Yogi Roth expects Dan Lanning, Kalen DeBoer to remain at current schools

As the coaching carousel started to spin, two names to come up right away were Oregon’s Dan Lanning and Washington’s Kalen DeBoer. However, despite a couple high-profile SEC openings, both coaches are staying put as they prepare for this weekend’s rematch in the Pac-12 Championship.

DeBoer established himself as a head coach at Sioux Falls at the NAIA level and added to it at Fresno State. But Lanning’s name was one of the hottest in this cycle, especially on the initial list of names for Texas A&M to consider. He’s considered a rising star in the profession in his second year as Oregon’s head coach — his first-ever top job. However, he went viral with his candid comments about staying in Eugene.

There have been some bumps along the way this year, particularly with failed fourth-down conversions in the previous game against Washington. According to Yogi Roth of the Pac-12 Network, though, Lanning will be able to learn from those mistakes just as his former boss, Kirby Smart, did.

Remember, Smart had some ill-fated decisions — from the 2nd and 26 play in the 2017 national championship to the fake punt in the 2018 SEC Championship — but is now one of the best coaches in the game. Considering Lanning worked for Smart, he seems like he’ll find a way to get better.

“So much of this, in that role and that seat, is about growth,” Roth told Andy Staples on Andy Staples On3. “I’ve talked to Pete Carroll about it. He’s still growing as head coach, and he’s the second-oldest coach in the NFL. And if you think you’ve got it now, you’re just wrong. And I love that about Dan, and I think to the point of Oregon, he’s not going anywhere. He’s gonna have every opportunity to go to every job.”

Of course, Lanning and DeBoer will both hear their names mentioned when big jobs open. But that’s the nature of the business. In fact, when Roth was the quarterbacks coach at USC, he remembers Carroll getting calls for jobs he probably wouldn’t even consider. That didn’t stop athletic directors from calling, though.

Roth expects Lanning and DeBoer to get similar questions. However, with both teams moving to the Big Ten, the idea of either coach leaving gets tougher to envision.

“I can remember back in the day at SC when I was there, every opening, they would just call. ‘Hey, Pete, just want to make sure you’re not interested. Are you Interested?’ That’s how it works,” Roth said. “I mean, I’ve talked to ADs where they’re like, ‘Yeah, we always just call to see if Saban wants the job. Might as well. You never know. You call everybody.’ That’s where Dan Lanning and Kalen DeBoer are. And I don’t see either one of them going anywhere for a while, man. It’s a high-pressure job.

“I think we might be entering an era where coaches don’t coach for, like, 20 years at one place. Like, they might need a break after a decade or something like that, take a sabbatical, per se. But these two love where they are, and that’s why I think this rivalry is so great. It pains me to see them go to the Big Ten, but it also brings me great joy to know they’re always gonna play each other because this is a game game that’s good for the game.”

For now, though, both coaches will keep their focus on Friday night. That’s when Oregon and Washington will square off in the Pac-12 title game. In addition to a conference championship a College Football Playoff appearance might also be on the line.