NFL Teams Interested in Oregon Ducks Coach Dan Lanning? Report

The No. 1 Oregon Ducks are led by coach Dan Lanning, who is adamant that the "grass is damn green in Eugene." However, coach Lanning's name has been buzzing in the NFL, according to a report from ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. Interest from the NFL or not, it remains to be seen if Lanning has NFL aspirations.

Oct 26, 2024; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning greets fans before a game against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images / Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

The No.1 Oregon Ducks are led by coach Dan Lanning, who is adamant that the "grass is damn green in Eugene."

However, coach Lanning's name has been buzzing in the NFL, according to a report from ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

One NFL executive told Fowler that they compared coach Lanning to Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell. Campbell has led the Lions to an 8-1 record this season and Detroit sits atop the NFC Conference standings.

Oct 26, 2024; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning greets fans before a game against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images / Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

“He’s got some Dan Campbell in him,” the executive told Fowler.

Lanning has turned heads as he's helped catapult Oregon into the National Championship conversation. The Ducks remain atop the AP and College Football Playoff polls amid a 10-0 season.

The NFL coaching carousel spins quickly and nonstop. NFL head coaching seats are beginning to warm with Chicago Bears coach Matt Eberflus, Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy, New York Giants coach Brian Daboll and Jacksonville Jaguars coach Doug Pederson among the four most-scrutinized coaches of 2024.

Lanning has never coached in the NFL. Fowler's report states that Lanning is a "potentially intriguing name" he is filing away. Interest from the NFL or not... It remains to be seen if Lanning has NFL aspirations.

The interest is to be expected. Lanning has developed the Ducks quickly and stamped his own DNA on the Oregon football program. It is a compliment to the culture he has built in Eugene in only a handful of years.

When legendary Alabama coach Nick Saban decided to retire, coach Lanning's name was brought up as a replacement. When rumors swirled that Lanning was considering taking the job, Lanning shut it down quickly.

Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel, left, and coach Dan Lanning embrace after defeating Maryland at Autzen Stadium. / Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“The reality is… the grass is not always greener,” Lanning said. “In fact, the grass is damn green in Eugene.”

Lanning was a graduate assistant at Alabama in 2015 under Saban, when the Crimson Tide defeated Clemson, 45-40, in the College Football National Championship game.

Coach Saban, now a college football analyst has praised Lanning for his motivational tactics.

"I like Oregon because they've played with the most consistency of any team this entire season," Saban said before Oregon beat Maryland. "The Ducks are 11th in offense, they're 11th in defense, so they play complementary football."

"But I like Dan Lanning's approach," Saban continued. "He's not about just winning the game. He's about defeating the other team. He called timeout at Michigan to let his team know that we've defeated these guys and the stadium's empty. That's the mindset that I like in the team."

Former Alabama Football Coach and current ESPN analyst Nick Saban on the set of ESPN's College Game Day, at the University of Texas on the South Mall, ahead of the Longhorns' game against the Georgia Bulldogs in Austin, Oct. 19, 2024. / Sara Diggins/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The 38-year-old Lanning is in his third season with Oregon, having won 32 of his first 37 games. Coach Lanning has led the Ducks to a 6-0 start at home in 2024, Oregon is now 18-1 under Lanning in Autzen Stadium.

Lanning led the Ducks to a 10-3 record in his debut season in 2022 before improving with a 12-2 record in 2023. Lanning became the third UO head coach to reach at least 22 wins in his first two seasons, and his 31 wins are tied with Chip Kelly for the most by an Oregon head coach through his first 36 games. 

Oregon's most recent victory over Maryland marked the Ducks' 10th win of the season - which gives Lanning an automatic one-year contract extension. The added year on his contract, through January 2031, is reported to be worth a total of $9.4 million.

MORE: Wisconsin's Jack Del Rio Resigns After Drunk Driving Arrest Before Oregon Ducks Game

MORE: Oregon Ducks Fans Color To Wear vs. Wisconsin Badgers At Camp Randall Stadium

MORE: Oregon, Ohio State, USC, LSU Recruiting Battle: 5-Star Jahkeem Stewart Visits Before Early Signing Day

MORE: College Football Playoff Rankings: Oregon Ducks Lead, Georgia and Miami Drop

MORE: Oregon Ducks' Dan Lanning Evaluates Wisconsin Badgers, Coach Luke Fickell's Culture

MORE: Oregon Injury Update: Jordan James, Jordan Burch Anticipated to Play vs. Wisconsin

MORE: Los Angeles Chargers' Justin Herbert Makes NFL History Against Tennessee Titans 

MORE: NFL Draft Quarterbacks: Oregon Ducks' Dillon Gabriel Ranked, Snubbed By Mel Kiper?

MORE: Questionable Officiating Oregon Ducks vs. Maryland Terrapins: Unsportsmanlike Conduct