Rob Mullens had made three clunker hires before he got to Dan Lanning, defying the expectations of the fan base and some alumni by bypassing the guy with Oregon roots and a pedigree to pluck a relative unknown, a one-year defensive coordinator from Georgia who didn't even call plays for the national champions.
Lanning was a fast riser with a compelling story, an ambitious young coach who'd driven all night to grab his first internship, rose up the ranks by doing everything possible to make himself indispensable and learn the game at a high level.
Three years later he's 35-6 as a head coach and fresh off a Big Ten Championship. Tuesday on "The Triple Option Podcast," three-time national champion and current "Big Noon Kickoff" analyst on Fox Sports Urban Meyer acknowledged how quickly Lanning had ascended in the coaching hierarchy.
Meyer told the hosts Lanning only lacked one thing as a head coach.
“The big gold trophy, that’s it," Meyer said. "I went to visit him last year, went to Spring practice, talked to the team, talked to the staff. Watched him behind the scenes. I think he’s certainly one of the Top 2-3 coaches in country right now."
“I love his enthusiasm. And here’s what’s really neat, he loves Oregon. He loves that place. His family loves it. He’s got a niche out there, he’s got Nike, it’s a beautiful school, he’s got great facilities. This one ain’t going away.”
Meyer stepped away from coaching after the 2018 season for health reasons, had an abortive run at the NFL in 2021 before becoming a full-time analyst and college football commentator. He won titles at Florida in 2006 and 2008, beating Marcus Mariota and the Ducks for his third crown in the 2014 season.
In his remarks about the driven, high-energy Lanning, who seems to successfully balance the demands of the job with being the head of a young family, you can hear a faint echo of envy. The young coach lives in the challenge and the moments the future Hall of Famer can only remember.
Urban Meyer hyping up The Shoe before getting his SEVENTH win in a row against TTUN!
— The Buckeye Show 🌰 (@TheBuckGuys) July 10, 2025
Happy Birthday Coach!!! 7-0 pic.twitter.com/aimsAkwW8G
Before a game against Michigan last season Lanning prepared his team by teaching them about "The Man in the Arena," the famous speech by Theodore Roosevelt. He prepared them to embrace the hostile environment and claim it as their own.
The ability to focus attention is Lanning's greatest gift. It comes from the heart of a teacher.