Seeking Stability: Oregon’s Coaching History
After just one season in Eugene, Oregon coach Dan Lanning is a wealthy man. The Ducks’ coach officially inked a deal on Thursday that will pay him a fully guaranteed $45 million between now and 2028, making him the highest-paid coach in the Pac-12.
However, there’s a caveat: Dan Lanning’s buyout is now $20 million. In an era where schools are tightening their wallets, this new figure makes it almost impossible for Lanning to coach anywhere but Oregon for the next six years.
Here’s why the deal makes sense for both sides.
Oregon’s Done With the Coaching Carousel
Oregon built itself into a national power on stability. From 1977 until 2008, Oregon football had two coaches: Rich Brooks and Mike Bellotti. When Bellotti retired, Oregon thought it had its next long-term man in Chip Kelly.
Given that Kelly now coaches UCLA, it’s obvious that didn’t go as planned. Since hiring Kelly, Oregon hasn’t kept a coach longer than four seasons. Kelly left for the NFL, Mark Helfrich couldn’t sustain success and left after a 4-8 season, Willie Taggart bolted for Florida State and Mario Cristobal fled for Miami. Even though Kirby Smart’s entrenched at Georgia and Lanning’s not going back to Athens, Oregon didn’t want to take the chance that some other SEC program could snatch Lanning. The Ducks want a coach for the long haul.
Dan Lanning Has Excellent Job Security
Security is paramount for any coach on the recruiting trail, and now Dan Lanning has it. What’s more, he probably wasn’t going to want to leave Eugene of his own volition anytime soon. He’s from Kansas City, and none of the jobs in that area represent a step up from Oregon. He cut his teeth in the SEC, but unless off-field problems derail Smart, no desirable jobs in that league are opening anytime soon.
Lanning has the best job in the wounded Pac-12, and if he does it well, he can position his team to make the College Football Playoff in most seasons. For a coach in his late 30s, that’s a great spot to be.
There’s risk on both sides, of course. If Lanning becomes a hot commodity, he’ll be unable to cash in on his success. If things go badly at Oregon, it’s now almost impossible to fire Lanning. But Oregon believes it has the right man in place. If that’s true, buying low now to lock him up is the prudent move.