It’s something that Oregon Duck fans have grown used to over the years, and something that head coach Dan Lanning has certainly grown accustomed to already in his two years in Eugene.
A high-profile head coaching job opened up this weekend with Jimbo Fisher being fired by the Texas A&M Aggies. As you would expect, Dan Lanning is being thrown out as a leading candidate as one of the top young head coaches in the nation.
On Monday night during his press conference, Lanning was asked about those rumors and had this to say:
“I guess the reality here is one, my name and our program would never been a topic of conversation for another school if we didn’t have something here that everybody else wanted. And the reason we have something here that everybody else wants is because of what our players our coaches, the support that exists here in Oregon have created.
I think I’ve been really, really clear here since day one. Everything I want exists right here. I’m not going anywhere. There’s zero chance that I would be coaching somewhere else. I’ve got unfinished business here. There’s a lot that I want to accomplish here at Oregon. My number one priority is being elite here in Oregon, and we have the resources, the tools, anybody that can understand why you would want to be here this place doesn’t understand exactly what exists here, right?
Like what I’ve said before, with a 13 year old, a 12 year old and a 10 year old to be able to raise your family and a community like this, to be able to compete for championships and have the ability to get the resources you need. You know a lot of coaches hang on to these moments and they don’t do anything or don’t say anything, one because they don’t want egg on their face when they decide to do something else. Two, because they’re concerned about things that I’m not concerned about, like getting a better contract. I’m taken care of extremely well here in Oregon. I have the resources I need here at Oregon to be really really successful. I’m not motivated by that. I’m motivated by winning. I’m motivated by being elite here.”
While Lanning has made it clear time and against that he has no desire to coach anywhere but Eugene, these conversations will continue to be had year after year because it’s something that fans enjoy talking about. All Lanning can do is continue to prove with his words and his actions that he is in Eugene for the long haul.
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