Oregon Football Coach Dan Lanning: Top-10 College Football Coach?

Oregon football coach Dan Lanning continues to surpass expectations, including turning away interest from SEC teams like Alabama.

Nov 18, 2023; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning (center) leads quarterback Bo / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Is Oregon Football coach Dan Lanning a top-10 college football coach?

The answer depends on who you ask. College football is a game consumed by statistics. While the numbers do not lie, there is a level of subjectivity when attempting to determine the best (and worst) coaches. There simply is not a formula as to how best to weigh the numbers, there is no consensus.

So where does Lanning fit in?

Consider his history. In his first two seasons, while not having won a conference championship or made an appearance in the College Football playoffs, coach Lanning sports a 22-5 record and has earned accolades as an elite, tireless recruiter. Based on this information, Stewart Mandel, a prominent sports analyst, ranked coach Lanning as the 25th best coach. More surprisingly, sports reporter Bruce Feldman failed to mention him at all.

Nov 18, 2023; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning against the Arizona State Sun / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

That said, a ranking conducted by ESPN provided a decidedly different result. In this survey, reporters were asked to vote with a point-based system. Not only did coach Lanning make the list, but he also ended up as number six in the poll.

When coach Lanning was hired in 2021, athletic director Rob Mullens raved about the skillset the new coach was bringing to Eugene. 

“Dan is an outstanding, high-energy football coach who will provide a world-class experience for our football student-athletes,” Mullens said. “He is a tremendous recruiter and developer of talent, and we will continue to compete for championships.”

There is little doubt that coach Lanning is not only living up to these expectations, but he is also surpassing them—which is a good sign for Oregon football.

To further bolster his reputation in the recruiting arena, in 2023, per 247Sports, coach Lanning’s recruiting class was ranked 9th nationally and first in the Pac-12 Conference. While the numbers are still subject to change, the Ducks have the fourth-best recruiting class in the nation for 2024.

Lastly, a very subjective tool in determining a coach’s value is the worth other programs place on the individual. This past offseason there were significant changes to the coaching ranks, most notably, the retirement of Alabama coach, Nick Saban. Almost immediately, coach Lanning was rumored to be the odds-on favorite to replace Saban and return to the SEC. Coach Lanning dismissed the idea he was leaving.

“There’s been a lot of opportunities that were real but we’re never gonna let it get real here,” Lanning said. “I’m exactly where I want to be.” 

Regardless of rankings, Oregon has the coach they want, and coach Lanning has the school he wants.