EUGENE - Dan Lanning may only be four years into his head coaching career, but his coaching tree is already sprouting branches like a program veteran. With both of his coordinators departing this offseason - Will Stein heading to Kentucky and Tosh Lupoi taking the reins at Cal - Lanning now has three former assistants leading Power Four programs.
The third? Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham, who ran Oregon’s offense in 2022.
That’s rare air for a coach this early in his tenure. Only national title winners have sent this many assistants to Power Four head jobs so quickly.
Nick Saban is the gold standard in that department, but Lanning’s moving into that conversation. This year’s College Football Playoff alone features five head coaches who once worked under Saban - including Lanning himself - and both Kirby Smart and Dabo Swinney have also turned out multiple future head coaches.
Lanning’s not far behind.
So what’s fueling this rapid rise of his staffers? According to Lanning, it comes down to hiring the right people, giving them room to grow, and setting clear expectations.
“We hire really good people that work really hard at their job,” Lanning said. “There’s clear direction of the expectations. Those guys do a great job of modeling what it should look like to get that opportunity and become a head coach.”
That kind of culture doesn’t just happen. It’s built, and Lanning has been intentional about it since his early days in the profession.
Back when he was a support staffer at Arizona State under Todd Graham, Lanning started writing his goals on a mirror - a daily reminder of what he’s working toward. At the top of that list?
“Help my people reach their dreams and goals.”
And while he stays humble, deflecting credit to his assistants’ work ethic, it’s clear Lanning has created an environment where talented coaches can thrive. Just look at the freedom he gave both Dillingham and Stein to run Oregon’s offense. That autonomy allowed each to put their stamp on the unit, and in Stein’s case, it helped him become a 2023 finalist for the Broyles Award, given to the nation’s top assistant coach.
At his introductory press conference at Kentucky, Stein didn’t hold back in praising Lanning’s mentorship.
“I am going to use Dan as long as I live, as long as he wants to answer my calls because he means that much to me,” Stein said.
Lupoi, meanwhile, has known Lanning since their days together at Alabama in 2015 - Lanning as a grad assistant, Lupoi coaching outside linebackers. Their paths diverged, with Lanning moving on to Memphis and Georgia, and Lupoi heading to the NFL. But they reunited in Eugene in 2022, and the mutual respect has only grown.
Lupoi highlighted how Lanning, a defensive coach by trade, has expanded his understanding of offense and special teams - a sign of a coach committed to evolving.
“Four years later here, I’ve gained a lot of confidence in those categories as well,” Lupoi said. “Still to this day, I don’t have all the answers, and that’s why I love this profession so much - the constant grind to grow in all those categories.”
Now, with two coordinator spots open, Lanning is entering a new phase of program-building: promoting from within. Drew Mehringer and Chris Hampton are set to step into the offensive and defensive coordinator roles, respectively. That still leaves two staff spots to fill, but Lanning’s approach to hiring isn’t just about football IQ - it’s about emotional intelligence, humility, and the ability to collaborate.
“A lot of people are involved in having success on offense and defense,” Lanning said. “We’ve been really fortunate to have coaches that realize that. To recognize that it’s not their call, that it’s the player.”
For Lanning, coaching goes well beyond scheme and play design. It’s about connection - about teaching, trust, and belief.
“What you draw up on a dry erase board - none of that matters if you can’t teach a player to do it and they don’t know that they love you and you care about them,” Lanning said.
With No. 12 James Madison (12-1) set to face No.
5 Oregon (11-1), Lanning’s Ducks are still very much in the hunt this season. But even as he prepares for the next game, he’s shaping something bigger - a coaching legacy that’s already starting to take root.