The Oregon Ducks’ beloved head coach, Dan Lanning, has only been in the coaching pipeline for 16 years but has flown to the top of the totem pole.
From a high school assistant coach to the head coach of a national powerhouse, Lanning has had a meteoric rise over less than two decades.
So, before his current job with the Ducks, where was Lanning and where had he been?
Here is every coaching position Lanning has held on his way to holding the reigns of Oregon’s football program:
Park Hill South HS – 2008-10 – ST/DB/WR
After playing collegiate football for William Jewell, Lanning headed back to his home state of Missouri to take his first-ever coaching job.
Lanning worked with the special teams, defensive backs, and wide receivers at Park Hill South High School for three years.
Pittsburgh – 2011 – GA
Lanning's first job at the NCAA Division I level was as a Graduate Assistant for the Pittsburgh Panthers in 2011.
Arizona State – 2012-13 – GA & RC
Over the next two years, Lanning worked as a Graduate Assistant and Recruiting Coordinator for the Arizona State Sun Devils.
Sam Houston State – 2014 – DB/co-RC
Lanning's first role as a full-on assistant coach was at Sam Houston State as the Defensive Backs Coach in 2014. He also worked as a Recruiting Coordinator for the Bearkats.
Alabama – 2015 – GA
A welcome to the SEC came for Lanning when he took a role as a Graduate Assistant for the Alabama Crimson Tide in 2015.
Memphis – 2016-17 – ILB/RC
Following his time in Alabama, Lanning spent two years with the Memphis Tigers as an Interior Linebackers Coach and Recruiting Coordinator.
Georgia – 2018-21 – OLB & DC
In his final landing spot before flying to Oregon, Lanning worked for the one and only Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs.
As an Outside Linebacker Coach and eventually the Defensive Coordinator, Lanning earned a reputation as a defensive juggernaut and eventually earned national attention as a future head coach.
Oregon – 2022-present – HC
One of the most rapid head coaching rises in history, Lanning took over Oregon's program in 2022 and has so far gone 22-5 with the Ducks.