If you gave a grade for saying all of the right things, then new Oregon head football coach Dan Lanning gets an A+.
Lanning was introduced Monday afternoon as the Ducks 35th head football coach in the Hatfield Down Complex and immediately you could feel and see his passion, his drive, and his dedication to bringing championship style football to Eugene
After a ten-minute opening statement, Lanning fielded questions from the media and touched upon many of the bullet points the Oregon community and fan base has been talking about since Lanning was hired just 72 hours ago.
The perspective from past Oregon players and a majority of the fan base is that the Oregon program has been a jumping-off point for past coaches to score a larger payday and a better, more high-profile job.
That single point itself was written and discussed in a letter sent to Oregon athletic director Rob Mullens by 14 of Oregon’s most high-profile football players who felt the football program was losing its identity and roots.
“This feeling comes not from wins and losses, but rather, the idea that in the attempt to chase a national championship, we are losing what made us great in the first place,” the players wrote in the letter.
“This is not a Blue Blood program. Our success was built on the continuity and hard work of the players and coaches in the 30 years prior to 2016 and we, as players, feel we are dangerously close to losing our identity.”
So, of course, that subject was broached with Lanning who give the answer the Oregon universe was hoping to hear.
“If William Jewell College comes calling, I love William Jewell College, but I’m staying at Oregon” said Lanning referencing the Liberty, Missouri school where he attended college.
“For me this a premier job in the nation — not just this league, the nation. And it was going to take a premier job to leave the situation I was in. There doesn’t have to be a next step for me. This job can be the final step.”
A homerun answer!
One the fanbase and players ( past and present ) were hoping to hear.
As for his style of coaching and what to expect, the word Lanning used most was ‘attack.’
“On offense, defense and special teams, we will attack” he said.
“The word ‘passive’ will not exist in our system. We will apply pressure and move on the field with aggressive but a disciplined approach. Our offensive and defensive scheme will be desirable to play in. We’re going to develop our players in this system. Most importantly we’re going to have schemes that support our ability to win football games.”
And what would an opening press conference be without some levity.
When asked about his lack of head coaching experience, Lanning was quick to shoot back, “well I hate to cut you off but I’ve been a head coach before” he said.
“When I was in high school I coached a 3rd grade basketball team, and we were damn good,…I mean we were good. More importantly than that, I like to speak to the quality of experience. And I don’t think there’s very many coaches who can sit up here and speak to the quality of experience of working for guys like Nick Saban, Kirby Smart,…Mike Norvell. And like I said, I’m a life-long learner. Both of my parents were teachers so my approach in coaching has always been – if you’re not learning, you’re not getting better.”
DAN LANNING – WATCH THE ENTIRE INTRODUCTORY PRESS CONFERENCE BELOW