Ducks Digest

Why Dan Lanning Is Worth Every Penny for the Oregon Ducks

After a 13-2 record for the 2025-2026 season, Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning finds himself in the middle of the top 10 highest-paid coaches across the nation.
Ally Osborne|
Jan 9, 2026; Atlanta, GA, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning leads his team onto the field prior to the 2025 Peach Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff against the Indiana Hoosiers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Jan 9, 2026; Atlanta, GA, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning leads his team onto the field prior to the 2025 Peach Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff against the Indiana Hoosiers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

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Oregon Ducks

In the 2025-2026 season, the Oregon Ducks put in a 13-2 overall record and the first-ever Orange Bowl win in program history before reaching the College Football Playoff semifinals for the first time in the modern era.

All that success comes with a price, and Oregon coach Dan Lanning's contract already saw a spike in Nov. after the Ducks took down the then-ranked No. 15 USC Trojans at Autzen Stadium.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning speaks during the head coaches’ press conference ahead of the Peach Bowl at the College Footbal
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning speaks during the head coaches’ press conference ahead of the Peach Bowl at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, Georgia, on Jan. 8, 2026. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In fact, just three years after USA Today reported Dan Lanning as the No. 19 highest paid college football coach in the nation, a new report places Lanning in the middle of the top 10.

Highest-Paid College Football Coaches

According to DraftKings, Indiana Hoosiers' coach Curt Cignetti tops the list of highest-paid coaches with a $13.2 million estimated salary. According to ESPN the new deal from the Hoosiers to Cignetti, which activated when Indiana reached the Peach Bowl to face the Ducks, guaranteed Cignetti would be within the top three highest paid coaches.

Where Lanning lies is in the middle at No. 6 with a $11 million estimated annual salary.

Tenure to Salary

Looking at Cignetti's two years with Indiana, it's interesting to see that two other coaches in this highest paid rundown have also been with their program for two or less years: LSU's Lane Kiffin and Texas A&M's Mike Elko.

MORE: Oregon Ducks Receive Surprising Ranking Heading Into 2026 Season

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MORE: New Quarterback Rankings Show Why the Oregon Ducks Are Different

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Jan 1, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders head coach Joey McGuire and Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning m
Jan 1, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders head coach Joey McGuire and Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning meet at midfield following the 2025 Orange Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Why Paying Dan Lanning Matters

Though current college football salarys include eye-popping numbers, they've become a necessity for maintaining a coach that can bring a program success, and Lanning has the program growth to show for his paycheck.

In his four years with Oregon, Lanning consistently put up improving numbers for season records, recruits, and national buzz around the program. Lanning helped the Ducks reach beyond the first round of the College Football Playoff twice in a row, with hardware from the Orange Bowl, Big Ten Championship, Holiday Bowl, and Fiesta Bowl. Not to mention, Lanning won the Stallings Award in 2025 for his extra efforts in coaching.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning watches as Indiana scores as the Oregon Ducks face the Indiana Hoosiers in the Peach Bowl on Ja
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning watches as Indiana scores as the Oregon Ducks face the Indiana Hoosiers in the Peach Bowl on Jan. 9, 2026, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Buying Stock in Dan Lanning from Joel Klatt

An investment in Lanning is looked at by the university as an investment in their athletes and the future of the program, which Fox Sports Analyst Joel Klatt explained on his most recent podcast episode of The Joel Klatt Show.

"If I had to buy stock in a coach then it would have been Dan Lanning," Klatt said. "Oregon is a perennial National Championship contender under Lanning. He has elevated them above what they were before he got there. Period. He's 48 and 8 in his four seasons at Oregon. 48 and 8. And six of his eight loss came against teams that reached the title game."

Can Lanning and the Ducks take the next step in 2026 and win a CFP title?

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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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