Dan Lanning is at the helm of a program primed to enter the realm of the country’s elites. The Oregon Ducks head coach previously worked under Nick Saban at Alabama. He learned valuable lessons from the sideline legend.
Oregon HC Dan Lanning Details Relationship With Nick Saban
Lanning gave some insight into what he was able to learn from Saban in a recent interview with OnSI’s Bri Amaranthus. Lanning’s Ducks had a strong 2024 season, and were ultimately upended by eventual national champion Ohio State in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl.
In an exclusive interview with Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning, I asked him about his relationship/friendship with legendary coach Nick Saban:
“I actually visited with coach (Saban) just the other day…” -Lanning#GoDucks https://t.co/VpCXNYwp19 pic.twitter.com/FzBWVJAUdN
— Bri Amaranthus (@BriAmaranthus) June 10, 2025
“You know, I actually visited with coach (Saban) just the other day, and, more than anything, I bounce a lot of thoughts off of him and see if he has any insight,” Lanning said in a clip posted to Amaranthus’ X account on Tuesday.
“Because this guy has a ton of experience and he’s the best coach to ever do it, right? More than anything, I think he has an unbelievable ability to look at things from a backseat approach, big-picture view, see how it affects the program, and then stand his guns on certain things that he thinks are non-negotiables.
“I think he’s done a good job, for me, at least, detailing, ‘Hey, what are your non-negotiables? If Oregon football looks like this, what’s it look like?’ And me figuring out, like, ‘Okay, I have to be Dan. I can’t be Nick. I can’t be Kirby (Smart) or Mike Norvell. But be you and figure out what your non-negotiables are.'”
Lanning’s off to a fast start to his career in charge in Eugene. He notched double-digit wins in each of his first three seasons (10-3 in 2022, 12-2 in 2023, and a strong showing in 2024), and posted a 35-6 overall mark. As he continues to strive for the sport’s ultimate prize, Lanning is trying to channel Saban’s wisdom.
College football’s landscape changed even further with last week’s House v. NCAA settlement agreement, which means another shift in how programs will have to operate in terms of recruiting and player retention.
“He was always great at adapting to how the game might change, great at adapting to your ability to recruit … great at adapting how to coach your players,” Lanning said. “I think he just always did a phenomenal job of that.”
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Oregon currently has the No. 42 ranked recruiting class for 2026, according to 247Sports’ composite rankings. That placement figures to improve as Lanning ramps his efforts up.
