Ducks Digest

College Football Coaches Rankings: Dan Lanning, Kirby Smart, Ryan Day

With top-10 lists swirling the internet during the offseason, Oregon Ducks' coach Dan Lanning was recently ranked below Georgia Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart, Ohio State Buckeyes coach Ryan Day and a few others in a recent college football coaches ranking.
Ally Osborne|
Oregon coach Dan Lanning leads his team onto the field before the game against Colorado in Eugene Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023.
Oregon coach Dan Lanning leads his team onto the field before the game against Colorado in Eugene Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

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Offseason NCAA football media chatter tends to include endless debates about the best of any category: players, stadiums, mascots, uniforms, and even concessions. The Oregon Ducks, and specifically coach Dan Lanning, has found himself on yet another ranking list for the best coaches in college ball.

ESPN analyst Greg McElroy shared his top ten picks for college football coaches on his podcast, "Always College Football with Greg McElroy" earlier this week with Lanning at the No. 5 spot for what he dubbed a "blistering" first three years with the program.

Sitting above Lanning are Ohio State's Ryan Day and Georgia's Kirby Smart while Alabama's Kalen DeBoer and Clemson's Dabo Swinney sit behind the 38-year-old coach on McElroy's ranking.

Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning watches from the sideline during the College Football Playoff quarterfinal against the Oh
Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning watches from the sideline during the College Football Playoff quarterfinal against the Ohio State Buckeyes at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. on Jan. 1, 2025. Ohio State won 41-21. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"He has a remarkable 35 and 6 [record]," McElroy said on his podcast. "Those 35 wins are by far the most to start a career at Oregon. Pretty impressive to think about what's been accomplished in his tenure. What's most impressive is probably the 10 and 6 record against AP ranked teams and his ability to adapt to the modern era."

"Granted he's got a ridiculous amount of resources at his disposal," McElroy continued. "Oregon is one of the best jobs in the country because of their access to resources, but he has put those resources to work and been thoughtful about going and attracting the right players onto his roster."

With Lanning's three year tenure with the Ducks showing growth year over year (making three double-digit win seasons), the 2024 season yielding a Big Ten Conference championship title, a 13-0 record regular season, and a post season appearance at the Rose Bowl, the coach has certainly earned his spot on this list. However, execution in the post season for later seasons will be what propels Lanning beyond his higher-listed peers.

ESPN's Greg McElroy's List of Top 10 Best College Football Coaches:

#1: Kirby Smart, Georgia
#2: Ryan Day, Ohio State
#3: Steve Sarkisian, Texas
#4: Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame
#5: Dan Lanning, Oregon
#6: Kalen Deboer, Alabama
#7: Dabo Swinney, Clemson
#8: Jeff Brohm, Louisville
#9: Brian Kelly, LSU
#10: James Franklin, Penn State

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Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning talks to ESPN's Holly Rowe prior to the College Football Playoff quarterfinal against the
Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning talks to ESPN's Holly Rowe prior to the College Football Playoff quarterfinal against the Ohio State Buckeyes at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. on Jan. 1, 2025. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Fun fact: Lanning's 35 wins are second-most among active head coaches since 2022 behind only Smart, the leader of McElroy's list.

Lanning's prowess at Oregon was recently recognized by winning the 2025 Stallings Award, given to a coach in college football with outstanding achievement, leadership, and character. Lanning is the first Oregon coach to ever receive the honor.

Before the start of spring training, Lanning signed a new contract with the Ducks to keep him with the program through the 2030 season. With this new contract, Lanning will make an average of $11 million annually, making him one of the top five highest paid coaches in college football (of salaries that are currently known).

With a mindset of moving forward to the next game, next season will tell if more top ten lists should add, or move up, that coach out west.

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Ally Osborne
ALLY OSBORNE

A reporter for Oregon Ducks on SI, Ally Osborne is a born and raised Oregonian. She graduated from the University of Oregon's School of Journalism and Communications in 2021 after interning for the Oregon Sports Network with experience working on live sporting broadcasts for ESPN, FOX Sports, the PAC 12 Network, and Runnerspace. Osborne continued her career in Bend, Oregon as a broadcast reporter in 2021 for Central Oregon Daily News while writing for Oregon Ducks on SI. Since then, Osborne is entering her third season reporting for the publication and is frequently the on-site reporter for home games at Autzen Stadium in Eugene. She is currently the host of lifestyle shows "Everyday Northwest" and "Tower Talk Live" for KOIN 6 News in Portland, Oregon. Osborne also works as a sports reporter for KOIN 6's "Game On" sports department. In her free time, Osborne is an avid graphic designer, making art commissions for athletes across her home state. Osborne's designs have even become tattoos for a few Duck athletes.

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