Report: Dan Lanning generating buzz in NFL coaching circles

One year after Jim Harbaugh left college football for the NFL, it’s worth wondering who the next coach to take that leap would be. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Oregon’s Dan Lanning is generating some buzz in coaching circles.

Lanning’s rise up the coaching ranks has been impressive, and he has Oregon rolling in his third year with the program. The Ducks remained the No. 1 team in the country in the latest College Football Playoff rankings, and he take a 32-5 overall record with the program into a matchup against Wisconsin in the penultimate game of the year.

As for why Lanning’s name came up as a potential NFL coach down the line, an executive spoke with Fowler and compared him to Dan Campbell. The Detroit Lions head coach has improved the franchise every season and is known for building a strong culture, and Lanning’s job at Oregon is being viewed as an impressive foundation.

“He’s got some Dan Campbell in him,” the executive told Fowler.

Lanning started his coaching career at the high school level in 2008 as an assistant at Riverside (Mo.) Park Hill South – a role he held until 2010. From there, he became a graduate assistant at Pitt in 2011 and took the same role at Arizona State in 2012. After a year as ASU’s recruiting coordinator in 2013, Lanning became the defensive backs coach at Sam Houston State in 2014 before joining Nick Saban’s staff at Alabama as a graduate assistant in 2015.

Dan Lanning then spent two years at Memphis and ended up working under Kirby Smart at Georgia, starting out as outside linebackers coach in 2018 and moving up to defensive coordinator from 2019-21. Oregon then hired him as head coach in 2022 to replace Mario Cristobal, and the Ducks have won at least 10 games each season since.

Oregon has also churned out some notable NFL talent over the last two years. Bo Nix became a top draft pick and is developing well with the Denver Broncos this season. Bucky Irving is also finding success in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers backfield, and Christian Gonzalez continues to cement himself as a key piece of the New England Patriots defense.

How other college coaches recently fared in the NFL

Of the 32 coaches in the NFL this season, Jim Harbaugh is the only one who didn’t come straight from an NFL position. He, of course, led Michigan to a national championship before taking over for Brandon Staley as the Los Angeles Chargers.

Harbaugh is a rare case of a coach having success at both levels. He totaled a 44-19-1 record with the San Francisco 49ers from 2011-14 and made a Super Bowl appearance with the franchise before taking over at Michigan. He then took his alma mater back to national prominence, culminating with a national title last year.

Multiple big-name coaches tried their hand at the NFL level, but it didn’t work out as planned. Nick Saban, of course, took over the Miami Dolphins after leading LSU to a national championship. But after a 15-17 record in two seasons, he became the head coach at Alabama – and the rest is history.

Urban Meyer also attempted to lead an NFL franchise after a decorated college coaching career. He became the Jacksonville Jaguars’ head coach as they drafted Trevor Lawrence with the No. 1 pick. However, Meyer didn’t make it through a full season before his departure.

As the NFL enters Week 11 and college football enters Week 12, the coaching carousel is still a few weeks away from spinning. But as Dan Lanning gets Oregon closer to the College Football Playoff, it’s interesting to see if his name stays around NFL circles.