This week sports reporter Nick Ursini of KEZI television in Eugene asked ESPN Game Day host Rece Davis if Dan Lanning needed a "signature win" today at Utah. Davis gave a thoughtful, common-sense answer:
I asked Rece if Coach Lanning needs to win this one to get his "signature win". Worth the minute listen pic.twitter.com/R39BXgz5Sh
— Nick Ursini (@NickUrsini22) October 27, 2023
About Lanning, Davis said, "I think he's got every characteristic you want for an elite coach. Do they need to win tomorrow? Well yeah, because they want to win championships."
Fan expectations have reached insane levels in this era of the college football playoff, NIL and the transfer portal. Used to be, the thinking was a coach needed three to four years to build a program and get "his players," the right guys for his system, the talent to compete.
In the midst of the one-year overhauls by LSU's Brian Kelly, USC's Lincoln Riley and Deion Sanders at Colorado, the pressure to win is almost immediate. At some schools, anything less than a playoff berth meets with grumbling and unrest.
Most Oregon fans like Lanning for his passion and effort, but some reserve judgment after the close losses in rivalry games, 0-3 now against Washington and Oregon State. As year two unfolds, there's an undercurrent of expectation that anything less than a conference title in Year Two represents failure.
That's unfair. After 20 games, Lanning is 16-4 as a head coach. His .800 winning percentage ranks 2nd all-time among Duck head coaches with 20 or more games, behind Chip Kelly at .868 (46-7). He's reached the AP Top Ten in each of his first 2 years (finishing 15th in Year One) and has had a top ten recruiting class in both seasons.
10-3 and a win in the Holiday Bowl over North Carolina is a solid debut for a first-time head coach, and he coached brilliantly in that bowl win, coming from behind in the fourth quarter. For example, Nick Saban is widely regarded as the greatest coach in college football history. Saban was 6-5-1 in his first season at Michigan State, 8-4 in his first season at LSU, 7-6 in his first season at Alabama. Kalen Deboer, a hot commodity after his hot start over his first two seasons in Seattle, went 12-6 at Fresno State, his first job in the FBS.
Despite the quick-strike Social Media criticism, Lanning didn't inherit a turnkey squad from his predecessor in Eugene. Imagine the Oregon offense without Bo Nix and Bucky Irving, two players Lanning and his staff brought from the transfer portal. Similarly, the Oregon defense has been transformed via the portal. Khyree Jackson, Tysheem Johnson, Jordan Burch have given the unit backbone and a new toughness. Through recruiting and the portal, the coach has remade the roster in his first two seasons, instilling a culture based on authentic connection.
Consider that in two years, his teams have never had a flat game, a game where the effort and focus weren't there. They've lost games, but they've always been ready to play.
Lanning has recruited relentlessly and his staff decisions have been excellent. Carlos Locklyn, Tosh Lupoi, Will Stein, A'lique Terry, Demetrius Martin have all been exceptional hires.
The Ducks are 6.5-point favorites in Salt Lake City today, and they are the more talented team. They have the more explosive offense. But both teams are good on defense, and Rice-Eccles Stadium is a tough place to play. In fact, the Utes have a 27-game home winning streak there.
Utah coach Kyle Whittingham is the acknowledged dean of PAC-12 coaches, renown for teaching discipline and toughness. He's won consistently, 84-36 since 2014, the best record in the league, a .700 win percentage, and the last two conference championships.
I fully expect the Ducks will win today, but even if they don't, they've hired the guy I believe will become the most successful coach in program history. He'll learn what he doesn't know, even if some of his bold decisions don't pan out.
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