Putting Lanning’s Second Year into Perspective

[FishDuck Article]

This football season was a success for Oregon football. Now, it doesn’t feel that way because it was just a few points short of being so much more, but we have to remember that this is only Dan Lanning’s second year as a head coach, anywhere. In his first two seasons at Oregon he has put together a 22-5 record ...

 

Putting Lanning’s Second Year into Perspective | FishDuck

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This football season was a success for Oregon football. Now, it doesn’t feel that way because it was just a few points short of being so much...

[criticalduck]

In Lanning I trust. As a first time head coach making mistakes is a given. Deboer is also a good coach and has out coached DL but he has been a head coach for a while.

 

Lanning has showed he can hire and recruit. He has given us moments of bliss and pain but he is continuing to learn!

 

Cristoballess only hired puppets and gave them no say in plays called. We as fans figured out his M/O and were quite happy Miami paid to take him off our hands!

 

The future is very bright in the B1G for OBD! No more late games. No more incompetent commissioners. No more refs that make bad calls and compound them with bad makeup calls. 

 

I feel for the student athletes for the travel but what doesn't break them will make them stronger! I will enjoy seeing some of this community as I travel to away games!! Go Ducks!

[Haywarduck]

I love how you compare, and then make the statement you can't compare, well done. Comparing takes perspective, and then it comes down to subjective attempts at weighing feelings.

 

We all know how we feel about Taggart and Cristobal. Most have a soft spot for Helfrich, and his downfall saddened those hopes, dreams. With CK he is a unique magic man from his Oregon days. Those days can't be repeated, but oh how they can be recalled with much fondness.

 

With Lanning he wasn't a head coach and that perspective is key. He has to lay the expectations and processes for support staff, coaches, and student athletes. That process has to be tweaked more than most coaches because he hasn't done it, and no coach has been under him before.

 

The fact Lanning hasn't done this before makes me beyond impressed. Kirby Smart is probably the best comparison, an assistant to head coach, and he went from losing two games in his second season to losing three in his third. That may be what we should be willing to expect, but who knows.

 

But how do I feel about Lanning, I feel, unlike any other coach in a long time we have our Oregon Football Coach. He respects, reveres our past, and is guiding our program with the same traits we cherish. I feel we are in good hands, and the future is bright. I say this because I see a team of student athletes growing into a better team and stronger individuals.

 

I guess I think about Lanning in his third season like letting autopilot drive my car. I haven't been willing to let that happen and am not sure when I will be. With the Oregon Football Program I am ready to let go and not nitpick Lannings decisions. I trust he will make the best decisions, grow, and will be here another 10 years if we want, love the guy!

[Just Ducky]

The sky is definitely blue with DL. Players love him, fans love him, the opposition doesn’t love him, and most importantly he and his family love it in Eugene.

 

 

[Smith72]

Thanks David, excellent article today.  Your summary is the best part.   "In the end it doesn’t really matter how you compare Lanning to those who came before him because it isn’t the same game. What matters is how Lanning stacks up against the rest of the college football world right now."

 

In my opinion, Coach Lanning is killing it nationally!  Right now.  Yesterday's appearance on ESPN, especially at halftime, is proof positive. 

 

The college football world has changed; is changing.  The Oregon Ducks couldn't have a better coach leading them in this new world.

[Ktmguy2018]

I can think of another two-year Pac-12 head coach....rhymes with Dincoln Miley.

 

DL stacks up VERY well to that particular person...well, let's be honest:  DL took Dincoln Miley's bicycle, ripped it apart, and rebuilt it into a motorcycle...and gave Dincoln Miley the dingy bell that doesn't work anymore.

Edited January 9 by Ktmguy2018

[Just Ducky]

 All this attention is only adding to the fact that this guy is more popular than we think. Some of my beaver fans are evenimpressed with him.
 

 Like or not we all know that other programs will keep coming after Dan in an aggressive fashion. The more popular he becomes the more they will come.

 

 I had no clue DL was going to be on the tube at the natty yesterday. My wife said isn’t that your coach? I had to stop and stare in disbelief at what was happening.

 

 This thing in Eugene is bigger than I thought. 
 

 Go Dan.

Edited January 9 by Just Ducky

[Augduck]

Very good and thought provoking article.  Certainly there are positives that all of those coaches brought to the table with the exception of Taggart.  Yes, I know he helped change the face of recruiting to Oregon and Cristobal further (and to his credit) enhanced it.  

 

Chip was an enigma.   We loved what he did on the field and in some moments he displayed a wicked sense of humor, but he was just not someone who seemed invested from the very beginning.

 

Not much more to say about MH.  Just not the right guy.  Not going to ruminate on  Mario because we have filleted that topic many ways here.

 

That brings us to Dan and what makes him different.  I remember the day Dan was hired, he was genuinely overjoyed at getting the job AND he stayed on at Georgia to finish what he started there. He chose not to leave them in a bind as they were prepping for a national championship.  I also remember his introductory presser when he thanked his wife and kids with real and genuine heartfelt emotion in his voice.   He also profusely thanked all those who had given him an opportunity previously.  The 'thank yous' did not come across as perfunctory.  All of that struck a chord with me. 

 

You are at this point probably asking yourself what is the point of this diatribe.  Well, in my line of work there is one thing that I learned early on and it has served me well,  you have to build and cultivate relationships because that's what matters most.  You can be the best sales person, best lawyer, doctor, plumber etc. but what really matters are the relationships you build with people and that is what I think makes Dan different.  Mario and Chip had little interest in relationships although they talked a good game.  Helfrich tried but just did not have the right DNA.   Not a slam at MH.   Some people just don't but they are still often times successful.

 

The net here is in my mind a simple one, Dan doesn't have to be the smartest man in the room, he is not arrogant and the absolute most important thing that makes Dan different (in a very good way) IMO is a simple premise, Dan is comfortable in his own skin.

 

I think he has  what it takes to take our OBD to new heights.

Edited January 9 by Augduck
left out some verbiage

[MicroBurst61]

Dan Lanning.

 

Comparing apples to oranges is always fun but as stated earlier in this post, it is subjective. (Much like opinions) Each conference, schedule, personnel in and out of a program, revenue sources, etc; create different challenges for coaching staff's each year.  So comparisons are always going to be flawed.

 

I enjoyed the coaching leadership of Brooks, Bellotti, Kelly, Helfrich, Cristobal, and now Lanning (yes, I left out Taggart cause of my opinion of him as a leader/coach).  Just this list of coaches showed Oregon commitment to becoming a top tier program.  All had different styles with various levels of success which was good for our program in the long haul and made it a preferred destination (dream job) for our current Head Coach.

 

I take Lanning at his word.  He is very good at appearing to "tell it like it is", and his comments and actions reflect that.  From my perspective this is what I see. 

 

A young Man who LOVES the game of football to his core.  Realized very early on that he would not be able to to compete as a player at an elite level (great introspection if fact); but found that he not only had a deep understanding of the nuances of the game (especially defensively) and had the same understandings and gifts of knowing human nature and how to tap into it, developing the relationships between coaches, players, fans and boosters.

 

So Sir Dan Lanning has been building his career as a coach and has been a high acheiver in each position he has taken.  I believe when this young coach started looking around at a program he could excel, as a head coach, Oregon was at the top of his lists. 

 

DL has stated on several occasions that Oregon has Everything, he and his family have been working towards.  I am sure when he got the call to interview that was a high point in his life/career and obviously made enough of an impression to become our next head coach.  (Would have LOVED to be a fly on the wall during THAT interview) Since his hire DL has done everything to further entrench himself as our long term head coach.

 

Now this may be premature, because of how college football is today and who knows how the challenges of playing football in a Power Two conference is going to work out for OBD;  but I believe DL, after just his SECOND season, has "bought" himself a cushion of 3 sub standard (Oregon Std?) seasons before any talk of replacing him would be considered.  In fact our administration just may have captured "lightning in a bottle" with the hiring of Dan Lanning and Oregon Football might have another long term coach aka Brooks, Bellotti, or after DL bringing home that elusive "Natty ", a Saban of Alabama.  YES, I do believe DL's ceiling is that high!  One thing for sure.  I will enjoy watching this young man develop into one of the top football minds in the sport as the Leader and HEAD Coach of OBD!

 

GO LANNING DUCKS!

 

 

[David Marsh]

On 1/9/2024 at 4:14 AM, criticalduck said:

No more refs that make bad calls

That will still happen... But should be less frequent that's for sure. 

[Charles Fischer]

This 2023 team has had a bit of bad luck, in that if this team had been playing the Oregon schedule of prior years, and those conference teams in those years....Oregon goes 13-0.  This was a very good team, one that is on-par with any of Oregon's best. 

 

But we had the bad luck of having you-know-who having a once-in-a-generation year, and OBD just came up a little short.    I do choose to look at the enormous progress, the team Dan built from recruiting players and coaches because what we had this season is 100% better than what Cristobal left us.

 

That was a monumental rebuild.  Lanning is now adding to that foundation, and...

 

...the future looks so bright that...

[Drake]

Dan Lanning is on an upward trajectory. I feel with his ability to recruit both staff and players that Oregon Football is as solid as it has ever been. 
 

Behind the scenes Oregon’s NIL program is top notch and Phil Knight’s influence on the program can never be overlooked. 
 

Oregon provides more to Dan Lanning than just a head coaching job. They also provide committed support and the infrastructure to build a Championship Program. 
 

I am excited to see where this goes. 

[Augduck]

Not to hijack this excellent thread because these responses are fantastic and show the depth and  breadth of the knowledge on this board along with the well thought out responses but.....

 

I was thinking last night as I watched the neighbors from the north incur that beating, Dan has pretty much revamped the roster 100% now.  I know Hutson was a Cristobal guy as was Pat Herbert (clearly other factors there) but are there any MC guys still left?  I'm not including the guys like JPJ and Franklin who declared for the draft either.

 

Who am I forgetting?

[noDucknewby]

First of all, I'm a DL fan and I absolutely think we've got the right guy, but to quote Bill Parcels, "Let's put away the annointing oil".

 

We routinely bad mouth Cristobal (myself included), but he had a winning record in rivalry games, won the conference, the Rose Bowl and beat tOSU in the Shoe.  What's DL's biggest win? Sure 2-0 in bowl games but against an unranked UNC team and a badly overmatched Liberty.  Yes we've beaten up on some decent teams including USC, Utah and the rodents, but where's the big win?  The best team we've played we lost to twice.

 

Next season we play Michigan, tOSU and the fuskies, not to mention a few teams that can trip us up if we let our guard down.  We'll find out soon enough if he can win the big one.

[Charles Fischer]

Like I wrote before, and for people who want to hear it again...I still believe.  

 

[David Marsh]

On 1/9/2024 at 11:14 AM, Augduck said:

but are there any MC guys still left?  I'm not including the guys like JPJ and Franklin who declared for the draft either.

In truth... There weren't many cristobal guys during last season. Some good pieces that were elevated by supior coaching.

 

But the 2021-2022 off season saw Lanning turn over almost the entire roster. 

 

But a few other notable names who were carry overs from the MC era...

 

Byran Addison - transfered out

Jake Shipley - transfered out 

Troy Franklin - amazing in an offense that actually passed the ball and leaving for the NFL now. 

Hutson - transfered out as you mentioned

Ty Thompson - never panned out

Jahmal Hill - leaving for NFL draft

Trikweze Bridges - transferring out

Josh Delgado - transferring out but it's been at least 3 years since he's seen the field. 

 

Those staying... 

 

Herbert - as you mentioned 

Terrance Ferguson - big time player in this offense 

Jeffrey Bassa - returning for last year 

Dante Moore - has some bright spots but I'm still not sold on him as a starter just yet. 

 

And that's about it for the names I recognized. A good amount of Lanning recruits are leaving now as well which seems crazy but that's the way you need to churn the roster these days in college football.

 

[PittDuck]

I too, have been and continue to be impressed with Dan Lanning.  I agree with most of the posters, and trust that he is doing right by OBD to the best of his abilities.

 

That said, it just sets me off when I read the Gameday thread for the first quarter of the Fiesta Bowl and saw how many of us (well more than a few) were ragging on DL and/or OBD for not starting strong, not calling the right plays, etc.

 

I saw the same stuff during the PAC 12 Championship game.  If we are indeed going to trust in the man, maybe let’s try to be a little slower with the negative comments when things are not going as we thought they should be.

Don’t get me wrong, I love all who make up OBD Forum, it is just that sometimes the need to post something snippy gets the better of us, myself included.  After some slight chastisement by sir Charles, I try to think twice before posting, and I really don’t want to rain (or read) negativity on OBD.

 

[David Marsh]

On 1/9/2024 at 3:15 PM, PittDuck said:

That said, it just sets me off when I read the Gameday thread for the first quarter of the Fiesta Bowl and saw how many of us (well more than a few) were ragging on DL and/or OBD for not starting strong, not calling the right plays, etc.

 

I saw the same stuff during the PAC 12 Championship game.  If we are indeed going to trust in the man, maybe let’s try to be a little slower with the negative comments when things are not going as we thought they should be.

I know I didn't post in the CCG and I don't remember if I did on the Fiesta Bowl. I didn't read too much of either of those posts to be honest.

 

But I'll say this that one of Lanning's strengths has been getting his team ready to play out the gate. That has been one of the most refreshing things about the Lanning era on the whole. 

 

But both of those games for whatever reason the Ducks came out slow and flat. I think it's a reasonable criticism because it's been better. Even the first game against Washington Oregon started slow... The three biggest games of the year the ducks started a bit slow, all were basically away games too and that can't be the case. 

 

I trust in Lanning but I also know he has a good few things to continue to work on. 

 

Right now I'm thrilled there don't appear to be any coaching changes this year so we should just see steps forward. 

 

Well... There were some changes at some of the strength and conditioning positions but no major changes. 

[Mike West]

On 1/9/2024 at 8:41 AM, Augduck said:

Certainly there are positives that all of those coaches brought to the table with the exception of Taggart

Dan Lanning wouldn't be here if it weren't for Willie Taggart.  

 

Everyone here calls Taggart an idiot.  Well that idiot recruited the number three recruiting class before he displayed his character and poor judgement.

 

In other words, an idiot proved you could recruit elite talent to Eugene.

 

That is absolutely the most positive impact  this program has ever experienced.  Again,. THAT IS THE MOST POSITIVE IMPACT THIS PROGRAM HAS EVER EXPERIENCED.

 

Bringing an elite team of recruiters, claiming and proving we could recruit anywhere on the continent altered the course of this program forever.

 

That pretty much means Willie Taggart did have a positive impact on the program.  Not to mention he unleashed the real Justin Herbert.

 

I am frustrated that I still have to point this out. Don't get to comment on why I think that is unfortunately.  But it infuriates me to no end.

 

Willie Taggart was a net positive for this program.  Bar none.

[Charles Fischer]

On 1/9/2024 at 5:49 PM, Mike West said:

 

Willie Taggart was a net positive for this program.  Bar none.

It is he who broke the recruiting glass ceiling at Oregon.  Before he left--he had the No. 3 recruiting class in the nation.  Cristobal rescued most of it, but no one had as high a recruiting ranking before or since.

[Solar]

On 1/9/2024 at 6:05 PM, Charles Fischer said:

It is he who broke the recruiting glass ceiling at Oregon.  Before he left--he had the No. 3 recruiting class in the nation.  Cristobal rescued most of it, but no one had as high a recruiting ranking before or since.

Also, it was the quality of Taggarts recruits living up to their ratings that alongside Herbert enabled the ducks to win the Rose Bowl in 2019 and keep Oregon relevant.