Dan Lanning addresses rumors linking him to Auburn head coaching job
Over the weekend, a report from Sports Illustrated surfaced linking Oregon head coach Dan Lanning to the head coaching vacancy at Auburn.
Former Tigers’ coach Bryan Harsin was fired by the school this month, and rumors are already circling as to who might replace him.
On Monday, Lanning met with reporters for his weekly press conference and was asked about the report.
“First thing I want to say is that things like this are going to come up when you have team success and you do your job and things go the way they’re supposed to go — that’s a credit to our team,” Lanning said. “That being said, I think there’s a little bit of a problem in our society today with people looking for what’s next and where there’s an opportunity, and the reality is the grass is not always greener. In fact, the grass is damn green in Eugene, and I want to be here in Eugene for as long as Eugene will have me. This place has everything I could possibly ever want; that my family could ever want. I have an 11-year-old that has lived in eight different states.
“The last thing I ever want to do is leave. I want to enjoy this opportunity here. It’s been a phenomenal place for us. When you talk about things that align, things that match your vision for what you’re looking for as a head coach, Oregon checks every box for me. I think history maybe shows that this is a great place to be and not a great place to leave. I want to be here. Hopefully, that’s the last time I have to address it, but the reality is this is a destination, not just for me, but for elite players. And why is it a destination? Great administration, great fans, great support, and it’s a good reason to be here and a big reason we’re having the success that we’re having.”
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In his first season at Oregon, Lanning has the No. 6 Ducks off to an 8-1 start. Since losing their season-opener to Georgia in blowout fashion, the Ducks have gone undefeated and scored at least 40 points in every game they’ve played.
In the process, Oregon has climbed back into the College Football Playoff conversation and will have a chance to further bolster its resume in the coming weeks.
The Ducks are preparing for this Saturday’s rivalry showdown with No. 23 Washington in Eugene. After that, they will host No. 14 Utah on Nov. 19 before closing out the regular season at Oregon State.
“This is one of those weeks that you don’t have to give any extra fuel for our players to be excited and ready to roll,” Lanning said. “They all understand the significance of this game, how important it is and they’re definitely ready to attack.”
