When Mario Cristobal made his decision to leave Eugene for the warm sandy beaches of Miami last week, there was widespread concern the current state of the Oregon football program would suffer and fall.
Suffer the loss of a tough and gritty coach who knew nothing else but to outwork his competition.
And fall to the average depths in recruiting where the Ducks have been way above average over the last three cycles.
On Saturday afternoon Duck fans everywhere took a huge sigh of relief when Oregon Athletic Director Rob Mullens announced the hiring of Georgia defensive coordinator Dan Lanning as the Ducks next head football coach.
Lanning not only knows what it takes to win in the Southeastern Conference, but he also knows how to recruit high-level talent and mold that talent into championship teams.
“Dan is an outstanding, high-energy football coach who will provide a world-class experience for our football student-athletes,” Mullens said in his statement released late Saturday afternoon.
“He is a tremendous recruiter and developer of talent, and we will continue to compete for championships while providing an environment where our football student-athletes can develop to their fullest potential in the classroom, on the football field, and as people. We are grateful for the opportunity to have Dan as the leader of our football program, and we look forward to the positive impact he will have on our student-athletes. We are excited to welcome Dan, Sauphia, Caden, Kniles, and Titan to the Oregon family!”
While Mullens reportedly interviewed candidates like Chip Kelly, Justin Wilcox, and Kalani Sitaki, it seemed obvious he wanted to maintain the style and culture Cristobal had worked so tirelessly to put into place over the last four seasons.
Dan Lanning is that coach!
To win championships, you have to have a premier defense.
Georgia has proved that with Lanning leading the way.
Since becoming the Bulldogs defensive coordinator in 2019, Lanning has guided the Georgia defense into a formidable unit that gained national attention this season.
The Bulldogs currently rank first nationally in points allowed at 9.5 per game.
They also rank third nationally in both rushing and passing yards allowed per game at 82 yards and 172 yards respectively. The UGA defense is also second nationally in total yards allowed at just 253 per game.
That’s a recipe for success and one that has Georgia in the final four of the College Football Playoff where they’ll be vying for a spot in the national championship game when they face No. 2 Michigan in the second of two semi-final contests on Friday, December 31st in the Orange Bowl.
While Lanning will be formally introduced as the Ducks head coach on Monday, December 13th at 2:00 pm at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex, he will remain with the Bulldogs through their upcoming championship run.
“I am honored and humbled to be selected to lead one of the premier programs in the nation at the University of Oregon,” said Lanning. “I want to personally thank President Schill, the Board of Trustees, athletic director Rob Mullens, and Mr. and Mrs. Knight for their trust in me. I’m excited to roll up my sleeves and get to work with our players in the pursuit of championships.
“It is clear there is a vision and alignment within the entire Duck Nation” said Lanning in his hiring statement.
“We are staged for success and look forward to building on the strong foundation that currently exists in Eugene. Our goal is to win championships and develop our players both on and off the field. I am overwhelmed with gratitude to Coach Kirby Smart and his wife, Mary Beth, and to every player, coach, staff member, and every person at the University of Georgia who contributed to our success, I thank you. Go Ducks!”
A two-time finalist for the Broyles Award as the nation’s top assistant coach, Lanning joined Georgia in 2018 as outside linebackers coach before being promoted to defensive coordinator.
Lanning first joined the collegiate ranks as a graduate assistant at Pittsburgh in 2011, and has also had stints at Arizona State (2012-13), Sam Houston State (2014), Alabama (2014), and Memphis (2016-17).
Lanning has helped the Bulldogs win three SEC Eastern Division titles (2018-19, 2021) and reach four consecutive New Year’s Six bowl games – the Allstate Sugar Bowl in 2018 and 2019, the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl in 2020, and the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic and College Football Playoff semifinal this season.
Lanning has coached some of the top defensive players in all of college football at Georgia.
Defensive tackle Jordan Davis recently won the Chuck Bednarik Award as the best defensive player in the country and the Outland Trophy as the top interior lineman, and Nakobe Dean won the Butkus Award as college football’s best linebacker.
Linebacker Azeez Ojulari led the SEC in sacks in 2020 under Lanning before going on to be selected in the second round by the New York Giants in the 2021 NFL Draft.
What Cristobal has done at Oregon in regards to recruiting, there’s little doubt with Lanning at the helm, there will be little drop off in that regard.
Lanning is well regarded as a recruiter and will most certainly continue the recent success of bringing SEC type talent to Eugene, especially when it comes to top-tier defensive talent.
“We are so happy for Dan and his family,” said UGA head coach Kirby Smart in a written statement.
“He and Sauphia have been an important part of our Bulldog family for the last four years, and we thank them for all they did for Georgia Football and the Athens community. Opportunities like this are a testament to a successful program. While he will coach with us for the upcoming College Football Playoff, we will move forward with Glenn Schumann and Will Muschamp as co-defensive coordinators. Dan and I are both looking forward to preparing for the CFP.”
Lanning is Oregon’s 35th head football coach in the history of the program.