Oregon Coach Dan Lanning Reacts to Dana Altman Retirement News

The No. 13 Oregon Ducks’ Wednesday entering a pivotal Week 6 matchup against the No. 21 UCLA Bruins kicked off with a busy news cycle within the athletics department.

Longtime men’s basketball coach Dana Altman announced his retirement after 16 seasons with the program and one Final Four appearance. With football coach Dan Lanning already set to take the podium for his weekly press conference, Lanning quickly delivered a touching statement to the legendary coach.

Mar 10, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dana Altman during the first half against the Maryland Terrapins at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“There's people that do things the right way. Dana Altman’s a guy that does it the right way in every sense,” Lanning said. “I mean, he from the ground up, a guy that's coaching small ball, coaching Kansas JUCO ball, right, and becomes a Hall of Fame coach.”

“And the way he did that is consistency, you know, consistency in his approach, the ability to be there and all in at all times, the adaptability of the game,” he continued. “He talked about how, ‘Hey, the game's different now than it was when he first got into it,’ and things to be prepared for.”

After congratulating Altman on his retirement, Lanning – who’s been part of Oregon Athletics for now his fifth season as coach – revealed what he’s learned from him both on and off the field.

“And then I just always have a lot of admiration for the way he treated my family and the way I saw him interact with his,” Lanning said. “It's just something that certainly sticks out to me because, as great of a coach as he is an unbelievable human, and sometimes that gets lost in this.”

“You know everybody looks at wins and losses, and he's got more wins than anybody,” he added. “There's a reason. There's a reason he's a Hall of Famer, but he's a great human, and that's I know everybody that he impacted, and I know in my time, the impact he had on me. So certainly grateful for that.”

Oregon football is set to play the Bruins at 12:30 p.m. PT on Saturday. Lanning continued his presser with his thoughts on the quarterback situation and cornerback Ify Obidegwu’s development.

Everything Dan Lanning Said

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning speaks during a press conference on Aug. 15, 2026, at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex in Eugene, Oregon. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Opening Statement:

“I just walked off the field to probably similar news that you guys got about Coach Altman, and a lot of things come to mind, you know, immediately when I hear that one.”

“I'm just happy for him and Reva and their opportunity to spend some time with grandbabies. I know that's something that means the world to him, and I think about the impact he's had on me as a coach personally, a great mentor, sees the game, and obviously a Hall of Fame coach.”

“What he's been able to accomplish, you know, I love his story and how grounded he is, and he's as good as they come. So, I think we all know that. But I'm excited for what the future holds for him and what those opportunities look like, and certainly grateful for my opportunity getting to know him, and look forward to staying connected with Dana in the future. So, want to celebrate that.”

“But our guys had some good work today. Red area day, third-down day, some real detailed focus, and obviously a great opponent that we have to prepare for.”

Recruiting Cornerback Ify Obidigwu:

USC Trojans receiver Tanook Hines (16) catches a touchdown against Oregon Ducks defensive back Ify Obidegwu — Sep 26, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans wide receiver Tanook Hines (16) catches a eleven-yard pass for a touchdown against Oregon Ducks defensive back Ify Obidegwu (7) during the second half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“Yeah, from St. Francis, a school that's it's about football. He put in a lot of work and a lot of time, and obviously this wasn't the most convenient place for him to go to school, but for him to decide this, I think he had an admiration for Oregon, and there was a great connection there. Ify’s never been one for a lot of words, right?”

“He's always been more of an action guy. He doesn't say a lot; he just plays. But I think right away you're caught off guard by his size and his ability. He has some of those traits that you look for in a corner outside, and what he's able to do.”

“And then I'm just excited about his improvement and just his mindset, like he really is. He's an all-ball guy. Steps out there every day trying to work and knows that he can continue to improve and get better. And I think we've seen that from him.”

Cornerback Ify Obidigwu’s On-Ball Plays:

“Yeah, I think in the secondary in general, it's something we've certainly emphasized in the offseason, and certainly this week. And thinking back to games like SC, where we were hurt when the ball was thrown deep and we didn't play the ball as well.”

“We walked out of that game without any pass interference calls past the 15, which is something we want to be able to hold our hat on. And he's certainly improved in that area, and a lot of our secondaries improved in that area of tackling the ball and putting themselves in position to make plays on it.”

Familiarity With UCLA Defensive Backs Cole Martin and Rodrick Pleasant:

“Yeah, tendencies really tied more to scheme, right? Familiar, certainly familiar with the players. They're playing good football, right? Roger's playing a lot in the boundary is the boundary corner, and they do a lot to change up the techniques that he plays with. But he's playing well, and Cole's out there as well. You see him playing and making an impact on the game.”

Ify Obidegwu Embracing Extra Targets:

Oregon defensive back Ify Obidegwu works out as the Oregon Ducks practice at Barry University ahead of the Orange Bowl on Dec. 30, 2025, in Miami, Florida. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

“Yeah, extra targets means extra opportunities, right? And I don't know exact numbers or what that looks like for him, how many more opportunities he's gotten, but I think he's a guy that would welcome those because that gives him an opportunity to go make a play on the ball.”

Players Rallying Around Quarterback Dylan Raiola:

“Yeah, I mean, you might not enjoy this, but it's been business as usual in a lot of ways, right? He had an expectation when he stepped out there on the field and performed at a really high level, and everybody had confidence in him because they see him do it a lot in practice. You get a lot of reps in practice, regardless of where you're sitting.”

“So, very similar in that situation for him is he went out there and executed, and now everybody expects every one of the guys on the team to continue to grow and continue to improve and take advantage of opportunities when they get him.”

Quarterback Uncertainty Complicating Game Prep:

“No, I mean again, we feel comfortable with a lot of plays. We carry a lot of volume, right, and we're able to kind of build off of that and work off of that based on who's in.”

“But you know the calls that we put together are ones that we feel comfortable for the most part, with most guys, right? Regardless who's in there, you just know, okay, this is where we can really hang our hat with certain players.”

Putting Money and Effort Into Backup Quarterbacks:

Oregon quarterback Dylan Raiola celebrates a touchdown by Oregon running back Dierre Hill Jr. as the Oregon Ducks face the USC Trojans on Sept. 26, 2026, at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

“Yeah, not familiar with, you said it’s an article? Yeah, not familiar with it, but I think getting development speaks for itself.”

“So, when you can point at the body of work of what our quarterbacks been able to do, whether it's Bo (Nix) initially, Dillon Gabriel, Dante, Dylan, what he just did recently in the game, I think it speaks to what we're able to create for those guys when they come here.”

“And you know, if you look, I think near 80 percent of our snaps are guys that have not come from the portal right now that are playing for us, and that's always been our goal. And each year, that's gotten smaller and smaller and smaller.”

“It's no different at the quarterback position. We want to be able to build from the ground up and grow guys internally. And I've seen a lot of growth from the guys that joined us from day one.”

“You know, (Akili Smith Jr.) is a night-and-day player compared to when he first got here, and his growth and what he's become. So, we believe in developing at all positions, and certainly that's been shown at quarterback.”

Quarterback Dante Moore Being Back in Practice:

“Yeah, I think the biggest thing is just being able to see a smile on his face to get around and be around his teammates and his brothers and do that at a high level, which is fun. Everybody has a smile on their face getting to see Dante out there with us this week, and it's been fun seeing him compete.”

Dylan Raiola’s Improvements Since Spring:

Oregon quarterback Dylan Raiola throws out a pass as the Oregon Ducks host the Portland State Vikings on Sept. 18, 2026, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

“Yeah, again, it's totally different systems than what he was running before. So, I think you got to build confidence in the system, and that takes time, especially when you ask the quarterback to do as much as we ask the quarterback to do.”

“Whether it's checks on plays or just the length of a call, right? It's a little bit different. There's a lot of variables in there, and it takes some time to get comfortable with it, even when you're really cerebral and intelligent like Dylan is.”

“So, the comfortability with the system, and then the growth within that system of understanding where's the wins, where do I want to take the ball in those situations. and take advantage of.”

Communicating Future Opportunities With Dylan Raiola:

“I think he knows it in the way that we operate and the way that we work every single day.”

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