FishDuck Article Administrator No. 1 Share Posted January 13, 2023 Just like in high school or college, what grades are given out depend on the grading system. And here's a thought: does it even matter in this case? What Is The Matrix For Judging Lanning? FISHDUCK.COM There has been much discussion on how to judge Dan Lanning’s first year as a head coach. Those discussions have shown a wide range of conclusions drawn... 1 1 3 3 Two Sites: FishDuck and the Our Beloved Ducks forum, The only "Forum with Decorum!" And All-Volunteer? What a wonderful community of Duck fans! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duckhart No. 2 Share Posted January 13, 2023 Agree it will take a few years and as you say and year four should be evident. Like with any improvement plan there needs to be annual objective performance ratings as well so I do hope to see incremental improvement starting next year and the years after. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haywarduck Moderator No. 3 Share Posted January 13, 2023 As a head coach, the hiring and managing of coaches is also critical to a programs performance. He hit it out of the park with many of his hires, and seems to have a good culture amongst most coaches. The problem I see is the defense, and some in game decision making. There has been much discussion about the adjustments with the defense, and that needs to get cleaned up. It is puzzling also how Noah seemed to digress. I want to see improvement in how the defense adjusts to playing Penix and the beavs next year. I also think Lanning is a coach who allows his coordinators a long leash. My take it in his second year he will need to tighten the leash so his guys don't get out of control with their play calling and player development. As a new coach he is still figuring out how Lanning does things. As stated he is a Kirby Smart protege, but in the end will become something a bit different. We still don't know what that will be, but I imagine there will be growth and adjustments to how he does things. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
idontrollonshobbas No. 4 Share Posted January 13, 2023 Thanks, DZNC, for another thoughtful conjecture. I agree with your conclusion but may have arrived at it from a less thoughtful approach. My assessment of DL tends to be one based on wearing green-tinted glasses in one big sense.....I think we beat OSU and UW if Bo isn't hurt, and that isn't DL's fault. True, we should have had more competent back-up options, and the defense should have been better given the talent, but it wasn't his roster entirely either. Plus, we played Georgia. Now, that doesn't qualify as a matrix, because it is not a consistent set of criteria....those caveats won't apply next year: it's Dan's roster now. So, I need a different set of evaluative criteria for next year. I will be looking at W-L record naturally, but also, game decisions, special teams performance and talent development. But I am willing to give DL the Kirby Smart 6-year window based just on what I saw this season. Namely because I am glad he is here and not the last guy plus, I don't see a lot of better realistic options out there and I think the progrum needs some coaching stability again. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tandaian No. 5 Share Posted January 13, 2023 Most have Lanning's first year somewhere around a B, give or take. First year and one year are not a trend, but an anomaly. We need to see improvement in critical game decisions and the defensive side of the ball. If we don't see improvement, then it is starting to become a trend. We don't want to see a negative trend with Lanning, if we hope to contend for national titles. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fischer Administrator No. 6 Share Posted January 13, 2023 Good article giving us perspective, and the NC sure honed that in for many us. Mr. FishDuck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drake Moderator No. 7 Share Posted January 13, 2023 (edited) In his first year DL exceeded my expectations. He quickly made me glad that MC left for Miami, and that Justin Wilcox stayed at Cal. His first season was marred by three losses, and two of the losses could have been wins. The losses show cased poor defensive play, and some questionable in-game decisions. Only time will tell if those problems are addressed. For me, there are enough positive vibes coming from the program to be very optimistic about the future. I am glad that DL is our coach and give him a solid passing grade for his first year. Edited January 13, 2023 by Drake 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fischer Administrator No. 8 Share Posted January 13, 2023 We really did have a bad defense and special teams. To think that a couple of bad coaching decisions kept us from 11-1 in the regular season is amazing. Had we gone to the Playoff--we would have been embarrassed like TCU. Dazed was right....by the time the complete team is built and ready to contend for a 'Natty--Lanning will have tightened up the "decision area," IMHO. 1 4 Mr. FishDuck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WiseKwacker No. 9 Share Posted January 13, 2023 Enjoyable read, Dazed. I'm picking up what you're laying down. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DUCati855 Moderator No. 10 Share Posted January 13, 2023 On 1/13/2023 at 7:04 AM, Haywarduck said: I also think Lanning is a coach who allows his coordinators a long leash. My take it in his second year he will need to tighten the leash so his guys don't get out of control with their play calling and player development. As a new coach he is still figuring out how Lanning does things. Dan Lanning and Mario Cristobal couldn't be on farther ends of the spectrum on this. I'm glad DL allows freedom for his staff. But, he definitely could learn to reel it in a little in key moments. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DUCati855 Moderator No. 11 Share Posted January 13, 2023 (edited) On 1/13/2023 at 10:33 AM, Charles Fischer said: Had we gone to the Playoff--we would have been embarrassed like TCU. I said this from day 1. I felt the Rose Bowl should have been our focus in 2022. Very few seemed to agreed. Edited January 13, 2023 by DUCati855 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PittDuck No. 12 Share Posted January 13, 2023 (edited) Nice article DnC, thank you! I don’t disagree, but I am more than a little concerned with the number of so-called experts saying Utah, USuC, OSU, or Washington will be the cream of the PAC for next year. How should that weigh in to our expectations? Edited January 13, 2023 by PittDuck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven A Moderator No. 13 Share Posted January 14, 2023 Good article. I hope it comes to fruition. Based upon Lanning's gambles (not at Fishduck's favorite sites I'm told), had Nix not been injured, the ewe dub and tr(the real)OSU losses may have been wins and hurt the future development of DL. But we are a long way from being what I've seen in Georgia the last couple of years. But then again, Georgia was a makable FG away from watching Monday night on TV. So, maybe an expanded field with a greater chance of a stumble is what will really open up who wins the Natty. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fischer Administrator No. 14 Share Posted January 14, 2023 On 1/13/2023 at 1:21 PM, PittDuck said: I don’t disagree, but I am more than a little concerned with the number of so-called experts saying Utah, USuC, OSU, or Washington will be the cream of the PAC for next year. How should that weigh in to our expectations? I am not Dazed, but what matters is in the fourth year, as I believe we will improve next year on defense and special teams, but we are not going to be "there" yet. So whatever the other schools do in the meantime--good for them. Once the Dan-Man has this going like Kirby...what they do... 1 Mr. FishDuck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Hilarius Moderator No. 15 Share Posted January 14, 2023 And we must remember that unlike most of the other 1st-yr-coaches in the matrix, this is DL’s first year as a head coach, period. A B+ is pretty impressive. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Log Haulin No. 16 Share Posted January 14, 2023 Lanning got 10 wins out of the gate. Thats pretty good results. 2 loses proved fatal. Nix injury was definitely a factor but defense and special teams own most of it. 11-1 reg? I don't know if Oregon would have gotten embarrassed in CFP or not. It didn't look good Sept 3rd. I would have loved to see Lanning and his team try. Lanning is bringing in some Dudes. 75% of the team are his guys. Stack classes like this years class for a couple years and Ducks are going to Dominate the Pac or B1G. Lanning v. Smart for a title is coming. And it's going to be epic. 1 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skibum No. 17 Share Posted January 14, 2023 Totally agree with Dazed's assessment. Year 1 is a bit of a feel out year, everyone and everything is new. Granted some questionable play calls at times, but then I suspect it was a bit of coach Lannings mindset of being aggressive (maybe at the most inopportune times). What I will also be curious about in year 4 is; where will the PAC be standing as a conference in 4 years? Just read this article NCAA world reacts to major Pac-12 realignment news WWW.MSN.COM As conference realignment continues to grow within collegiate sports, fewer and fewer in-state rivalries will exist. A legislative bill... wondering if Oregon's legislature will do something similar especially since Oregon State is building a solid program under Jonathan Smith. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Washington Waddler Moderator No. 18 Share Posted January 14, 2023 The worst thing you can see from a first-year in any field is being afraid to make mistakes. What matters is seeing where they went wrong, making the necessary adjustment and learning that that will always be the key to achieving their goal. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
