Earlier Friday, Dan Lanning’s name emerged as the leading candidate to become Steve Sarkisian’s defensive coordinator at Texas. Sarkisian will have to look elsewhere. Rusty Mansell of 247Sports broke the new Lanning turned down the offer and is staying at UGA. Shortly after the news broke, confirmed the report with his own social media post.

Its huge news for the Bulldogs heading into the 2021 season as Lanning’s unit was No. 2 in scoring defense this fall after being No. 1 in scoring defense in 2019. He was named a Broyles Award finalist in 2019 and was selected as a nominee in 2020.

Prior to the 2020 season, Lanning received an extension through the 2022 season. In March of 2020, he received a $500,000 raise bumping his salary to $1.25 million. We’ll see if another raise is on the way after the reported offer to take the Texas job.

Lanning was promoted from outside linebackers coach to defensive coordinator for the 2019 season following Mel Tucker’s departure.

Prior to landing a job on Kirby Smart’s Georgia Bulldogs staff, Lanning served as inside linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator at Memphis. He was a member of Nick Saban’s Alabama Crimson Tide staff in 2015 as a graduate assistant coach.