Dan Lanning recalls interviewing at Alabama: 'Nothing I had ever been prepared for'

Dan Lanning was at Alabama once upon a time, though the Oregon head coach showed no interest in a return to Tuscaloosa in 2024.

But his 2015 experience as a grad assistant under Nick Saban is definitely one he’s fond of at this point. Entering his third year as Oregon’s head coach, Lanning pilots one of the best teams in college football.

But interviewing at Alabama was unlike any other experience.

“Nothing that I’d ever been prepared for,” Lanning said of his interview in 2015 on Bussin’ With the Boys. “You know, I kind of assumed I’d be a fly on the wall. This is a GA job. It’s not like it’s the most important role in the building. But to sit there with Coach Saban, he’s asking you questions about your philosophy on punt protection.

“That’s not something I had dolled up ready. You know, I had my thoughts and I shared them, but you got to meet with everybody in the organization. You know, from position coaches, to administrative staff. You know, I thought they did a really good job of being meticulous in that process, getting feedback from everybody in the building.” 

Lanning even kept a reminder of that portion of his career, nearly a decade later.

“I still got the voicemail saved on my phone today of Coach Saban calling and you know, saying, ‘Hey, give me a call back’ with him offering me the job,” Lanning said. “Not deleting that.” 

Lanning had no idea he’d be the man for the job. In the end, he got to work under Saban for a season before he took a two-year stint at Memphis.

“I felt good about the interview, but the process took a while,” Lanning said. “There were some other guys they interviewed and I didn’t know that I was gonna get the job. But you know, the big difference there is you go take that job and I’m making decent money, not great money. You go take that job. You’re making 1,200 bucks a month, right? Three kids and you don’t have insurance again … it doesn’t make sense, right … You do a little bit of everything. So it’s a step backwards financially to take a step forwards from a professional standpoint.”

A step forward for Lanning indeed. After Alabama and Memphis, Lanning became the outside linebackers coach for Georgia in 2018 and then the defensive coordinator over the next three seasons.

As far as what’s next? All eyes are on Lanning and Oregon as the Ducks debut their Big Ten era in 2024.