Appearing as a guest on "The Next Round" podcast Fox Sports college football analyst Joel Klatt had a surprising, somewhat suspect take on the chances Dan Lanning leaves Oregon for the open job at LSU.
At the 12:23 mark of the show, the hosts put out that Brian Kelly's dismissal would lead to Lane Kiffin become the highest paid coach in America. "I just don't know where," one of them said, meaning he might wind up at Florida, LSU or Ole Miss.
"I actually would disagree," Klatt said. "I think Dan Lanning will be the highest paid coach in America."
"Where?"
"I would say 60/40 Oregon."
"Dan's not leaving Oregon to go to Florida," Klatt continued.
"Oregon doesn't fire their coaches, outside of Helfrich. They all leave. Why do they all leave?"
"Well part of it is that they continue to hire guys with roots and ties elsewhere. That was the case obviously with Mario and others, and it's kind of the case with Dan because he kind of cut his teeth in the SEC."
While Klatt acknowledged the support Lanning enjoys in Eugene and allows that his family loves it there and appreciates that it's a community that allows them to live a normal life, to go out to dinner without being hounded and live in a neighborhood, his estimate of the probability is wildly inaccurate, particularly for a college football voice who is normally tuned in to developments around the game.
The chances Dan Lanning leaves Oregon are currently 9-1 against. He's well-compensated, locked into a secure deal with the program and with Phil Knight, and he has every resource he needs to compete for titles.
By now the 39-year-old coach from North Kansas City, Missouri has given versions of this interview to ESPN, Ducks Wire and Sports Illustrated. The Oregon video office has produced a three minute film, "The Grass is Damn Green."
Earlier in October he told Chris Low of On3 Sports, “I don’t want any other jobs. I’ve got the job that I want.”
Klatt is normally one of the most connected and thoughtful voices in college football, but his estimate on Lanning's potential to leave Oregon ignores a mountain of evidence, including the coach's own testimony.