Dan Lanning doubles down on loyalty to Oregon

With all the vacancies around college football popping up, Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning has had his name thrown in the mix for a few of those openings. However, Lanning adamantly opposed the notion that he would consider leaving the ducks for a new head coaching job.

When initially asked about his desire and the possibility of coaching elsewhere, the Oregon headman cited loyalty to the program as his reason for staying put. And on Tuesday, he doubled down on that stance and explained the value loyalty has in his life.

“I mean, you are what you do consistently, right? And I’ve been fortunate enough to be around some phenomenal people. And yeah, loyalty means something to me; it’ll always mean something to me,” said Lanning.

While Lanning has openly expressed his verbal commitment to Oregon, it is not like the Ducks are unfamiliar with this exact scenario. Two of Oregon’s most prominent head coaches over the past 10-plus seasons, Chip Kelly and Mario Cristobal, both vowed their commitment to the program before leaving for different opportunities. However, in those two circumstances, opportunity and destination played a significant role.

Kelly left Oregon to become the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles with control over player personnel — a level of control in which very few NFL head coaches have ever experienced. Cristobal, on the other hand, left for more sentimental reasons. The head coach that Lanning replaced went back home to Miami to be closer to his family and lead the program that he credits for helping to make him into the individual he is today — the Miami Hurricanes.

Joel Klatt says Lanning doesn’t need Texas A&M job

Lanning is perfectly fine staying at Oregon for now or for the long haul, according to Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt. Simply put, the Ducks aren’t going anywhere, even by going to the Big Ten next season.

Lanning denied any interest in Texas A&M and kept his focus on the season at hand. Based on what Lanning’s done in his near-two years with the Ducks, why would he leave at this point?

Money of course is a powerful persuader, but Klatt believes Lanning is in Eugene for the long term.

“Dan Lanning is amongst the young coaches in college football,” Klatt said on The Herd. “He and Ryan Day are the two best, I mean Lincoln is still young so you include him. But Dan Lanning is an excellent coach and he is building something there that has real staying power and sustainability.”