New Oregon head coach Dan Lanning shares touching story on how he met his wife

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning, who was hired by the Ducks roughly one week after Mario Cristobal’s departure for Miami, was introduced in Eugene Monday — despite still having unfinished business at Georgia.

Lanning, currently the defensive coordinator for the Georgia Bulldogs, will continue coaching the Bulldogs through the College Football Playoff, as they look to claim a national championship. But in his introductory press conference at Oregon, Lanning gave Ducks fans plenty on his background, why he loves to coach, why he’s man for the job and who’s helped him get to that point.

One of the names Lanning cites, a person that helped him get to Eugene, is a former coworker — but not on the football field.

“Lastly, and most importantly, I want to thank my wife Sophia, my rock,” Lanning said, as he got emotional during the press conference. “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. She’s done so many important things for our family to show her support, and 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.”

Former Oregon players vouching for specific candidates support Dan Lanning hire

Just one week after the future of the football program was in limbo, Oregon athletic director Rob Mullens put an end to speculation by hiring head coach Dan Lanning — and former Oregon Ducks players seem to approve of the hiring.

Former head coach Mario Cristobal put a dent in the outlook of Oregon football, as he opted to leave the Ducks to return to Miami, his alma mater. And for a while, thinks looked bleak for the Ducks’ coaching search; first, a report surfaced that Oregon requested permission from UCLA to interview Chip Kelly, the Ducks’ former head coach who left for the NFL after a successful four-year run in Eugene. Shortly thereafter, the Ducks reportedly found their guy — or at least they thought they did — in Cal head coach Justin Wilcox, but Wilcox, an alum, turned down the offer. Then, finally, a report said that Oregon and Lanning had reached an agreement, but as was the case throughout Oregon’s short-lived search, it came with skeptics, as several conflicting reports said no such deal was in place.

All the while, 14 Oregon players — Joey Harrington, Marcus Mariota, Justin Herbert, Royce Freeman, Tyrell Crosby, Devon Allen, Hroniss Grasu, Jordan Kent, George Wrighster, Justin Peelle, Wes Mallard, Reuben Droughns, Akili Smith and Dino Philyaw — sent a letter to Mullens, the athletic director, asking that he hire a candidate with ties to the University of Oregon.

Instead, Mullens went with Lanning, the Missouri native who played collegiate ball at William Jewell, coached high school in Missouri, was a grad assistant at Pitt, Arizona State and later Alabama, held position coaching roles at Arizona State, Sam Houston State, Memphis and Georgia, and most recently served as Georgia’s defensive coordinator. Lanning has not the slightest hint of Oregon ties on his resume, but that doesn’t mean the 14 former players were not in approval.

A number of those players expressed excitement about the hiring. The former Oregon Ducks may not have gotten their wish, but in the end, they still managed to land a coach who they believe has the potential to build longterm success.

“It was never meant for anybody but for Rob as a way to come together, to get a couple of players together and share some of the things that we were feeling,” Harrington, the author of the letter, said in Oregon’s fan-led Twitter space. “How did it come out today? I have no idea, but the timing is horrible. Dan Lanning is coming in on a day that’s supposed to be exciting and let me say this, I’m thrilled that this guy is hired. I think the potential for what he can do is amazing.”

Lanning will coach Georgia through the College Football Playoff before he officially takes over in Oregon, but the former Ducks players are still in agreement with fans: Oregon got this hire right.