REPORT: Dan Lanning to Take Oregon Head Coaching Job

Reports have surfaced that Georgia defensive coordinator Dan Lanning is set to take the head coaching job at the University of Oregon.

Reports have surfaced that Georgia defensive coordinator Dan Lanning is set to take the head coaching job at the University of Oregon, first reported by Chip Towers of the AJC. 

There does however seem to be some rebuttal on the story, however. 

UO source says Oregon has NOT offered nor has the job been accepted by Dan Lanning or anyone else. Georgia DC is a candidate, but is NOT hired. At least not yet.

— James Crepea (@JamesCrepea) December 10, 2021

Towers, a long-time Georgia beat reporter, claims that the news surrounding Lanning to Oregon will be public knowledge on Monday. 

Dawgs Daily has not been able to confirm or deny the initial reports, however multiple outlets are claiming the information to be false. 

Am told by a source that the report that UGA DC Dan Lanning has been hired as the next head coach at Oregon is not true.

— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) December 10, 2021

Lanning has served as defensive coordinator since 2019 under Kirby Smart. He took over after the departure of Mel Tucker to Colorado to become a head coach and turned Georgia's defense into the nation's top unit. 

Their success is not sudden either, ask anyone who's followed the program closely over the last six years under Kirby Smart; the defensive side of the ball is consistently getting better from year to year, especially in the previous three years since Lanning took over as defensive coordinator following the departure of Mel Tucker.

Georgia has led the nation in total defense two out of his three seasons as the coordinator, including a staggering 6.9 points per game allowed during the regular season. Not to mention Georgia's elite rushing defense, which ranked near the top of the country by season's end, along with finishing top five in team sacks.

Putting aside the uncharacteristic struggles in the SEC Championship game where Lanning's defense gave up nearly 600 yards of total offense and 34 points to the Alabama offense, not including the pick-six, Lanning's job should not be tarnished.

Originally from North Kansas City, Missouri, Lanning worked up through the coaching rankings in the midwest, working at Park Hill South high school in Kansas City, Missouri, for two years before getting his first college graduate assistants job with Pittsburgh. He returned to the midwest to coach defensive backs at Sam Houston State before heading to Alabama in 2015 for a season, then to Memphis before getting his shot to join Kirby Smart in Athens.

Since joining Smart in Athens, the rest is history as his side of the ball is getting ready for a College Football Playoff run, with its first test against No. 2 Michigan, a team known for running the football and being physical upfront; sounds familiar? It will be a strength versus strength matchup and one that Georgia will embrace as they try and rebound from the loss versus Alabama.