Ducks HC Dan Lanning makes major admission about potential NFL coaching future

Dan Lanning has emerged in recent years as one of the most promising coaches in College Football. Despite his young age, the Oregon Ducks’ leader has already shown he has what it takes to make the leap to the NFL. The question now is: does he dream of taking that next step in his career?

There was plenty of speculation this offseason about Lanning potentially landing a job with one of the NFL’s 32 franchises. However, that move ultimately didn’t happen. In a recent conversation with the media, the Ducks’ head coach revealed that, as of now, his focus is fully set on the upcoming season with his team.

“No, I used to want to,” he said during an appearance on Bussin’ With The Boys. “I think you figure out — like we talked about earlier — where do you really fit? Like, where’s your niche? And I do feel like this age group is the group that I connect with unbelievably.

“And then more than that, I always think back to it seems like everybody’s always thinking about, ‘What’s next, what’s next, what’s next?’ And for me, I’m more of the ‘Thank you.’ Like, I get to do this here. I can’t imagine going to do this somewhere else because of the opportunity that Oregon’s given me.”

Oregon head coach, Dan Lanning, prior to the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game featuring the Georgia Bulldogs and the Oregon Ducks, played at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.

Dan Lanning’s strong sense of belonging in Eugene often makes him reconsider his future prospects. For now, the Ducks can rest assured that they will continue to enjoy his leadership from the sideline for the upcoming season.

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In search of redemption

Oregon was one of the standout teams last season in the NCAAF, but their hopes of reaching the National Championship Game were dashed in the playoffs. Despite finishing undefeated with a 12-0 record, their championship dream fell short. However, Dan Lanning remains undeterred and will try again next season.

“So often, everybody’s like, ‘Well, I can go do this somewhere else.’ I want to do it here,” he said. “I want to make it happen here because they believed in me, right? It wasn’t like I was a head coach coming from somewhere else.

“I was a D-coordinator and hadn’t been a head coach, right? I coached a third-grade basketball team in high school, right? So they gave me an opportunity. Why not do it here? That’s the piece. There’s definitely a different quality of life, appreciation in the NFL. They’re not recruiting and [wearing] a lot of the hats [we] wear, but every job’s got pieces that you’re not in love with. But this is a place that I love doing it.”

New changes for the Ducks

College football has been undergoing a wave of recent changes. With the House settlement likely bringing roster limits into play, Dan Lanning understands that he must be prepared to face yet another significant challenge.

“Adapt,” the HC said. “You’ve got to be ready to adapt. That’s one thing we’ve learned about college football, right? It’s going to continue to change. You’ve got to be the team that’s ready to adapt when that happens.”