Ducks Digest

Grading Oregon Ducks' Dan Lanning After Three Seasons, Big Ten Title

Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning received one of the top grades among coaches hired in the same offseason, three years ago. Notre Dame Fighting Irish coach Marcus Freeman and Lanning both earned 'A's' for their work.

Charlie Viehl

New Oregon Ducks football coach Dan Lanning takes questions from media after being formally introduced as the head coach for the Ducks Monday Dec. 13, 2021 in Eugene, Oregon.
New Oregon Ducks football coach Dan Lanning takes questions from media after being formally introduced as the head coach for the Ducks Monday Dec. 13, 2021 in Eugene, Oregon. / Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK
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Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning has been in Eugene for three full seasons, and his record with the Ducks is 35-6. His resume includes a Big Ten Conference Championship, an appearance in the Rose Bowl as part of the College Football Playoff Quarterfinals, and two Heisman Trophy finalists in quarterbacks Bo Nix and Dillon Gabriel.

CBS Sports' Chip Patterson agrees, as recently graded Lanning's three seasons in Eugene as an 'A.' Patterson gave grades to all of the coaches that were hired in the 2021-22 offseason, a coaching carousel that saw Mario Cristobal leave Oregon for Miami, leading to the Ducks' hiring of Lanning, former defensive coordinator for Georgia coach Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs.

Lanning was one of two coaches to receive an 'A' from Patterson.

New Oregon Ducks football coach Dan Lanning takes questions from media after being formally introduced as the head coach
New Oregon Ducks football coach Dan Lanning takes questions from media after being formally introduced as the head coach for the Ducks Monday Dec. 13, 2021 in Eugene, Oregon. / Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

The other was Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman, who recently led his team to the CFP National Championship before losing to the same team as Lanning and Oregon, the Ohio State Buckeyes. The Fighting Irish hired Freeman after Brian Kelly left to coach the LSU Tigers.

Patterson notes Lanning's 35 wins are the most of any coach who was hired in the same offseason as Lanning.

The Ducks won 10 games in 2022 and 12 games in 2023 under Lanning's leadership, but the 2024 season was one of Oregon's best in program history. The Ducks finished the regular season 12-0 and were ranked No. 1 in the AP Top-25 Poll as well as CFP rankings throughout the season.

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Oregon won the Big Ten Conference Championship Game against the Penn State Nittany Lions, successfully navigating the transition from the Pac-12 to the Big Ten. Lanning led the Ducks to 13 wins for the first time since the 2014 season when Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota led the Ducks to the CFP National Championship.

While Oregon figures to contend in future playoffs under Lanning, he has also proven an elite ability to recruit. Lanning signed the best recruiting class in Ducks' program history in the 2024 cycle, and he outdid himself by signing a higher-rated class in 2025, according to 247Sports. Oregon is bringing in multiple five-stars, including wide receiver Dakorien Moore and safety Trey McNutt.

Oregon Ducks wide receiver Tez Johnson (15) stiff arms Penn State Nittany Lions cornerback Zion Tracy (7) on Saturday, Dec. 7
Oregon Ducks wide receiver Tez Johnson (15) stiff arms Penn State Nittany Lions cornerback Zion Tracy (7) on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, during the Big Ten Championship game between the Oregon Ducks and the Penn State Nittany Lions at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. / Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Lanning has raised the standard at Oregon, and the NFL Draft provides further proof.

Eight players from Oregon were picked in the 2024 NFL Draft, setting a program record. In the upcoming draft in 2025, the Ducks are projected to have as many as 11 players selected, once again resetting the program record.

The Ducks' presence in the NFL Draft shows Lanning's ability to recruit players from both the high school ranks and the transfer portal. The past two quarterbacks for the Ducks, Bo Nix and Dillon Gabriel, have come in as transfers, and they both played their way to the Heisman Trophy ceremony as finalists in their respective seasons.

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Charlie Viehl
CHARLIE VIEHL

Charlie Viehl is a 23-year old Boston College graduate and is an Oregon Ducks and USC Trojans beat reporter for On SI. A native of Pasadena, California, he covered sports across Los Angeles while at Loyola High School and edited the Gabelli Presidential Scholars Program’s magazine at BC. While pursuing a career in sports journalism, he is also a lifelong musician. He is excited to bring his passion for storytelling and sports to fans of college athletics.

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