Oregon TV Anchor Apologizes for False Dan Lanning Report
In the brief time that the Alabama job was open following Nick Saban’s retirement, rumors ran wild in regard to which coaches the Crimson Tide might pursue. Oregon coach Dan Lanning was one coach mentioned, and a false report indicated he was in Alabama this week.
Brandon Kamerman, an anchorman for KVAL-TV in Eugene, Ore., claimed that Lanning was in Tuscaloosa as early as Wednesday night to discuss the job with the Crimson Tide brass. Lanning later debunked the report, revealing he actually was at home with his family watching a movie when Kamerman reported he was in Alabama.
Nevertheless, the report swirled through the college football world online.
Lanning announced that he was staying at Oregon on Thursday, definitively ending any speculation connecting him to Alabama. Then, later that day, Kamerman apologized to his audience for misleading them with a false report.
“That information was wrong, I take full responsibility for that,” Kamerman said on the air. “It wasn’t the KVAL sports team. It wasn’t the rest of the news team here. … That one was on me. I take it seriously, and I do want to apologize to our viewers and to my colleagues.”
Lanning spent a year as a graduate assistant under Saban at Alabama before moving to Georgia with Kirby Smart. Alabama ultimately chose to hire Washington’s Kalen DeBoer to replace Saban.
