Where Does Oregon Ducks' Dan Lanning Rank Among Big Ten Coaches?

With the move from the Pac-12 to the Big Ten, a lot of new faces are going to be popping up on the leadership side. Dan Lanning of the Oregon Ducks was one of the top coaches in the Pac-12 and nothing is going to change on that front in the new league.

Jan 1, 2024; Glendale, AZ, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning lifts the Fiesta Bowl trophy after a victory against the Liberty Flames in the 2024 Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. The Ducks won 45-6. / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Dan Lanning has found major success since joining the Oregon Ducks. He took over the reins back in 2022 and hasn't looked back.

Before heading out to Eugene, Lanning was the defensive coordinator and outside linebackers coach at Georgia from 2018-21. He has been all over the college football map. Lanning had stops at Memphis, Alabama, Sam Houston State, Arizona State, and Pittsburgh.

Thankfully, Lanning made his way to Oregon and doesn't plan on leaving anytime soon.

It was rumored earlier this offseason that he was considering taking the Alabama head coaching job with Nick Saban retiring. That simply wasn't the case as Lanning was "10 toes down" in Eugene as he's committed to making Oregon a national championship contender on a consistent basis out of the Big Ten.

“I want to be here in Eugene for as long as Eugene will have me. This place has everything that I could possibly ever want... There’s a little bit of a problem in society today with people looking for what’s next, whether it’s an opportunity and the reality is grass is not always greener, in fact the grass is damn green in Eugene.”

- Dan Lanning

Jan 1, 2024; Glendale, AZ, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning during the 2024 Fiesta Bowl against the Liberty Flames at State Farm Stadium. / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

According to Tom Fornelli of CBS Sports, Dan Lanning ranks as the second-best head coach in the Big Ten and the ninth-best in all of college football. With his overall record of 22-5 since stepping onto campus, Lanning has yet to win the big games against major opponents. The Ducks also haven't beat Washington under Lanning, but will still get some cracks at it in the Big Ten.

The major reason he's so high on this list is due to his off the field success. Lanning is one of the best recruiters in the country.

The best head coach in the Big Ten and ranked second in the country according to CBS Sports is Ohio State's Ryan Day. Although Ohio State hasn't won the Big Ten since 2020, he still holds a remarkable 56-8 overall record and 39-3 in conference play during his his five seasons at Columbus. The Buckeyes are favored to win the Big Ten and one of the favorites to win the College Football Playoff. The major obstacle in their path is the Oregon Ducks.

At third on the top head coaches in the Big Ten list is Lincoln Riley of USC, Penn State's James Franklin is fourth, and Luke Fickell of Wisconsin is fifth.

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