Dan Lanning reportedly linked to potential NFL interest
Dan Lanning could be a candidate for NFL coaching vacancies in the future, according to a report.
The Oregon head coach was named in a report from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on Wednesday stating that Lanning has been mentioned as a potential future NFL head coach.
An anonymous NFL executive even compared Lanning’s style to that of one of the NFL’s most revered head coaches: Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell.
“He’s got some Dan Campbell to him,” the executive told ESPN.
The college-to-pros coaching pipeline has slowed a bit, save Jim Harbaugh. But a name that a few people around the league have brought up to me in recent weeks: Oregon’s Dan Lanning.
‘He’s got some Dan Campbell to him.’ https://t.co/2yuePfia7R pic.twitter.com/980BZXoN5n
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) November 13, 2024
As Fowler’s story notes, the NFL has not looked to the college game to find head coaches as often in recent cycles. Of the 32 NFL franchises, 31 are currently led by a coach who came directly from an NFL job. Jim Harbaugh is the lone exception, but even he had prior NFL experience.
This is not the first time Lanning has been linked to jobs outside of Eugene. Last offseason, Lanning emphatically shut down rumored interest from Alabama following the retirement of Nick Saban.
Lanning has quickly established himself as one of college football’s best coaches in a little under 3 years at the helm. Oregon is 32-5 since he took over as head coach ahead of the start of the 2022 season.
Oregon will face Wisconsin on Saturday.
It is hard to believe, but I have read Lincoln Riley’s name mentioned for possible openings in the NFL as soon as this off season. Maybe the pro game is better suited for him than college, because it is just fact that he has never met expectations, and he opts for what appears to be the easiest path. That has not work out too well for him at USC.