Dan Lanning shares career path from PE teacher to college football

You don’t get to be the head coach of a Power Five college football team without a little experience, but new Oregon head coach Dan Lanning had an unconventional path to notch that experience.

Lanning became a graduate assistant coach at Pittsburgh in 2011, a hiring that came as a result of a daring decision. 

“I was actually an elementary PE teacher, so it was Union Chapel Elementary,” Lanning said when asked where he was just before he headed to Pittsburgh. 

Lanning played college football in his home state of Missouri at William Jewell College. After attending NAIA William Jewell from 2004 to 2007, he was the special teams coordinator as well as the defensive backs and wide receivers coach at Park Hill South High School outside of Kansas City from 2008-2010. Next, the journey began. 

“I started that day at Park Hill South High School,” Lanning said. “We had weight room that day, so ran the weight room in the morning, went and taught some elementary scooter tag, PE class. I don’t know if there was any dodgeball that day or not. Then hopped in the car, drove to Pittsburgh, and it was certainly the beginning of a great opportunity.”

In a detailed account from Pat Forde of Sports Illustrated, Lanning arrived at Pittsburgh unannounced. He chose the school because he had developed a relationship with Panthers defensive coordinator Keith Patterson through a few coaching clinics while he was at Tulsa. The Pittsburgh staff was away from campus at the time, but Lanning waited for their return, which involved staying overnight in Pittsburgh. The decision started a saga, one which ended with Lanning being named a Power Five head coach at age 35.

“I think any time you have a long journey it gives you time to think and process, and my family’s journey, my journey as a coach has certainly been a privilege, and there’s been a lot of times along the way,” Lanning said. 

Since Pittsburgh, Lanning has been an assistant at Arizona State, Sam Houston State, Alabama, Memphis and most recently Georgia. Currently performing two jobs, Lanning will remain in his position as Georgia defensive coordinator as the Bulldogs try to earn their first playoff title.

Georgia plays Michigan at Hard Rock Stadium for the Jan. 1 Orange Bowl. The game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. Oregon faces Oklahoma in the Alamo Bowl, and wide receivers coach Bryan McClendon will be the interim head coach.