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Oregon coach Dan Lanning shuts down Texas A&M rumors, said there’s no chance he’s leaving the Ducks

Dan Lanning is 19-4 in less than two seasons at Oregon, and has the Ducks in the College Football Playoff conversation yet again this fall

ryan young
Staff writer
·3 min read
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Though he’s been linked as a possible replacement in College Station, Dan Lanning isn’t having it.

Lanning completely shot down rumors that he’d leave Oregon to take over at Texas A&M, or anywhere else for that matter.

"Everything I want exists right here," Lanning told reporters on Monday. "I'm not going anywhere. There's zero chance that I would be coaching somewhere else. I've got unfinished business here ... We have the resources, the tools, anybody that can't understand why you would want to be at this place, doesn't understand exactly what exists here."

Lanning is in his second season at Oregon, where he took over after Mario Cristobal went to Miami. The job is Lanning’s first head coaching gig in the league after he last served as Georgia’s defensive coordinator — where he helped the Bulldogs win a national title.

Lanning has been widely considered as a possible replacement at Texas A&M, which just fired Jimbo Fisher on Sunday. The Aggies will pay Fisher, who went 45-25 in six seasons, a record $76 million buyout. Fisher had led Texas A&M to a 51-10 win over Mississippi State the day before he was fired, which brought the Aggies to 6-4 on the season. That win, though, was just their second in the last five games.

Though it’s easy to see Lanning fitting in at Texas A&M, he’s had plenty of success in his short time in Eugene. The Ducks are 9-1 this season and were ranked No. 6 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings. Lanning has a 19-4 record with the Ducks, and he has a real shot at a Pac-12 title before they leave the conference for the Big Ten next year.

Oregon will take on Arizona State next on Saturday before hosting No. 12 Oregon State to close out the regular season.

Lanning is currently under contract through the 2028 season, and is making about $7 million annually. He has a $20 million buyout.

While he may not stay at Oregon forever — he’s only 37, after all, and very few coaches elect to stay in one place like that — Lanning doesn’t want to make a move anytime soon. He’s very content where he is.

"A lot of coaches ... don't say anything, one, because they don't want egg on their face when they decide to do something else; two, because they're concerned about things that I'm not concerned about, like getting a better contract," Lanning said. "I'm taken care of extremely well here at Oregon. I have the resources I need here to be really, really successful.

"I'm not motivated by that. I'm motivated by winning."