Why the Texas Job Didn't Make Sense for Dan Lanning
Georgia football defensive coordinator Dan Lanning recently turned down a lucrative offer to fill the same position at the University of Texas.
Despite the large sum of money Texas surely offered Lanning, his decision shouldn't come as a surprise. There are a few reasons why leaving now wouldn't make any sense for Lanning.
#UnfinishedBusiness
Georgia is on the brink of a national championship. How could Lanning pass up the chance to add "national championship winning defensive coordinator" to his resume? The ultimate goal for Lanning is to become a head coach. Winning a national title will speed up that process.
Sometimes personal decisions outweigh business decisions
Georgia is on the brink of a title because two of Lanning's players chose Georgia over the NFL draft. Leaving Jordan Davis and Devonte Wyatt after helping convince them to stay one more year wouldn't have been a good look for Lanning.
Ultimately leaving for a higher paying job is a business decision. However, in the cutthroat world of recruiting, you don't want your business decisions used against you by rival coaches.
It's a lateral move
Does that sound familiar Georgia fans? It should, because this time, Georgia is on the positive end of a coach turning down a lateral move.
When Georgia's defensive coordinator position opened in 2010 and again in 2014, head coach Kirby Smart was the prime candidate. Both times, Alabama head coach Nick Saban advised Smart against taking the job. Saban's pitch was that Smart should look for bigger jobs, not the same job at a different school.
The wait paid off. Instead of going to Georgia, Smart stayed in Tuscaloosa and built his resume even more. Smart's defensive prowess would have prolonged Mark Richt's Georgia career, meaning the head coaching job wouldn't have been available for Smart in 2016.
When Lanning received the offer from Texas this past week, he likely went to Smart for advice. Smart probably told Lanning what Saban told him, and backed up Saban's words with his own personal experience.
