Dan Lanning 'Ecstatic' About Newly Assembled Oregon Ducks Staff

Lanning searched far and wide for some high-caliber names to help take the Ducks to the next level.

It wasn't long after the confetti finished falling on the newly-crowned national champion Georgia Bulldogs that Dan Lanning was on to his next adventure. 

Fresh off a 33-18 victory over the Alabama Crimson Tide, Oregon's new head coach was already on FaceTime "with a guy that can enhance our program and make us better." But Lanning's work making the Ducks better started last month right after he was hired, making calls and vetting coaches from around the country to join him in Eugene on his pursuit of another national championship, this time in the green and yellow. 

Prior to Lanning's introductory press conference in December, some people questioned how capable he might be of assembling an elite staff given his youth and fairly limited coaching tree. But he was quick to put those concerns to rest, finding some of the strongest names at both the professional and college levels. 

When I asked him for his perspective on balancing between the two, he reflected back on what he set out for once he was tabbed head coach.

"Ultimately I think I said here before we're looking for two things: relationships and development and didn't want to sacrifice on either end there," Lanning said. "I think that's really really important as we were piecing this staff together.

Oregon's new head coach wasn't shy about a lesson we've come to learn on the recruiting trail with each and every cycle. Good players, and in this instance, good coaches, want to be with other good coaches-- and Oregon's brand is among the most attractive in all of sports.

"Fortunately here at Oregon we have the ability to be competitive and we have the ability to go get the best of the absolute best," he said. "So whether the best be in the NFL or the best be in other college programs--that's what we targeted. We went through a hard search, looked really in depth at a lot of different positions and I'm ecstatic about the group that we have put together.

It looks like the Ducks will be led primarily by a youth movement on the coaching staff, but one key characteristic on Lanning's staff is clear, a wealth of experience at different levels of coaching.

"Some of these guys have NFL experience, obviously that's a big piece. Some of these guys have been at the highest level of college and some of them haven't but just happen to be some of the best coaches I've ever been around or seen firsthand." 

Athletic Director Rob Mullens took a chance on Lanning giving him his first shot as a head coach, and the early return the Ducks are seeing is certainly encouraging. Lanning's new staff has a strong track record of on-field success, and perhaps an even stronger reputation as elite recruiters. 

We've yet to see any results play out live on the field at Autzen Stadium, but Oregon's new leader is determined to do everything necessary to make this team into a national title contender.

"What exists in front of us here is opportunity. We got an opportunity here for this staff to be really, really, really special," Lanning said of his new group. "I know we've got great men of character, great coaches and teachers that are going to be around our players and I couldn't be more thrilled about the group we put together."

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