Three Reasons Why Oregon Is A Better Fit Than NFL For Dan Lanning

Recent reports from NFL circles have indicated that Oregon coach Dan Lanning will be a candidate for multiple professional openings this offseason. While enticing, here is why Oregon is better than any NFL job for Lanning.

Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning walks off the field as the Oregon Ducks host the Oregon State Beavers Sept. 20, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning is undoubtedly one of the the brightest young coaches in college football. Just five games into his fourth season as a head coach, Lanning has a 40-6 record, a Big Ten Championship, and a New Year's Six bowl victory.

Add in the fact that he’s a protégé of Georgia’s National Championship-winning coach Kirby Smart & also learned under the greatest of all time, former Alabama coach Nick Saban, it’s no surprise he’s where he is today. 

When success arises, so does opportunity. Lanning has reportedly been bubbling through NFL circles as a prime candidate for a head coaching job when a vacancy opens, as they always do. Who could blame NFL owners and front office leaders? On the surface, Lanning has everything one could want in a coach: an impressive winning percentage and a young age of 39. 

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning celebrates the Ducks’ win as the Oregon Ducks face the Penn State Nittany Lions on Sept. 27, 2025, at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“To see the confidence he has in his team and the way he empowers them to go out, and he lifts everyone up, even though he’s a badass and he’s tough on them and gets the most out of them. But Campbell’s the same way. Dan Campbell’s the same way. He grinds them, man. We saw the Hard Knocks. You see the physicality, the toughness, all of it. Campbell knows how to then lift guys up, and you’re like, this Lanning is special. He’s special,” NFL Draft analyst Todd McShay said. 

However, the question isn’t whether or not he could leave, it’s why should he? Oregon is arguably the best job in not just college football, but all of football. Here are three reasons why Oregon is a better job for Lanning than anything the NFL could present to him. 

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Nike/Investment:

The Ducks are well funded as a university: they are the home of Nike, and Phil Knight is all in. Finances will never be an issue as long as he’s there. The Ducks have multiple new facility developments underway and have been as good as anyone at recruiting both high school and the transfer portal in the NIL era. This part of the job being solidified ensures the coming benefits exceed what the NFL provides.

“Ultimately, how blessed are we being at a place that’s invested in winning? If you want to be a top-10 team in college football, you better be invested in winning and we spend to win. Some people save to have an excuse for why they don’t. And ultimately, he’s a great coach that’s done an unbelievable job, but I want to be a team that’s competing at the highest level and we’re really fortunate to be in that situation,” Lanning said earlier this season. 

Sep 13, 2025; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning leads his team on the field against the Northwestern Wildcats at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

General Manager/Transfer Portal:

College football has now adopted the general manager and extended front office method of operating, allowing coaches to be less hands-on with travel and recruiting. While Lanning still serves an integral role in recruiting, a general manager and extended staff undoubtedly ease that once daunting task.

The power to essentially hand-select your roster matters greatly as well. That will never be the case in the NFL. Additionally, the transfer portal ensures roster holes get filled with proven players and less turnover time when losing over a dozen players to the NFL, as Oregon did last season. 

Expanded Playoff System:

One of the more recent additions to the list of perks to being a college football coach is the expanded playoff.

While some fans may hate it, it provides for more opportunities from a coaching perspective. Gone are the days when one or two losses disintegrate a team's ability to compete for national championships. With conference and schedule realignment, three losses will likely not entirely wipe away your chances at this rate. Making the playoffs yearly will further provide job assurance, and the Ducks look well-equipped to continue putting themselves in the conversation.

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

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The NFL will still be enticing for most every coach that has the opportunity to make that leap, but the current setup in Oregon is as good or better than any in the world for a football team. Add in the recent changes to the college football landscape, there’s absolutely no where Dan Lanning could go that would be a better job than the one as the head coach of the Oregon Ducks.