Dan Lanning Reveals Oregon Ducks' Recipe For Success

The Oregon Ducks football program has gotten a step closer to winning a coveted National Championship in each of Dan Lanning’s first three seasons as coach.

Lanning told Big Ten Network’s Rick Pizzo in a recent sit-down interview that what has allowed team culture to flourish is the trust and communication established between the players and coaching staff.

“You hear coaches say it all the time, they want player-led teams,” Lanning told Pizzo. “But you got to give your players an opportunity to lead.”

Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning celebrates defeating the Penn State Nittany Lions to win the Big Ten Championship. — Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning celebrates defeating the Penn State Nittany Lions to win the Big Ten Championship in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

An example that Lanning and Pizzo discussed came during the 2024 Big Ten Conference Championship Game against the Penn State Nittany Lions. Former Ducks wide receiver Tez Johnson, who the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, approached the Oregon head coach heading into the fourth quarter.

“I went up to coach Lanning and said, ‘I need your best 15 minutes here,’” Johnson said on the Big Ten Championship postgame show. “‘Coach, it don’t matter what you say to us, I just need your best.’”

Oregon Ducks wide receiver Tez Johnson stiff-arms Penn State Nittany Lions cornerback Zion Tracy. — Oregon Ducks wide receiver Tez Johnson (15) stiff arms Penn State Nittany Lions cornerback Zion Tracy (7) on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, during the Big Ten Championship game between the Oregon Ducks and the Penn State Nittany Lions at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. | Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Johnson was on the receiving end of a 48-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter against Penn State that put Oregon up 38-24. The Ducks scored once more after the receiver challenged Lanning. They won the game 45-37 with Johnson taking home the Big Ten Championship MVP award. He finished with 181 yards on 11 receptions.

“You want to challenge your players to be their best,” Lanning told Pizzo. “But you want them to be able to challenge you to be your best as well.”

The program is 35-6 overall through Lanning’s three seasons. Oregon reached its first national No. 1 overall ranking in over a decade during the 2024 season, with the team staying an undefeated 13-0 through the victory over the Nittany Lions.

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But Lanning believes that the untraditional relationship, which allows players like Johnson to have honest discussions with the staff, is what has played a key role in the accomplishments.

“We talk about growth mindset in our program all the time and it doesn’t really matter who you are, you better be finding a way to get better,” Lanning said. “If our players can have open and honest conversations with us on where we can improve, and we can do the same with them, that’s the best recipe for success.”

The 39-year-old coach added that it’s huge having players who can have tough conversations with other players rather than the coaches always having those conversations with players.

Oregon coach Dan Lanning greets Fighting Ducks running back Jayden Limar before the game. — Oregon coach Dan Lanning greets Fighting Ducks running back Jayden Limar before the game as the Fighting Ducks face off against Mighty Oregon in the Oregon Ducks spring game on April 26, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Lanning acknowledged the program is in a different spot heading into his fourth season than it was in 2022. Oregon went 10-3 overall in Lanning's first season, 12-2 in 2023, and 13-1 in 2024.

The Ducks enter the fall with a lot of new faces set to start. Players seem keen to be a part of the program’s culture, as Lanning’s picked up nearly a dozen transfer portal additions and the team holds a top-five 2025 recruiting ranking.

Oregon will look to defend its Big Ten Championship and continue its success under Lanning’s reign when the 2025 season kicks off on Aug. 30 against Montana State.

"You got to learn from experience but then you also have to recognize that last year's experience has nothing to do with this year's success," Lanning said.