Not too long after reaffirming his desire to stay head coach of the Oregon Ducks on Thursday, Dan Lanning appeared on the Pat McAfee Show on ESPN to answer questions about his decision to stay in Oregon, as well as what the future holds for the Oregon Ducks.
While on the show, Lanning was asked a lot about his decision to stay in Oregon despite the lure of the Alabama Crimson Tide, who have a head coaching vacancy after the retirement of legendary coach Nick Saban. But he also expressed excitement for Oregon football’s future. When asked about the Ducks’ impending move to the Big Ten, Coach Lanning had this to say.
“All of those things get me more excited about what we’re doing here. This place is a sense of direction we’re joining one of the best, if not the best, conferences in college football — like you said. Watching that game the other night let you know what you’re about to be playing against,” Lanning said.
Headed into the Big Ten’s first 18-team season, Oregon has heavy expectations. The Ducks will have a strong roster in 2024, and they should be able to compete for the Big Ten title and potentially the national championship, especially with the introduction of the 12-team playoff.
While on McAfee’s show, Lanning also highlighted recruiting’s importance to the Ducks’ success in the future.
“We’re on the recruiting board this afternoon. 2025’s here we come,” Lanning said.
In his two seasons with Oregon, Lanning has brought in elite recruiting classes, as well as high-quality transfers. The Ducks 2023 recruiting class was ranked in the Top 10 by 247 Sports and Oregon’s 2024 class is currently the No. 4 overall class and the No. 6 transfer class.
It’s rare in sports, especially college football, to see a coach demonstrate as much loyalty to a team as Dan Lanning has shown to the Oregon Ducks. The benefit of that for Oregon football is a coach with an unclouded vision for the future, ready to take on the Big Ten and bring the best talent with him.
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