Do you remember what Joel Klatt said about Dan Lanning? “Lanning is building a powerhouse. If I had to buy stock in one coach in America, it would be Dan Lanning.” That’s true. The man has helped the Oregon Ducks achieve their first undefeated regular season since 2010. Even after a successful 2024 season with a Big Ten title, Lanning’s seat has suddenly been heating up… well, in simmer mode for now. That’s because the man who is often hailed as the Recruitment King has hit a momentary ‘PAUSE’ button on the recruiting trail. But finally, the drought came to an end with 5-star EDGE Richard Wesley’s commitment. So, Oregon AD Rob Mullens is feeling good about sticking with Lanning, seeing him as the right coach in the right place. After all, he has been lucky enough to have an 87-year-old billionaire’s back.  

Well, Lanning indeed is God-given. Since getting his first head coaching job at Oregon, he has delivered back-to-back 10-plus-win seasons. His meteoric rise caught former Arizona State football coach Todd Graham with big FOMO feels. After all, when Lanning was a graduate assistant in 2012 and a recruiting coordinator in 2013 under Graham at Arizona State, he did not see that coming. In 2021, Mullens announced Lanning as the 35th head coach in the program. Back then, the AD talked highly of the head coach. “Dan is an outstanding, high-energy football coach who will provide a world-class experience for our football student-athlete.” And guess what? Four years down the line, Mullens still holds the same outlook. 

On the May 12th episode of the Unafraid Show with George Wrighster podcast, the Oregon AD appeared as the guest. He was asked about what made him count on Lanning to fill the head coaching role of such a storied program. Unfortunately, that period marked one of the most chaotic times in the college football landscape. Now that the portal and NIL are in play, the student athletes are looking for a “different kind of leadership.” However, Lanning has ticked off all the checkboxes.

Making a hand gesture of imaginary ticking, Mullen shared, “Dan was on our radar. When we visited him, we were like, ‘Okay gets the modern athlete. Understands connection. Phenomenal X and O’s proven. Has studied under some of the best leaders in college football. Incredibly passionate, shares our value system, and then when you start seeing the energy and the passion around how he’s gonna build a staff, a support system, how he’s gonna care for these young people, the embracing of the portal, the embracing of the NIL, and just the absolute confidence….was a complete sell.”

Lanning has a strong base when it comes to head coaching. After all, he learned from the best, GOAT Nick Saban and Kirby Smart. The host, George Wrighster, also shared his own take.

Back then, he talked with his old mate Cortez Hankton, the wide receivers coach for the LSU Tigers. He, too, was all head over heels for Lanning. As Wrighster shared, “He said, ‘Dude great human.’…So I said ‘Okay if my kid were going to go play for him would you bet our friendship on on him?’ He said, ‘100% .’ And that’s when I was like, ‘Oh this is absolutely the right move.’” Other than flexing about Lanning, Mullen also shed light on the internal and external funding, noting a significant boost from one of Oregon’s billionaire fans. 

Will Dan Lanning fight back to fulfill Phil Knight’s dream? 

Joining the Big Ten Conference last season, Lanning’s Oregon was valued at $780 million with a $151 million revenue. Now, that does not mean everything is taken care of. As Mullen shared, “The difficulty in having 50 patchwork state laws still exists. Maybe someday we’ll get to federal legislation that levels all of that. And because that’s the challenge, we’re in a rapid change.” However, amidst this, Lanning’s program has assured to distribute the $20.5 million cap. They have Division Street, their NIL collective that is formed by Oregon alumni and donors.

Among them, the one who turns heads is Nike co-founder Phil Knight. Last season, he donated around $1 billion. However, Lanning and the boys still failed him by getting defeated in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal against Ohio State. Oregon’s last appearance in the championship game was against the Buckeyes in 2015, where it was defeated 42-20. In order to make his dreams come true, Knight pledged unlimited NIL money to help his beloved Oregon win the Natty. 

On the Crain and Company podcast, David Cone shared, “Right now I’m seeing 26 ($26 million). But they said, with Phil Knight, it’s unlimited. It’s unlimited. There’s no cap. There’s like there’s not a real number out there.” After all, this is one of Knight’s last wishes: to see his alma mater lift up the Natty. “I want to see a national championship for Oregon in football before I die.” It’s payback time for Dan Lanning’s program. After all, their $35 million alumnus helped them flip a top prospect from Ohio State to Oregon before the Buckeyes slew the Ducks at the Rose Bowl.