The Oregon Ducks and head coach Dan Lanning have reportedly restructured his contract following a standout season in which he guided the team to an undefeated regular season, a Big Ten Championship, and a College Football Playoff appearance.
According to Ross Dellenger, Dan Lanning’s new contract is an amended six-year deal that increases his annual salary by $2 million, bringing his average earnings to $11 million per year—placing him among the top five highest-paid coaches nationally. The amended contract is set to go before the board for approval on Friday.
Notably, Lanning’s buyout remains unchanged in the amended contract. If he decides to leave the program, he would still owe $20 million.
Lanning came to Oregon in 2022 as a first-time head coach. He had previously been the defensive coordinator at Georgia. On top of that, he also spent time at Memphis, Alabama, and Arizona State, among other stops. Since then, Lanning has quickly established himself as one of the best coaches in all of college football. The Ducks are 35-6 over three seasons, improving their record each season. That includes three AP Top 25 finishes and two AP Top 10 finishes.
Lanning has drawn significant interest from both college programs and the NFL. After the 2023 season, he was rumored to be a candidate to replace Nick Saban at Alabama before deciding to stay with the Ducks. Following the 2024 season, speculation about his potential jump to the NFL grew even louder, prompting Lanning to address the rumors, admitting that coaching in the NFL was once a personal goal.
“You know, it used to be a goal of mine, it certainly did,” Lanning said. “But I think at this point, everybody can realize that I’m not going anywhere. So I love what we have here. I’ve got three young boys that love Eugene. We have a lot of unfinished business that we hope to handle, and I’m enjoying the ride. So this will be the place that I’m coaching at for a long. Long time as long as I continue to do my job.”
For now, the focus for Lanning gets to remain on Oregon and getting the Ducks back to the College Football Playoff in 2025. It should be an interesting season, too, with several key positions turning over, including quarterback, where the Ducks are going to have their third starting quarterback in as many seasons.
At only 38 years old, Lanning is already seen as one of the best head coaches in all of college football. Oregon is now putting their faith in him to get the program to a consistent championship caliber.
