"It was more flash": Analyst breaks down how Dan Lanning changed Oregon's image after Chip Kelly's exit 

Dan Lanning became the head coach of the Oregon Ducks in December 2021 and has since overseen one of the most successful stretches in the program's history. He's yet to have a season with fewer than 10 wins, and he led them to back-to-back conference championships in two different conferences, including a Big Ten Championship in 2024.

On Wednesday, analyst J.D. PicKell, discussed his picks for the 10 best coaches in college football and highlighted how impressed he has been with Lanning. He compared how much better the Ducks are now under Lanning compared to when Chip Kelly was the head coach in the early 2010s.

"What's so impressive to me about Dan Lanning, outside of the rapid success they've had in a short window of time. I'm most impressed by two things. One, he's changed the perception of Oregon football. Remember Oregon under Chip Kelly, and this is not throwing shade at Chip Kelly, this is just the reality of what Oregon was when he was head coach." [14:25]

"Nike uniforms, the flash, this West Coast school is blowing teams out because of the fast-paced offense and all that. It was more flash, then they'd get to playing teams with tough lines of scrimmage and they'd start to struggle. Dan Lanning has made Oregon a legitimate line of scrimmage football team."

PicKell then went on to discuss how impressed he has been by Lanning's ability to maintain Oregon's success despite significant changes to the roster and coaching staff over the years.

"The second thing that impresses me is the way that he's handled changes both on his staff and his roster. Look at the offensive coordinator for a second. He shows up, Kenny Dillingham's his OC, he's now the head coach at Arizona State. Who do you go hire? Will Stein. They don't miss a beat dude."

---

J.D. PicKell ranks Dan Lanning as the 5th best head coach in college football

J.D. PicKell put out his list of the 10 best college football head coaches on Wednesday, and he had Dan Lanning ranked No. 5. The only coaches he had ahead of him were Georgia's Kirby Smart, Ohio State's Ryan Day, Texas' Steve Sarkisian, and Alabama's Kalen DeBoer.

One of the primary reasons he gave so much credit to Lanning is his ability to adapt. PicKell felt that Lanning has done a better job at adapting to changes to his team and staff than other top coaches.