finally, his big break came when Kirby Smart got the job at Georgia. Smart immediately identified Lanning as a need, and hired him to be the Outside Linebackers Coach. He was then promoted to Defensive Coordinator in 2019. Smart and Lanning led one of the most dominant defenses in college football from 2019-2021.
From: Lindsey Wasson (AP)
'Sco Ducks
10 years and 6 programs later, Oregon gave Lanning a call. In December of 2021, Dan Lanning was hired as the 35th Head Coach in Oregon Football History. Since that date, the Ducks have been on a catapult towards success. The Ducks are 22-5 in his two years at the program, including two bowl wins. His success as a Head Coach is accredited to two things: domination on the recruiting trail and the transformation of Oregon's culture.
Recruiting
Earlier, I mentioned Lanning's determination in dominating Kansas recruiting. Now at the national level, Lanning has that same drive. His first recruiting class ranked 1st in the Pac-12 and 11th nationally, per On3. His second class ranked 1st in the conference again, and 7th nationally. Lastly, his class of incoming Freshman ranks 3rd in the country, and 1st in the Big Ten. Dan Lanning has been on a warpath in recruiting ever since he got the job at Oregon.
Transfer Portal
While the Ducks have been at the top of the sport in recruiting, many of their house hold names have come via the transfer portal. Immediately after getting the job, Lanning sought out Auburn QB Bo Nix. Nix spent two years in Eugene and was one of the best QBs in the country both years. The former Tiger threw for 8100 yards and 74 touchdowns at Oregon.
While a hole was left at QB after Nix graduated, Oregon landed two more quarterbacks this go around in the portal. The presumed starter in 2024 will be former Oklahoma and UCF signal caller Dillon Gabriel. Gabriel has been an elite passer his entire career, throwing for nearly 15000 yards and 125 touchdowns in five years. Lanning also brings in highly touted Sophomore Dante Moore to sit behind Gabriel. Moore was the number 3 ranked QB in the portal, and Dan Lanning convinced him to sit for another year before getting the job. If that doesn't speak to culture, I don't know what does.
But quarterback isn't the only position Oregon has dominated in the transfer portal. Lanning has landed Tez Johnson, Traeshon Holden, and most recently, Evan Stewart at WR. The Ducks' trio is going to be one of the best receiving cores in the nation.
Culture
The culture at Oregon has never been better. Lanning's belief in himself is infectious. It has spread to the entire program. Connection, growth, toughness, and sacrifice are the four pillars that make up the DNA of Oregon Football. And rather than talking to you about it, here's a couple clips of the culture that Dan Lanning is building at Oregon.
https://twitter.com/CoachDanLanning/status/1745490828850815112
Coach Dan Lanning's Announcement Video Stating He's Returning to Oregon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IXbhb8yhfM
From: ESPN
Parting Thoughts
Dan Lanning's start at Oregon has been one of the best in college football. He's an elite recruiter, a coach players want to play for, and a master defensive coordinator. I'm all in on Oregon football, and the Ducks are set up to be one of the powerhouses in the sport for years to come. You better hop on the train now, because Dan Lanning and the Ducks are coming.
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