Dan Lanning shares how much his wife's sickness impacted his career

Today, Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning is a highly respected figure within college football. However, at one point, his career was impacted due to his wife’s illness.

Lanning explained during an appearance with Bussin’ With The Boys that his wife getting sick had an impact on how he viewed things in his life. It also made it tougher to find an appropriate work-life balance.

“There were certainly some lows,” Dan Lanning said. “I don’t think I ever wavered in what I wanted to be able to do. I just probably became a man of faith a lot more and got on my knees a little bit more. You know, speaking to a greater power, saying, ‘I can’t do this alone. I need this lady here with me.'”

When Dan Lanning got to Memphis, his wife, Sauphia, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, or bone cancer. It was in that battle that Lanning’s perspective changed.

At the time, Lanning was a position coach in the Group of Five. The year before he had been a graduate assistant at Alabama. It was an important stage in his career and while he knew that he wanted to continue to coach, it also shifted his focus as a person.

“I always knew that I was going to continue to coach. I don’t think that ever shifted, but you’ve got to solve problems. You’ve got to get a sitter. You’ve got to get somebody that can kind of help out with the kids. More than anything, it probably shifts your aspirations and your focus.”

To this day, it’s clear how much Dan Lanning cares about Sauphia. He even, to show his affection got her face tattooed on his ribs, along with logos from different stops he’s made as a coach.

Dan Lanning offers advice to young coaches working to get their chance

Not long ago, Dan Lanning was still a coach on the come-up. Now, he’s leading a top-25 program and has advice for young coaches.

“I think every coach has aspirations of being the offensive coordinator or the defensive coordinator or the head coach. The reality is, you’ve gotta go find all the jobs that nobody wants to do and become the best at them,” Lanning said.

“Like making a call sheet and making yourself to when this guys leaves he’s like, ‘hey, how do I open this file?’ I remember going to Men’s Warehouse to pick up coaches’ socks. It certainly wasn’t what I wanted to do at the time, but if that gave me favor for an opportunity with that coach to be one of his guys that he trusted, you do whatever it is.”