Still only 39 years old, Dan Lanning has compiled a 35-6 record as a head coach. His career winning percentage at Oregon is .854, second in Duck history to Chip Kelly, who won three conference championships in four seasons and left UO with a 46-7 record, .868.
As he's built his program Lanning has gotten better ever year, surer of what he's doing, a better motivator and game strategist. He's built up the talent level. After inheriting a team that finished 10-4 and 4-3 in the previous two seasons, he's gone 10-3, 12-2, 13-1, winning a Big Ten Championship and completing an undefeated regular season in Year 3.
The next hurdle is the playoffs. But Lanning already is one of eight coaches in the Power 4 with a winning record versus the Top 25.
CRAZY STAT OF THE DAY....🤯🤯🤯
— Chris Marler (@Vern_Funquist) July 2, 2025
Yesterday @BCrawford247 did a deep dive on P4 Head Coaching records vs AP Top 25 teams. Did you know...
Of the 68 Total P4 CFB Head Coaches only 8 have winning records against AP Top 25 teams.
One of those was Fran Brown with only 4 games too. pic.twitter.com/61JZfSbQuW
Against unranked teams, Lanning is 25-0. He shares the knack Kelly had for putting away the teams he's supposed to put away. His teams don't look past lesser opponents, and he's rarely had the clunker game where the Ducks come in flat or overconfident.
The three losses in 2023 came to a loaded Georgia team in a season opener in Atlanta, then two later in the season with Bo Nix injured and lacking a reliable kicker.
In fact, in his tenure as head coach four of his six losses have been to teams that either won the national championship or played in the final. Washington fans would be quick to point out that three of those losses went to the Dawgs, but Kalen DeBoer isn't there anymore.
Washington has the kind of team that has a blip of success every few seasons, then slips into mediocrity. The Ducks have made a bowl 19 of the last 20 years, and won seven conference championships 2009.
The next rung of the ladder is the playoffs. Lanning has studied long and hard on the problem of preparing his team for a season that extends to 16 games, and this is the deepest, most talented roster he's ever had.
He's even got two capable quarterbacks and a pair of kickers. Backup Gage Hurych, a redshirt freshman, hit field goals from 47 and 54 yards in the spring game.
Oregon’s Dan Lanning @CoachDanLanning on building Elite Culture pic.twitter.com/YWu4K88JDB
— The Spread Offense (@Spread_Offense) July 2, 2025