Oregon Duck fans are familiar with the story of how new head coach Dan Lanning started in the business. After driving thousands of miles for an opportunity as a graduate assistant, Lanning worked his way into the coaching industry and climbed the ladder through hard work and determination.
Lanning is as high on that ladder as he has been, being named the head coach of the Ducks in December 2021. However, in January, he reached a height many coaches will never see: winning a national championship.
As the defensive coordinator of the Georgia Bulldogs, Lanning coached arguably one of the best defenses in college football history, proving his worth as a leader of men. This past week, at the SEC spring meetings, Georgia head coach Kirby Smart was asked about Lanning, and what has made him such a young success story. Here is what he had to say:
Kirby Smart explains how Dan Lanning was able to go from a GA at Alabama in 2015 to Oregon’s head coach in 7 years pic.twitter.com/ijhPMJ6JGs
— James Crepea (@JamesCrepea) May 31, 2022
“I like to think in our profession that if you work really hard, you’re smart, you catch on with the right people, that you can be successful,” Smart said. “Dan has paved his own way. He’s done more for the people he worked for than the people who worked for him. He’s really an incredible worker, enthusiastic, and buys in. He’s got a great family story.”
That’s high praise coming from the coach of the national champions, but it shouldn’t come as a surprise for any Oregon fan who has watched Lanning work the past several months.
While it is still incredibly early in his tenure, and he has not yet coached a college game as a head coach, there is a hope Lanning will have Oregon take that next step to become a title contender. If so, his legacy in Eugene will live on forever.
[mm-video type=video id=01g4ebfwgbks8jeb5fa4 playlist_id=01f27mq9z7hjgk6vc6 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g4ebfwgbks8jeb5fa4/01g4ebfwgbks8jeb5fa4-fbc3dd7ca7b70389c25f62f6b3017a95.jpg]
[listicle id=24737]
Contact/Follow us @Ducks_Wire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinion.
Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.