Dan Lanning discusses what he learned from Kirby Smart, Nick Saban and other top coaches
By Adam Spencer
Published:
Dan Lanning helped guide the Georgia defense to an incredible 2021 season — a season that ended with a national championship.
He’s now the head coach at Oregon, and he’s eager to put the lessons he’s learned from top coaches around the country to use.
Lanning, who has worked under Nick Saban, Kirby Smart, Mike Norvell, Mel Tucker and others, had this to say about what makes them all so great (via 247Sports):
“All those guys you mentioned were life-long learners,” Lanning said. “Never felt like they had all the answers and wanted to adapt and adjust because the game changes. Mel is a guy who I consider a true mentor. I still lean on him to this day. All the guys you mentioned were able to foresee problems before they arose. Anticipatory skills. They could see something coming and be able to adjust on the fly. We spent a lot of time talking about the scenarios that could come during the game. Sometimes they happen. Sometimes they don’t. But I thought those guys — coach Saban, coach Smart, coach Norvell, coach Tucker — they did a good job of seeing the big picture and not being surprised.”
Can Lanning put those practices to use in Oregon? We’ll find out starting this fall!
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
