365 days ago, the Oregon Ducks started a new era of football with the hiring of Dan Lanning, the former Georgia Bulldogs defensive coordinator who was being made the youngest head coach in the Power 5 conference.
That era is certainly off to a good start, wouldn’t you say?
There were a couple of rocky moments near the end of Lanning’s first season with the Ducks, but from a bird’s eye view, the first-year head coach absolutely was a success during his first year in Eugene, exceeding expectations early and doing a great job to establish a culture at his new school.
Had it not been for an unfortunate injury suffered by QB Bo Nix, and losses to both the Washington Huskies and Oregon State Beavers — Oregon’s two biggest rivals — the love for Lanning would be endless. Regardless, with his recruiting prowess, ability to coach on the field, and obvious love for aggressiveness in his mentality both on and off the gridiron, it’s tough to find many fans in Eugene who are not ecstatic about Lanning’s hiring in Eugene, and confident for what the future holds.
As we did earlier in the month to remember the departure of former Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal and look back on what his first year away from Eugene has brought, we wanted to do the same thing with Lanning.
What all has transpired in his first 365 days as the Ducks’ head coach? What were some of his high points, and where were a few of his lows? Here is a year-in review for Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks.