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Dan Lanning Coaching Record & Bio
By Chris Wright
Last Updated:
Oregon hired Dan Lanning on Dec. 11, 2021, and already he has returned the Ducks to the upper echelon of college football.
Lanning won at least 10 games in each of his first three seasons and enters 2025 with a career record of 35-6.
Dan Lanning Coaching Record at Oregon
| Season | Record (Conference) |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 13-1 (9-0 Big Ten)* |
| 2023 | 12-2 (8-1 Pac-12) |
| 2022 | 10-3 (7-2 Pac-12) |
| Overall | 35-6 |
* – Reached College Football Playoff
Dan Lanning Coaching History
- 2022-present: Head coach, Oregon
- 2019-21: Defensive coordinator, Georgia
- 2018: Outside linebackers coach, Georgia
- 2016-17: Inside linebackers coach, Memphis
- 2015: Graduate assistant, Alabama
- 2014: Defensive backs coach, Sam Houston State
- 2013: Recruiting coordinator, Arizona State
- 2012: Defensive graduate assistant, Arizona State
- 2011: Defensive graduate assistant, Pittsburgh
- 2008-2010: Assistant coach, Park Hill (Mo.) South HS
Dan Lanning Bio
Dan Lanning was just 35 years old when Oregon hired him on Dec. 11, 2021 as its next head coach.
Lanning learned and worked under two of the greatest defensive minds in college football. In 2015, he was as a graduate assistant at Alabama, working directly under then-defensive coordinator Kirby Smart and former head coach Nick Saban. That Alabama team won the College Football Playoff national championship.
During that title run, Georgia hired Smart to be its head coach in December of 2015. Two years later, Smart hired Lanning and eventually promoted him to defensive coordinator.
Lanning oversaw some of the most dominant defenses in Georgia history, including the 2021 group that won the CFP national championship.
Oregon hired Lanning during that title run — and Lanning became just the third head coach in program history to win 10 games in his debut season.
With 35 wins in three seasons, Lanning enters the 2025 season already in sixth place for most wins in program history. He could catch Mark Helfrich (37) and Chip Kelly (46) in 2025 and move into the the top 4. Mike Bellotti has the most wins at Oregon, with 116.
| Oregon coach | Seasons | Career wins |
|---|---|---|
| Mike Bellotti | 1995-2008 | 116 |
| Rich Brooks | 1977-1994 | 91 |
| Len Casanova | 1951-1966 | 82 |
| Chip Kelly | 2009-2012 | 46 |
| Mark Helfrich | 2013-2016 | 37 |
| Dan Lanning | 2022-present | 35 |
| Mario Cristobal | 2017-2021 | 35 |
Dan Lanning FAQ
Where did Dan Lanning go to college?
Dan Lanning played college football at William Jewel College, a Division II program in Missouri. Lanning was a standout linebacker who led William Jewel with 4.5 sacks in 2007.
What is Dan Lanning's salary?
On March 6, 2025, Dan Lanning and Oregon agreed to a new 6-year contract extension that will pay him almost $11 million a year. His contract now ends after the 2030 season.
What is Dan Lanning's buyout?
Dan Lanning’s new contract is fully guaranteed. So if Oregon were to fire him without cause, it would owe him almost $11 million for each season remaining on the deal, which runs through the 2030 season.
Is Dan Lanning part of Nick Saban's coaching tree?
Yes, Dan Lanning worked as a graduate assistant on Nick Saban’s Alabama staff in 2015.
Is Dan Lanning part of Kirby Smart's coaching tree?
Yes. Dan Lanning initially worked with Kirby Smart when both were at Alabama in 2015. Smart became Georgia’s head coach and hired Lanning as an assistant in 2018 before promoting him to defensive coordinator. Lanning spent 4 seasons on Smart’s staff at Georgia (2018-21) before becoming Oregon’s head coach.