Who is Dan Lanning? Oregon coach was once on Alabama staff

Since news broke of Nick Saban’s retirement as Alabama’s head football coach, one name gaining traction as a potential replacement is that of Oregon’s Dan Lanning.

Here’s a breakdown on who Lanning is, where he’s worked, what he’s accomplished and what is his connection to Saban and Alabama:

The 37-year-old Lanning recently completed his second season at Oregon, where he has an overall record of 22-5. Led by quarterback Bo Nix, his 2023 team finished 12-2 and beat Liberty 45-6 in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year’s Day.

Lanning is known for his high-energy, upbeat personality and aggressive nature as a coach. He drew criticism earlier this season for gambling unsuccessfully on fourth down a number of times in a 36-33 loss to Washington in Seattle.

Prior to getting the Oregon job, Lanning spent four seasons on Kirby Smart’s staff at Georgia. He was hired as outside linebackers coaches in 2018, adding the title of defensive coordinator the following year.

Lanning helped the Bulldogs to a 45-8 record, with a national championship in his final season. Shortly after Georgia beat Alabama for the 2022 title, the then-35-year-old Lanning was hired to replace Mario Cristobal as head coach at Oregon.

Lanning also spent two seasons (2016-17) as inside linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator at Memphis. He has also worked at Pittsburgh, Arizona State and Sam Houston State, but his career got a jump start in 2015 when he was hired by Saban as a graduate assistant at Alabama.

Lanning was part of a 2015 Alabama staff that also included future head coaches Smart, Cristobal, Lane Kiffin, Mel Tucker and Billy Napier. The Crimson Tide went 14-1 and beat Clemson in the national title game that season.

A native of North Kansas City, Mo., Lanning played linebacker at Division II William Jewell College in his home state from 2004-07. He got his coaching start as an assistant at Park Hill (Mo.) South High School in 2008, working there three years before he was hired as a graduate assistant at Pittsburgh.

Lanning is under contract at Oregon through 2030 at more than $8 million per year after receiving a one-year extension in November. He said earlier that month there was “zero chance” he was leaving the Ducks for Texas A&M (which had just fired Jimbo Fisher) or any other job that might come open.

“I think I’ve been really, really clear here since Day 1, everything I want exists right here,” Lanning said, via OregonLive.com. “I’m not going anywhere. There’s zero chance that I would be coaching somewhere else. I’ve got unfinished business here; there’s a lot that I want to accomplish here at Oregon. My No. 1 priority is being elite here at Oregon and we have the resources, the tools — anybody that can’t understand why you would want to be here at this place does not understand exactly what exists here.

“…I’m not concerned about, like getting a better contract. I’m taken care of extremely well here at Oregon. I have the resources I need here at Oregon to be really, really successful. I’m not motivated by that. I’m motivated by winning. I’m motivated by being elite here. Our players deserve my complete focus. Our fans deserve the best product on the field. It’s outside noise — it didn’t matter before; it doesn’t matter now. I’ll continue to say it until I’m blue in the face: I’m going to be here at Oregon. That hasn’t changed. That won’t change.”

There’s little doubt Alabama will at least “kick the tires” on Lanning’s level of interest, however. His buyout would cost the Crimson Tide an estimated $20 million, per ESPN.

Creg Stephenson has worked for AL.com since 2010 and has covered college football for a variety of publications since 1994. Contact him at cstephenson@al.com or follow him on Twitter/X at @CregStephenson.