Interesting Quotes About Dan Lanning by a Recruit...

[Charles Fischer]

Usually the interviews with recruits who have just finished a visit to Oregon are all similar, but I do look for a nugget of information that gives more clues about the Lanning style and culture.  Below is from speedster Gatlin Bair, who was here this last weekend.  (From 247 Sports)

 

"Coach (Dan) Lanning puts a really big emphasis on faith and family which is really important to me and there’s so many opportunities outside and after football," said Bair.

 

"I met with all of them but mostly Junior (Adams), (Will) Stein, (Joe) Lorig and coach Lanning," said Bair. "I really like the coaches, especially coach Lanning. You can tell he loves Oregon and I think he’s going to be there for a while."

 

Hmmm.  

[Augduck]

I have heard similar comments  from others close to the program about DL and his desire to be at Oregon for awhile.   He very much likes the lifestyle in Eugene and so does his family.  

[Charles Fischer]

The comment about faith is particularly striking to me, as this can be a minefield in today's culture, and it can hurt you on the recruiting trail.  While I am not personally opposed...it does raise eyebrows.  Thoughts?

[DUCKED]

When coaches recruit they are selling…..selling themselves, the program and the school.

 

And they do their homework. They know what resonates with an athlete, what’s important to them.

 

A good salesman taps into that information.

[David Marsh]

On 6/19/2023 at 9:57 AM, Charles Fischer said:

The comment about faith is particularly striking to me, as this can be a minefield in today's culture, and it can hurt you on the recruiting trail.  While I am not personally opposed...it does raise eyebrows.  Thoughts?

It works with recruits from the deep south where religion is a larger part of the culture. 

 

Might not resonate in the PNW where in the whole we are less religiously minded and the same could be true in the North East. 

 

But I am also absolutely sure that Lanning tailors his pitches to each recruit which is the hallmark of a great recruiter it's about finding what resonates with each individual. It's about recruiting the person more than just the player. 

 

You're obviously shouldn't recruit a quarterback and a defensive lineman the same way and the same applies to people. 

 

As a public employee Lanning can't lead the team in prayer but the athletes absolutely can organize prayer themselves and Lanning and any of the coaches are allowed to join student led prayer. 

 

Hopefully I walked the FishDuck rules line fine enough there. 

[1Funduck]

On 6/19/2023 at 9:57 AM, Charles Fischer said:

The comment about faith is particularly striking to me, as this can be a minefield in today's culture, and it can hurt you on the recruiting trail.  While I am not personally opposed...it does raise eyebrows.  Thoughts?

Probably depends on where you recruit. The deep South is highly religious. The PNW is religious as well, they just 'believe' in themselves and not in Good Gosh so much.

 

Isn't it interesting that the largest recruiting base overlaps with the most religious? Not saying they are mutual, just saying its an interesting anomoly

[EastBayDuckDad]

OBD wisely avoids the discussion of religion in these forums, but I think this is a valid topic if tread wisely. I'm hoping there is enough of a distinction to make general comment.

 

Acknowledgement of the faith environment that a lot of these kids were raised in is important for parents and recruits. They want to know that it will be supported and nurtured. Players like Bo Nix are not shy about their beliefs and appear to be leaders by example. There is a reason you see players from both teams kneeling together in the endzone after games.

 

Lanning's personal beliefs aren't really advertised and I don't get the impression anything is shoved down the throats of the athletes or they are told to comform to any belief system other than 'team first'. I did get the impression from some exit comments of players that followed Mike White to Texas few years back, that incoming softball coach Lombardi ruffled some feathers with her beliefs. That is the only exception I can point to and most of what I read was pretty veiled.

 

These kids are told from childhood that they are gifted athletically and many believe those gifts are Good Gosh-given. Maybe that is parents telling their potential superstar kid to not get too big for their britches. Mormon faith is strong in the Polynesian community, traditional Christianity in the south and so on. It would seem supporting that would make sense in recruitment. 

 

[lownslowav8r]

Speaking as a professional chaplain working in a public interfaith environment… what Lanning appears to be doing is very tricky.
 

What does he mean by faith?  Would a Muslim, Jewish, LDS, or Buddhist student athlete feel welcome? Would an atheist? Would a conservative Christian feel welcome? Would a liberal Christian feel welcome? Remember, the bloodiest religious wars are often fought between denominations or branches of the same religion. 

 

What has been happening over the last 70 years or so has been a broadening of the number of religions accepted by American society. This has been paralleled by a structure of laws. In my profession the first professional chaplains were all Protestant ministers. Then Catholics, then Jewish, now Muslim, Buddhist, Wiccan (and etc.) are all accepted and welcomed members of professional chaplaincy. This was made possible by changes in American society. 

 

I’m not behind the scenes at Oregon football but I do know that having  a religiously inclusive community, which is required by law and tradition at a secular public university, is difficult. It sounds to like Lanning could be walking a slack line rope over a deep hole. 
 

I’m hoping he doesn’t fall off. 
 

My apologies if this post is seen as political. It was not meant to be but if it needs to be deleted I understand. Politics and religion are always just a step away from each other. 

[EastBayDuckDad]

It's a funny indicator that g*d-given is turned into Good Gosh-given by the algorithm AI.

[Jon Joseph]

On 6/19/2023 at 1:54 PM, EastBayDuckDad said:

OBD wisely avoids the discussion of religion in these forums, but I think this is a valid topic if tread wisely. I'm hoping there is enough of a distinction to make general comment.

 

Acknowledgement of the faith environment that a lot of these kids were raised in is important for parents and recruits. They want to know that it will be supported and nurtured. Players like Bo Nix are not shy about their beliefs and appear to be leaders by example. There is a reason you see players from both teams kneeling together in the endzone after games.

 

Lanning's personal beliefs aren't really advertised and I don't get the impression anything is shoved down the throats of the athletes or they are told to comform to any belief system other than 'team first'. I did get the impression from some exit comments of players that followed Mike White to Texas few years back, that incoming softball coach Lombardi ruffled some feathers with her beliefs. That is the only exception I can point to and most of what I read was pretty veiled.

 

These kids are told from childhood that they are gifted athletically and many believe those gifts are Good Gosh-given. Maybe that is parents telling their potential superstar kid to not get too big for their britches. Mormon faith is strong in the Polynesian community, traditional Christianity in the south and so on. It would seem supporting that would make sense in recruitment. 

 

Nix folks walked the walk with the adoption of Tez Johnson. Actions always speak louder than words.

[Dr Hilarius]

On 6/19/2023 at 9:57 AM, Charles Fischer said:

 

The comment about faith is particularly striking to me, as this can be a minefield in today's culture

 

I am with you and don’t want to take this thread in a prohibited direction.

 

I’ll just agree that it would have to be handled extremely delicately.

 

Bringing religion into a public education setting is dicey. 

 

As an non-Christian athlete growing up, I would have been pissed if my coaches ever started talking to me about faith. 

[Haywarduck]

Having faith can give way to respecting others faith. Also having faith allows for that faith to grow into other areas. 

 

My bet is Lanning is as respectful as he is faithful. That is a combo which can empower all those who become part of his team. One aspect of a successful team is everyone respects and supports one another. I would say that is the faith to which Lanning communicates to recruits.

 

I would say Lanning respects, and believes. That believe in the student athletes extends beyond the field to them as a person. 

[Charles Fischer]

On 6/19/2023 at 10:59 AM, EastBayDuckDad said:

It's a funny indicator that g*d-given is turned into Good Gosh-given by the algorithm AI.

That is not AI; it is the software I installed and announced sometime back.  

 

I do NOT want to be the "bad-word police," yet I want a clean forum.  We had two moderators get their feathers ruffled over that software replacing a word, and in those cases--it was an error.  Yet they beat me up in public and in private over it, and thus the ensuing escalation led to their leaving the site.  

 

Every time someone uses the Lord's name in vain, or makes reference to the ultimate deity in a denigrating way--it offends people here.  So I have the software automatically replace all the words that can be used in a bad way, and that means when they are not used in an offending way--it makes the same replacement.

 

What this does is cut down the TONS of emails I have to send about "bad/offensive language," as I have enough to do and want a life.  Not to mention how I hate doing it, and people hate receiving those emails.  But those moderators did not care about how much work doing it manually is for me, hence I got torqued in our discussions.  This software plugin is not perfect; the moderators needed to cut me some slack or fricken-come-do-the-work.  

 

So, we have to deal with the occasional mistakes it makes.

 

My apologies.

 

Charles

[Jon Sousa]

You can encourage students to be involved in a community of faith without giving any direction as to which faith. Every now and then I hear on the radio (non-religious) about benefits of belonging to a community of faith... ANY faith. 

[Steven A]

It makes great sense if you look at the posts and videos of recruits when they commit or decommit, many of them start out with their thanks to family and Good Gosh.  So, it appears religious beliefs are a large part of recruiting.

[Augduck]

I have spoken to team members one of whom is of the LDS faith.  He indicated that Dan does not inject ANY religious beliefs, interpretations, conversation etc in any discussions.  Team members are welcome to discuss and practice their faith /beliefs but according to the person I spoke to, no one on the coaching staff crosses the line.   Note too that Coach Locklyn is very open in his beliefs and often posts scripture on Twitter but he also does not impose or 'suggest' any sort of religious beliefs on people.   

 

My guess is that Gatlin Bair spoke openly to Dan et al about his plan to take a mission and my guess is Dan was 100% supportive so that may be interpreted as 'emphasis on faith'.   I am sure Dan said something along the lines of 'we support you in your beliefs and your choices'.   Something fairly simple as that.

 

Nothing in Dan's persona suggests to me that he would do anything that would cause undue concern with regard to this realm.

[Washington Waddler]

     Faith, and all what that word triggers, is what makes it such a loaded term. Just saying the word can elicit responses anywhere between wide-open acceptance, and the uttering of a dirty word. Caution is probably the most common approach when mentioned in public settings.

 

      Very few - if any - assistant coaches ascend to the top spot in this day and age without well-developed instincts and radar when it comes to dealing with anything that touches on race, religion or politics. The days of Woody Hayes are long gone - thank gosh.

 

     Under the right conditions, anyone is capable of inserting foot in mouth. It happens to the best of us, Lanning included. But I don’t believe such a response would arise from him as the result of him not knowing how to act in the best interests of team and university.

Edited June 20, 2023 by Washington Waddler
spelling, unnecessary word

[Charles Fischer]

I do appreciate everyone being sensitive and understanding in this thread, and the caution with the way things were written, was taken with great care. Again, very much appreciated.

 

Where the problem was with posting religion in the past, was when people wrote outright Anti-Jewish nonsense, or insults to Mormons and Catholics. 
 

By contrast, all of you were great. Thank you.

[Chipshot]

On 6/19/2023 at 10:57 AM, Charles Fischer said:

The comment about faith is particularly striking to me, as this can be a minefield in today's culture, and it can hurt you on the recruiting trail.  While I am not personally opposed...it does raise eyebrows.  Thoughts?

Totally makes sense that faith and family were fundamental in Lanning’s pitch to recruit Bair. That’s what the Bair family is all about. Demonstrates that Lanning dis his homework.

[PittDuck]

“A really big emphasis on faith and family” in my mind, is supporting an athlete in their faith (whatever it may be) and their family (whatever they may look like).  

Both are important, and supporting or emphasizing does not necessarily mean any particular one is placed above another, it just means he (DL) recognizes the value of faith and family.

[woundedknees]

In the past many athletes, including LDS, who consider themselves persons of faith have openly acknowledged the sensitivity shown by various coaches to their personal needs, whhether it be supporting mission trips, or accepting the limitations created by a given faith,. 

 

Oregon has grown in stature because of this in recent years. Many of our Poly players are openly LDS or muslim. 

 

Some coaches use religion as a recruiting tool. 

 

It's a fact.

 

Abusing that can be as bad as proselytizing young men.

 

Oregon has a chaplain available (Former Duck and NFL kicker, Josh Bidwell is one), but it's a service to the young men, not a tool.

 

I see nothing threatening in that fact, nor in the comments made by the young recruit.

[Washington Waddler]

     I don’t agree with the cynical outlook that views Lanning’s use of faith as simply a recruit targeting tool; as a disingenuous attempt to convince of something not truly shared. If a recruit’s radar doesn’t pick that up right away, it’s only a matter of time before the truth becomes plain to see. Telling a recruit what they want to hear without believing it yourself is the surest way to lose them. Lanning knows that.

[idontrollonshobbas]

Lots of good takes and good "faith" input here.....I suspect that Dan's allure is his authenticity.    My guess is that he neither demurs from nor leads with his faith.  Rather he lives it and it imbues his character.

 

Those that are drawn to faith find that connection with him, while others find a connection with his compassion, humanity, integrity and love of the game.  

 

Good leaders give their team multiple ways to get on board with the mission