Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning has garnered significant praise this season as his team tops the latest College Football Playoff rankings and remains undefeated.
Lanning has taken the college football world by storm ever since taking the helm at Oregon. While he’s yet to win a national title, this could very well be the year the Ducks break through.
Overall, he has a 32-5 record at Oregon and has been labeled the best young coach in the game by the vast majority of analysts.
There were many who were surprised that Lanning didn’t show interest in the Alabama job when Nick Saban stepped down.
Lanning made it clear that he’s loyal to Oregon and that there’s no place he’d rather be.
That mentality may soon be put to the test as it’s been reported that Lanning has become a red-hot candidate in NFL circles.
‘The once-popular trend of plucking college head coaches for NFL jobs has slowed in recent years. All but one of the 32 sitting head coaches (Chargers’ Jim Harbaugh) came directly from an NFL job,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote.
“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 comparison is notable.
Campbell has completely revitalized the Lions, transforming a struggling franchise into a Super Bowl contender known for its toughness and resilience.
“While Campbell is in his own class right now, Lanning knows how to command a room,” Fowler added.
Lanning, formerly an assistant at Georgia, has made an immediate impact at Oregon, shaping the Ducks into a national championship contender.
The 38-year-old is an old-school, hard-nosed football coach who works just as hard as any coach walking the planet. He also has a “player’s coach” vibe which makes his players want to run through a brick wall for him.
In other words, he’s the perfect blend of coach. In many ways, he’s the Dan Hurley of college football.
We all know the allure and prestige that comes with being an elite coach in the NFL.
Having said that, you certainly get the feeling that Lanning is much more of a college coach than an NFL coach.
Being at Phil Knight’s Oregon, money won’t be an issue for Lanning. Neither will facilities. Neither will any resources needed for that matter.
NFL teams are smart to be interested in Lanning. However, if the golden boy actually does leave Oregon for the men’s league, it will be because he genuinely wants to.
Perhaps I’m dead wrong, but I get the feeling he’s not BS’ing when he says he’s perfectly happy at Oregon and that there is no place he’d rather be.
What are your thoughts? … Can you see Lanning leaving Eugene for the NFL???
