Kaleb DeBoer evaluates similarities between Kirby Smart, Dan Lanning

After guiding the Washington Huskies to the national championship game last year, Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer can be considered in a special class of college coaches. Now, he’s busy guiding the Tide down in Tuscaloosa. Recently, a reporter asked DeBoer’s opinion on the similarities between Kirby Smart and Dan Lanning.

Kalen DeBoer shares his thoughts on Lanning and Smart

“When I think about just the head coach and the vibe of the program, I think there is a lot of similarities. And just the way you’re trying to build it, the physicality that you know needs to exist. It starts with who you’re recruiting, who you’re bringing in,” DeBoer explained.

“But also, I think there’s a tough, hard-nosed kind of mindset that they both try to create. That starts on the defensive side for both of them, but they’re both great, smart coaches and understand that it’s got to be a team game. That mindset has to be across the team, not just on one side of the ball,” DeBoer finished.

Football is the ultimate team sport and DeBoer believes that both Lanning and Smart understand this to the highest degree. Georgia’s depth is a big reason they nearly won three straight national championships. He’s already built them into the best dynasty in the sport. We’ll have to see if the Bulldogs can add to that trophy case at season’s end. It certainly won’t be easy. Especially in the new College Football Playoff format.

Smart has guided the Bulldogs program to places nobody ever could before him. He is undoubtedly heading for the College Football Hall of Fame. His resume puts him among the greatest coaches ever to coach the sport.

The only person with a better one is Nick Saban and he decided to hang it up recently. Smart has guided the Bulldogs to back-to-back College Football Playoff National Championships (2021 and 2022) and a 2017 CFP title game appearance. Not only that, he’s guided Georgia to seven New Year’s Six bowl games. That’s no easy feat, considering you’re going through the grinder of a schedule that is the SEC.

Lanning is still quite young in his days as a head coach, but the vast promise and potential is clearly there. In his first season with Oregon, he guided the Ducks to a 10-3 record and a win over North Carolina in the Holiday Bowl. Then in 2023, Oregon took another step forward, as he guided them to a Pac-12 Championship Game appearance (the last one ever). Lanning got the Ducks ready for their bowl game as they thoroughly thrashed Liberty 45-6 in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl.

It’ll certainly be fascinating to follow the careers of DeBoer, Lanning, and Smart in the years to come.