Dan Lanning praises Oregon athletics alignment during Big Ten Media Days

Oregon football head coach Dan Lanning had plenty to say during the 2024 Big Ten Media Days and much of it was about the state of his Oregon Ducks and the Big Ten from a football perspective. But that wasn’t all that Lanning opined on. 

The head coach of the Ducks also decided to discuss some of his colleagues and the overall state of athletics at the University of Oregon. In fact, Lanning was eager in sharing his enthusiasm for the multi-sport athletes he’s gotten to know as well as the way the Oregon athletics department is run.

Lanning made sure to highlight the collaborative spirit that is shared among the coaches in Eugene, Oregon, as well as the way they emphasize success for the student-athletes across multiple sports.

"One of the more enjoyable things for me being at Oregon is my opportunity to connect with some of the other phenomenal coaches at Oregon, whether that's Dana, whether that's Casey Martin, the guys that we have,” Lanning explained. 

It’s generally a good thing for someone to be able to speak positively about their coworkers and contemporaries. 

Oregon football: Dan Lanning heaps praise on Ducks athletics department at 2024 Big Ten Media Days

Lanning also expressed genuine excitement about the way Oregon Ducks football players are given the opportunity to thrive in multiple sports.

“And it's also been really refreshing to see some of our players get the opportunity to cross over in sports, seeing Bryce Boettcher get to play for Coach Was there, win a Golden Glove in baseball, but still be a great performer for us on the football field,” Lanning highlighted. “Rod Pleasant run track, that's something I really enjoy.”

Collaborative atmospheres within organizations tend to benefit everyone and it sure seems like the Oregon Ducks have that going on across the University of Oregon’s athletics department. And Rob Mullens deserves some recognition for that. And unsurprisingly, Lanning made sure to give some credit to the man running the department.

“I think sports at Oregon are in a great place, and that's great credit to our leadership, Rob Mullens, and just the alignment from top to bottom,” Lanning said.

Crediting the university’s leadership for fostering a positive environment might win Lanning a few points with his boss, but it’s also the right thing to do. Mullens has helped develop an athletic department that thrives in multiple ways. The baseball team just made a Super Regional, the softball team just made a regional, there are numerous Ducks in Paris for the Olympics, and the whole department is thriving right now.

As the Oregon football team prepares for its first season in the Big Ten, the culture of multi-sport success and department-wide collaboration could continue to benefit the Ducks on the gridiron. 

The ability to develop versatile athletes and share ideas across the department could be a real advantage for Oregon in ways that some might not expect. It should certainly benefit the players as people as well. Everyone deserves to work in a healthy environment and it seems like the Ducks have that going for them.