What New Oregon Head Coach Dan Lanning Said at Introductory Press Conference
Oregon officially introduced Dan Lanning as its 35th head football coach Monday, and he spoke to the media for the first time.
Opening Statement:
"Man, it feels great to be a Duck. I've always admired this program from afar, and the only word that I can really use right now to describe this feeling is grateful. I want to personally thank Rob Mullens for putting his faith in me and giving me this incredible opportunity. There has been a shared vision throughout this process and in this organization, and for us to be successful here, Rob's and my vision aligned. That was really key. It feels like a perfect fit. I wouldn't be here today without your commitment, your long-term vision for the building of this football program, and I know how proud you are of what Oregon can be, and I know where we're headed.
To President [Michael] Schill, the Board of Trustees, Mr. and Mrs. Knight, and the entire community of Eugene and Oregon, I thank you. This place is special, and we were welcomed with open arms.
To our former players, I am a servant to you. Whether I've coached you or not, we want you to know this is a program you can be proud of and part of. This is a place that your involvement is very important to us. We want you back. One thing, even when you leave home, this place should always feel like home to you.
I want to thank Duck nation for welcoming my family. I've only been here for a couple of days, and I really haven't come up for air yet, but it's already starting to feel like home. My wife was able to go look at schools and just see the community today, which is really rewarding. I appreciate your faith in me, and I promise to repay that faith with sweat in the bucket. This place deserves that.
Our staff will operate with a lunch-pail mentality. We'll be relentless in our pursuit of excellence, and we will be built on what we do, not what we say. Our fans and our alumni deserve a locker room that's full of players and coaches that are proud to wear green. I can promise you we will have that.
I was so fortunate in my career to have so many unique opportunities that also happened to uniquely prepare me for this opportunity, this exceptional opportunity. I want to give a special thanks to Kirby Smart and his wife Mary Beth at the University of Georgia for believing in me and giving me an opportunity. He was so critical in my growth as a coach and has prepared me for this as I sit here today.
Every day as an assistant coach, every day as a graduate assistant, every day as a recruiting coordinator, whatever hat I wore, I always wore that hat knowing I was preparing for the next job. And that's no different today.
Maybe most importantly and also just as important, I want to thank my former players. I think we know that there is a huge reason I'm standing here today. There's no secret. They provided great opportunities for me throughout my career, and I've had the pleasure of coaching some phenomenal players over the past year. For me, it's been really clear. It's always been about the players. They're the only thing that matters. The players make this thing tick. And I want every one of my former players to know first off that I love you, and secondly that I'll be here for you forever and always.
Lastly, and most importantly, I want to thank my wife, Sauphia, my rock. It's hard for you to realize the sacrifices that your family deal with in the coaching world. And Sophia has been our head coach at home for so long, and she's worn so many hats and done so many important things for our family to show her support. It's crazy to think that our journey together started about 16 years ago at Outback Steakhouse. I was a server and she was a to-go girl, and next thing you know we're sitting here at Oregon. But I love you, I admire your strength, and I thank you. To my kids, Caden, Kniles, and Titan, I'm so thrilled thrilled to be the head coach of the University of Oregon, but I've never been more proud of anything than to be your dad. That's the thing I'm most proud of."
On why he coaches:
"Ultimately, this is about the game that I love. My heart beats faster when I say the word 'football.' That's the way that I truly believe. I feel strongly about that, and coaches in football have poured so much into me, and I just feel like I owe it to the game to be able to pour it back."
On why he chose Oregon and what he will build there:
"Firstmost, the Oregon players. There is a team here that I feel really strong about. There's an aligment here that I feel really strong about. The resources, the support from the administration, the fact that this place is a perennial winner, Eugene and this community, its fanbase, and a place that I can say I'm going to be proud to raise my family. A place that takes tremendous pride in their program. Those things all matter to me.
I want to be really clear. My job here is to build a winner, and this is not going to be a one-hit wonder. We have to build this the right way. It takes every single one of us. This program is staged to compete and to win championships. We won't shy from expectations, and our goal is to compete for national championships here, but I won't sit here and spend all my time talking about national championships. We're going to be methodical in our approach. We're going to focus on the process. We're going to compete to a standard every day — the Oregon standard.
We will build on the foundation that has already been established here, and we will create those championship teams. But just as important as creating championship teams, we're going to create championship fathers. We're going to create championship husbands. We're going to create championship men that the University of Oregon and our alumni and fanbase can be proud of.
None of this happens overnight. and it certainly won't happen because of one person. Over time together, we will build this program to sustain success. The foundation for sustained success will be built on connection. Connection that will attack recruiting, player support, and player development. These three things seem simple, but these three things are going to take all of us. It will take all of us, and I mean all of us. I'm talking coaches, fan base, alumni, donors, former players, academic support, professors, trainers, sports science, strength coaches, recruiting department, ops department. Everyone from our local and our global community.
No stone can be unturned in order for us to recreate what I know we can create at the University of Oregon. On offense, defense and special teams, we will attack. The word 'passive' will not exist in our system. We will apply pressure and move on the field with an aggressive, but disciplined approach. Our offense and defensive scheme will be desirable to play in. We're going to develop our players in this system. They're going to grow, and they're going to be able to achieve every one of their goals individually through our team success.
Most importantly, we're going to have schemes that support our ability to win football games, and that's our plan here. We're going to do that by signing elite football players and developing those players to the best of their ability to maximize their strengths.
Sustained success means having a vision and a laid-out plan. We want to be progressive, effective, and united. We will assess every facet of our program to avoid being stagnant. Our approach throughout the organization will be built on being lifelong learners. We are going to be willing to be on the cutting edge. We're going to be willing to change. We're always going to strive to hire the brightest and the best to be a part of our staff, and together, we will work to have our players leave this university in the best versions of themselves.
As our staff, we're going to approach everything and the way we do it that's going to give us a competitive edge. We're going to move forward with our program on relying on some old-school principles, some tough edge, but building hard work, dedication, and toughness with a creative approach.
I'm a strong believer in a couple of things, but one of the things I truly believe is it really doesn't matter what you know as a coach. I'm going to play zero snaps for the University of Oregon next year. It's really more about what our players know and what they can execute. So we're going to build this staff with teachers.
Our program will not be defined by one action or one principle. More about the 1,000 little decisions that we make every single day. Sound results created through sound process. We will use every resource necessary to recruit and develop players. The first line of support will be our position coaches. Our position coaches will lean heavily on the strong support that he have supplied to them by the resources here at Oregon.
We're going to be givers. We're going to be built on servant leadership. I'm so excited to see the impact not only our players have on the field, but our players have in the community with our giving approach, with our opportunity to give back.
Our young men deserve resources and a gracious support that we'll provide to them. We will always tell them what is necessary, not always what they want to hear. But they deserve that. They deserve a staff that's honest, and they deserve a staff that's always doing their best to make them better.
We will grind. We will grind our way to the top. We will grind together. It will take a ton of work, and our staff will take a humble and hungry approach, and it will take everyone within this university to get there.
When we ultimately win here, it's going to be because our fan base. It's going to be because of our home-field advantage at Autzen Stadium. It's going to be because of the pulse that's created on fourth down in the fourth quarter when it matters the most. It's going to be about everyone. I mean it's going to be about the walk-on that sneaks out there on the punt team and blocks the kick. It's going to be about the coach that's able to touch our player and reach his heart and get him to give a little bit more. It's going to be about the academic counselor that's there in the academic resource building and able to pour into our players and give a little bit more so they can finish that degree here at the University of Oregon.
And we're gonna pour. We're definitely gonna pour, but I'll tell you this. Lastly, I want everyone to know one thing: don't be afraid to chase your dream. There isn't a dream too big. If you have a hunger and a passion to do something, don't let anyone tell you you can't do it. In fact, let that fuel you. Because I can speak as a person who's blessed beyond measure to right here sit here and know that my dreams have become reality, and your dreams can become reality too if you're willing to hunt.
Thank you so much. I'm proud to be your head coach. I'm thrilled to be here at the University of Oregon."
On how he will operate in the next couple of days with CFP semifinal looming at Georgia and duties as new Oregon coach:
"I'm willing to negotiate for some more hours in the day. We're running out of hours. First off, I'll say there's tremendous support here at the University of Oregon. I'm fortunate enough that there's tremendous support there at Georgia for this approach. I feel like I owe it to our players there and excited to be a part of that process. The College Football Playoff is certainly unique.
But, you just work. It's the only thing I know how to do is roll up my sleeves and work. I think we've been here and landed right around 12 yesterday, and we're going to continue to work. The first thing I said to Rob [Mullens] is how quick can you get me to the office? I want to meet these players. I want to get around our team. So that's where it starts for me. Again, I said servant leadership. That's where it starts. I owe it to our players to give them my best every single day."
On view of Pac-12:
"I'm fortunate enough to be coming back to this league, spending some time at Arizona State. There's always been some premier teams here, but Oregon's certainly always been one of them that's had my eye from a national attention from what they do and how innovative they are.
I'm excited to see where this is going with the Pac-12. There's some great football teams here. I think it's been reinvigorated, this league, and we're going to compete at the highest level. I know that there's going to be some really tough games in this league that I'm excited to prepare for.
On why he's ready to be a head coach for the first time:
"Well, I hate to cut you off, but I've been a head coach before. When I was in high school, I coached the third-grade basketball team, and we were damn good. I mean, we were good. More importantly than that, I like to speak of quality of experience. I don't think there's many coaches that can sit up here and speak to the quality experience of working for guys like Nick Saban, Kirby Smart, Mike Norvell.
Like I said, I'm a lifelong learner. Both my parents were teachers, so my approach in coaching has always been if you're not learning, you're not getting better. I pour into that every single day. I believe if I'm not getting better, I'm getting worse. I've continued to learn in whatever seat I've sat in. I've been detailed in my approach and what I've watched and how they've done it, and I've always said to myself: how would I do it if I was in that seat? So I think again, the quality of that experience for me is what has made it special."
On what he's learned from coaching at programs like Georgia and Alabama:
"Really building back on that lifelong learner approach, whether it be Kirby Smart or Nick Saban. Any of the best coaches I've been around are willing to adapt, willing to reassess, whether it be the way we do a walkthrough or what hotel we stay in before a game. We're going to quality control everything we do in this program, and we're going to make sure that we find the best approach without approach that will carry over to the weight room, to carry over on the football field, to carry over to the meals we feed our team. Every piece of that I think is really important, and every detail matters. That's one thing I've definitely taken from those places."
On once making 13-hour drive to interview for graduate assistant job at Pitt:
"Blessed, man. I mean, I'm blessed. I know I have so many coaches that pour into me that could be standing here today that certainly would do a phenomenal job. I was actually an elementary PE teacher at Union Chapel Elementary is where I finished that day. I started that morning in Park Hill South High School. We had weight room that day.
Ran the weight room in the morning, went and taught some elementary — you know, scooter tag, PE class, and I don't know if there was any dodgeball that day or not — and then hopping in the car and drove to Pittsburgh and was certainly the beginning of a great opportunity.
I think any time you have a long journey, it gives you time to think and process. My family's journey and my journey as a coach has certainly been a privilege, and there's been a lot of time to reminisce along the way."
On what it was about Oregon that stood out:
"First, the ability to win. Our players. Again, I keep going back to the vision. Being in great places do create great opportunities. So I knew I could be picky, and it's a blessing to be able to be picky in this situation.
Oregon provides everything that I know you need as a coach to be successful in college football. I wouldn't care if I was playing checkers against Titan right now, I'm gonna beat him. I wanted to be in a place where I knew we could compete and we could win. And Oregon has that, and there's great players and a great foundation.
I was excited about the talent here, and now that I've been here, I'm more excited about the players and the character of men on our team. I still haven't gotten to sit down and have a conversation with every one of them, but that's appealing, and that's why this made sense."
On being creative offensively, team that was most difficult to prepare for:
"There's been several teams that I've played in my career that are difficult, but ultimately, I think teams that can have a balanced approach but attacks weaknesses, that attacks every ounce and inch of the field, that's really going to be important for us.
The number one indicator right now in college football and wins and losses is explosive plays. So we're going to be a team that's built off explosive players, on offense, defense and special teams. You have to be able to push the ball down the field. You have to be able to attack in the air and on the ground. That's definitely gonna be a part of our approach here."
On getting coaching staff hired:
"In my opinion, right is more important than fast. So we're going to be right. We're going to be right in our approach when it comes to hiring staff. We're going to be right in our approach when it comes to bringing players into our program. We have to move quick and we have to be efficient, but it doesn't mean we have to make a wrong decision.
So we have time. There's unlimited resources here at this place. There's really good people in this organization that we can lean on, and that's what you have to be willing to do is you have to delegate find the right people to lean on. And you have to have some people that are willing to be patient an ready to hear from us. So that's where it starts."
On Lanning's brother speaking with Oregon fans/media on Twitter Spaces:
"So I didn't know about that. In fact, we were talking right before I walked in this room, and I was briefed on that. If that got me the job, I owe him some help. But I'll tell you this, I love my family, and I know my family loves me. That's exciting to know that he was in there battling for me. I'm learning more and more about these Twitter Space deals. I don't know a ton about it, but I haven't had a chance to really look up. I've been in as soon as I got here. It started here in that office, and I haven't gotten to leave much beyond being around our players.
Thrilled that my brother could do that. That's exciting, but I didn't know a lot about it until just before we came in the room. In fact, I still haven't called my parents to tell them I took the job at Oregon yet. So, to give you an idea, I'll be making a call to my brother soon, but that hasn't hit there yet."
On where his motivation, relentless comes from:
"I think I've always been fortunate enough to recognize opportunity. There was a spark beyond that to start that 13-hour drive. There were several years of sending letters out to schools and an approach of me trying to break my foot into the door, and what sparked the 13-hour drive was a phone call that Keith Patterson gave me before that drive to say hey, there might be a chance. That's kind of where it was left — there might be a chance. The fact that there might be a chance was enough of a chance for me to say 'I'm going to get in my car and go get the job.'
Again, I've said it to my players, people have heard me say before, but if you do something that you're passionate about, you'll never feel like you work a day in your life. That's why you get into a car to drive 13 hours to go sit in front of a coaching staff that you might not have an opportunity with, but the fact that you might, that's enough for me."
On how he prepared himself to put together a staff and be a head coach:
"So many people are quick to talk and so slow to listen. I think you have to be a great listener and really take your time and be diligent. When I was a graduate assistant at Arizona State, I started my list of potential coaches that I would hire. You know how iPhone has that notes category, and I started putting notes in then for if I ever got my opportunity, what would that look like? But that doesn't mean that you have to sprint to make that decision the day you get here. You have to get here and assess this situation.
There's some phenomenal coaches here right now and players and support staff that I want to get to know and I want to be able to build relationships with, so that's important to me. Again, I think that detailed approach starts from the beginning of becoming an education for a coach for me where it started, as a GA, as a high school wide receiver coach. I think that's where it starts."
On initial thoughts of Eugene and the community:
"I've been in this building a bunch, but I'm thrilled. I think I can speak for my wife and kids when I say the opportunity... I've seen a lot of smiles on their face. We got back to the hotel room relatively late last night, and maybe the most exciting thing for me was just me and my three boys lumped up on the foldout coach there in the living room and they were already knocked out, but these guys are our three best friends. My friend is a really important piece for me getting here and my wife's support. The fact that we were able to get here and people are so helpful, open arms, willing to take us wherever we need to go, whether it be getting something to eat or going to check out a school or seeing the community, that's invigorating and exciting to me.
On having prior experience to build a staff/the list of candidates in his phone:
"The list is long. There's so many people who would be a great fit here for the University of Oregon. But I also know you can't hire every single person at the University of Oregon. There's a special fit. There's a unique approach. You have to be detailed, you have to take your time to get it right.
Yeah, I still have that list, and names have been added, names have been subtracted throughout the process of my growth as a coach. But I think you always lean on that experience in your time around people."
On communicating with recruits and his recruiting philosophy:
"To be really clear, we're going to recruit the best. The brand of Oregon has never been stronger, and we can go into any home and we can go attack and sign the best players here at the University of Oregon. That approach is not going to be a fast approach. That approach doesn't just happen on Wednesday. It's going to start with the players on this team currently.
It's the same thing I told our players yesterday. It starts with the guys that are here. Now, my phone is plugged in, to answer your question, and it's going to be ringing, and I'm going to be on it from here all the way until signing day. I'm looking forward to connecting with every single person associated with our recruiting class. I know there's some really strong players in here that I'm extremely excited about, and that communication has definitely already started, but looking forward to building and strengthening those relationships.
But we can go get any player in the nation with this place, with our resources. So I'm excited to do that, and that'll be our approach. If the best player is five minutes away, then we're going to get the best player that's five minutes away. If the best player is 13 hours away, then we're going to go 13 hours away to get the best player."
On what the Dan Lanning era will be remembered for:
"I want our impact to be felt beyond just the playing field. Obviously, we want to take care of wins and losses, but I want the players and coaching staff to be able to look and say this is a program that they're proud of. Guys that took a hand-in-hand approach. This is a partnership for me and this university and our team. This isn't a one-man show. I want our program to be known for what we did for each other and how we served, ultimately."
On building trust with Oregon fans after last two coaches left for other schools:
"Ultimately, I said the same thing to our players yesterday. I'm not asking for you to trust me. I'm asking for an opportunity to earn your trust. But also my situation is unique. If William Jewell College comes calling, I love William Jewell College, but I'm staying at Oregon. I'm gonna stay at Oregon as long as I can stay at Oregon and as long as Oregon will have me.
There is no other for me. This is the premier job in the nation, not just in this league, but in the nation. Again, it was gonna take a premier job for me to leave the situation I was in.
So I'm thrilled to be here because I know what we can do here. There doesn't have to be a next step for me. This job can be the final step."
On facing Georgia to begin 2022 season, talking to Kirby Smart about matchup:
"We haven't talked about it specifically yet. What an opportunity, right? What an opportunity. We're thrilled to compete, and again, it doesn't matter what we're doing. We're excited to go on the field and bang heads any chance we get, and guess what, that's gonna look the same way on Tuesday when you go to practice for us. We're gonna compete, not just on Saturdays. We're gonna compete in the classroom the same way we compete in the field.
To speak to that approach, I think Kirby's got a lot on his mind right now. I promise you I got a lot on my mind, and neither one of us are probably thinking about that game. There's a lot of steps between now in that process to get there, but I can promise you we'll be ready once we do."
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