Dan Lanning, Kenny Dillingham named potential candidates for Auburn vacancy
Take a deep breath, Oregon Duck fans. I know that both Dan Lanning and Kenny Dillingham have only been in Eugene for less than a year, and it’s been a joyous experience for everyone rooting for the team. The future is bright, and things in Eugene seem to be heading in the right direction, quickly.
That’s not going to stop the guys largely responsible for that success from seeing their names thrown about as prestigious coaching jobs around the country start to open up.
It’s the nature of having a school that is not quite in the top-tier of coaching jobs, but still a big enough brand name to keep you constantly on the radar. The fact that the past couple of head coaches — Willie Taggart and Mario Cristobal — used Oregon as a stepping stone to get to their “dream job” certainly doesn’t help the situation, because until a coach decides to stick around for the long haul in Eugene, the Ducks will be viewed as a stepping stone.
I believe that Dan Lanning may be that person to change the narrative about the Ducks. It’s going to take some time, though, obviously.
For now, while Oregon’s head coach continues to grow roots in Eugene, he is seeing his name thrown out for the Auburn Tigers head coaching vacancy, as is Oregon offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham. The latter I could see happening, though it feels like a longshot. The former I would bet my life against.
If you’re a fan of college football, you know not to react strongly to this news. In the yearly coaching carousel that churns, top guys around the nation routinely have their names called as potential suitors for top jobs. If you’re new to this whole dance, buckle up.
Here are some of the media outlets who threw out both Lanning and Dillingham as candidates for the Auburn job, along with their reasoning:
Kenny Dillingham — CBS Sports
If you want to take a chance, this is your guy. In 2019, as a 29-year-old, Dillingham was the offensive coordinator for Gus Malzahn’s last good team at Auburn. The Tigers won nine games, beat three top 20 teams (including Alabama) and averaged 33 points a game. Dillingham birthed the Bo Nix era (16 touchdowns as a freshman). The two reunited at Oregon where Nix has matured with the Ducks as a fringe Heisman Trophy contender. There’s plenty to like there for Auburn if they want to go extremely young.
Dan Lanning — The Athletic
Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports
Per The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman:
Oregon’s Dan Lanning, 36, knows the SEC well from his time on the Alabama and Georgia staffs. He has had a very good debut season at Oregon, going 7-1. One year, and it’s not even a full season, is not a lot of experience for a job like this. It’s probably too soon for Auburn to make this kind of move.
Kenny Dillingham — Bleacher Report
Per Bleacher Report’s David Kenyon:
Speaking of fair questions, when is the right moment to hire a first-time boss? Dillingham, 32, has been a coordinator since 2018, including a successful one-year stint with Auburn in 2019 and a tremendous debut season (to date) at Oregon in 2022.
