Dan Lanning discusses decision to remain with Georgia through College Football Playoff
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Dan Lanning had every reason to turn his full attention to his new duties as Oregon head coach, even with Georgia set to take on Michigan in the Orange Bowl during the College Football Playoff.
But Lanning will be on the Bulldogs’ sideline as defensive coordinator when they play the Wolverines. Should the Dawgs win that one, he’ll lead their defense 1 last time during the CFP National Championship Game on Jan. 10.
It’s the path soon-to-be former boss Kirby Smart took during Alabama’s Playoff appearance to close out the 2015 season despite being named Georgia’s head coach. Lanning hopes that his defensive coordinator tenure with Georgia ends the same way Smart’s did with Alabama, and that’s with a national championship.
“There’s tremendous support here and I’m fortunate that there’s a tremendous amount of support at Georgia for this approach,” Lanning said during his introductory press conference. “I feel like I owe it to our players there.”
Georgia and Michigan kick off from Hard Rock Stadium at 7:30 p.m. ET on Dec. 31.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
