With no Alabama job available, Dan Lanning’s name hasn’t been bandied about as much in coaching discussions the past two years. But on ESPN’s ‘College GameDay’ in front of the Oregon crowd, he did his darndest to take his name off the table entirely.
‘Because the grass is damn green, Pat,’ Lanning said, beaming. ‘I ain’t going anywhere. I love this place. You gotta be able to appreciate what you have. And I appreciate what I have here so much. This will be my spot forever. And grateful for that.’
Lanning’s decree comes at a notable time. Oregon is in the College Football Playoff hunt with a huge game against USC on Nov. 22. Though his bones were made in the SEC with Georgia, he has become a Pacific Northwest fixture in the college football landscape.
The Duck-for-life declaration also comes while Mississippi has no such assurances with Lane Kiffin, which is impacting prognostications of the Rebels’ potential playoff spot. Kiffin, who is reportedly set to entertain record-setting offers from the likes of LSU and Florida, has not committed to Mississippi long-term. An announcement is expected after the Egg Bowl, per Mississippi AD Keith Carter.
Oregon (9-1, 6-1 Big Ten) has found tremendous success under Lanning. He is 44-7 since getting his first head coaching job in 2022 with a playoff berth last season as the No. 1 overall seed. While there were early rumors of him leaving for Tuscaloosa after Nick Saban’s retirement, they proved to be nothing but just that: Rumors. If Lanning is to be believed, they’ll only ever be rumors in the future as well.