It’s become impossible to find a single thing that’s not to love about Oregon head coach Dan Lanning.
Despite being only 37-years-old, Lanning has put in all the grunt work and climbed the coaching ladder from the bottom to the top.
Having spent time under both Nick Saban at Alabama and Kirby Smart at Georgia (does it get any better than that??), Lanning finally got his own chance in Eugene where he’s been an absolute grand slam for the Ducks.
From recruiting to motivating to coaching to developing, Lanning has checked every single box and has become widely-regarded as the hottest young coach in the country.
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning didn't hold back in his pregame speech against Colorado 👀
"They're fighting for clicks, we're fighting for wins." pic.twitter.com/imo4OHA4fA
— ESPN (@espn) September 23, 2023
With being such a hot young coach comes the reality of having your name in rumors, especially when it comes to desperate programs with deep pockets.
Perfect example being the Texas A&M Aggies…
A&M was sick and tired of waiting around for Jimbo Fisher to prove his worth, so they fired him, despite having to pay him a record $76 million to simply go away.
That’s those deep pockets (aka oil money) we were just talking about … $76 million to NOT coach. Amazing.
A&M is nowhere close to being a “blue blood” program, however it’s clear they’re starving for a winner in College Station.
On paper, Lanning would be an ideal candidate … So, naturally, his name has been circulating about in reports.
However, to his credit, he shot down those reports in stone-cold fashion.
“I’m not going anywhere … There’s zero chance that I would be coaching somewhere else. I’ve got unfinished business here,” he said.
It doesn’t get much clearer than that.
“Everything I want exists right here … “I’m not motivated by [a better contract]. I’m motivated by winning.”
“A lot of coaches don’t say anything – one, because they don’t want egg on their face when they decide to do something else – two, because they’re concerned about things that I’m not concerned about, like getting a better contract,” Lanning added.
He has a great point and is 100% correct with how many coaches would address such a situation.
There’s also plenty of examples of coaches saying things similar to him, only to go completely against their word at the end of the day.
However, you truly get the sense it’s different with Lanning.
He’s 19-4 during his tenure with the Ducks and may ultimately sneak into the Playoff with this year’s team.
With Heisman Trophy candidate Bo Nix running the offense, Oregon is just about as dangerous as anyone.
Money always talks of course – and A&M has a whole lot of it … But as Lanning said, he’s more than happy in his current situation. He received a substantial raise over the summer and will be paid approximately $7 million annually.
Additionally, he continues to rave about the loyalty and commitment the Oregon Athletic Department has shown to him.
“I have the resources I need here to be really, really successful,” he said.
Having said of all of this, it’s also important to acknowledge the speculation that Lanning may very well be Saban’s successor at Alabama, whenever he decides to step down … Lanning could very well be waiting for that to happen.
— Dan Lanning (@CoachDanLanning) December 22, 2022
What are your thoughts on Lanning?
Will his Ducks end up making the Playoff this season?
To the Tide fans out there – Have you pinpointed him as the ideal successor for Saban?
Getting back to the A&M, who else should they target for head coach???