Why Dan Lanning Isn’t Going Anywhere, At Least Not Right Now

750 THE GAME STAFF

Dan Lanning is already being tossed around as a potential candidate for the coaching vacancy at Texas A&M following the expensive firing of Jimbo Fisher on Sunday.

John Canzano opened Monday’s radio show with some reactions to those rumors and said he doesn’t think leaving Eugene makes much sense for Lanning at this point.

“If Dan Lanning really is going to explore a job, I would be surprised if that job came sooner, rather than much later down the road,” Canzano said on 750 The Game.

“From Lanning’s standpoint, it’s really clear to me that he and his wife, Sophia, would love nothing more than to have their three sons grow up in the same place, graduate from the same high school, and I think they really are thinking of that place as Eugene.”

Lanning has preached family with regularity in his one-on-one interviews on the Bald Faced Truth, and Canzano says that plays a huge role in keeping him at Oregon at this point of his career.

“I feel like I have a good sense of who this guy is,” Canzano said. “You’ve heard my interviews with him on this show. They’re more talking about life, talking about family, talking a little bit about football. But part of it is because I think I’ve done the legwork and I kind of understand who this guy is and I understand what motivates him. I think he wants to win a national championship. He wants to be a football coach at a high level at a university that he thinks that he can win on that level or compete for a championship in most years.

“And for that reason given the emphasis now on the transfer portal and on name, image, likeness, that Dan Lanning has one of the best jobs in college football. There’s about ten or twelve of these jobs — and he’s got one of them.”

The brand of Oregon football certainly is one of the most recognizable in the sport, and most agree it is a better job than the one in Aggieland, particularly with Oregon bound for the Big Ten.

Lanning also has already received one contract extension at Oregon following a ten-win debut season. His family

“He and his wife have moved seven times in the last thirteen years,” contextualized Canzano “They have three sons — (two) in elementary school and one in middle school. Seven moves in thirteen years. Think about what that oldest child has been through. Think about the middle child, and the youngest.

“Dan Lanning told me in July when Oregon extended his contract, that one of his family priorities was to see his three boys grow up and graduate from the same high school. He wants them to have the experience that he had as a kid, not moving around seven times in thirteen years. And so I really do think we’re going to get to see that in Eugene.”

Texas A&M won’t get Dan Lanning this time around. But a fanbase that has already seen the likes of its two previous head coaches up and leave for what they considered “better” jobs — Willie Taggart to Florida State and Mario Cristobal for Miami — it’s understandable that there is some angst around Lanning.

“If a no-brainer job comes available, it’s a different conversation, because I think you could move again if you’re Dan Lanning,” said Canzano. “But I would be really surprised if he was interested in going anywhere at this point.”

John Canzano delivers the Bald Faced Truth afternoons 3-6 p.m. exclusively in Portland on 750 The Game.

Listen to Canzano’s full comments on Lanning’s future in Eugene at about the 8:00 mark of the show podcast below.