"It was never really a thought in our mind": Oregon HC Dan Lanning explains how he felt about the Alabama job offer

Dan Lanning was one of the head coach candidates considered by Alabama to replace the legendary Nick Saban following his sudden retirement earlier in January. The Oregon Ducks coach reportedly received a lucrative offer to move to Tuscaloosa but turned it down to continue on his current job in Eugene.

Being considered for the Alabama head coach position was a great honor for Lanning. However, he says he never really thought about it and remains committed to his job at Oregon. The 37-year-old suggested he wants to help the Ducks become the best team at the college level.

“It was never really a thought in our mind," Lanning said (via 247Sports). "I love Coach Saban and, gosh, I can’t tell you how much he’s done for my career and where I’m at. But I think we can make Oregon the best job in college football, and that happens with focusing on where we’re at.”

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Dan Lanning notes he’s committed to his players

Dan Lanning has done a great job since becoming the head coach of Oregon, especially in terms of recruiting. He has elevated the status of the program, considering the level of talent that has been lured to Eugene by the coach over the last year.

The second-year head coach notes that he's made a significant commitment to the players in the Ducks team and intends to honor that. Lanning has been outspoken about his intent to stay in Oregon before the Alabama job offer came, and he didn't go against his words.

“I made a commitment to players. … People see the commitment publicly, but they don’t see when you sit down on a coach with a family and tell them that you’re gonna be here [and] what that looks like. Some coaches say that and it doesn’t necessarily mean anything. For me, that means something," he said.

In the college football world, head coaches often become synonymous with a program. This is what Dan Lanning aims to do at Oregon. He believes not winning enough is the only threat to his dream of looking after his family.

“I’m committed to being here. I’ve got a 10-year-old, and I gotta get him through high school. The only way that doesn’t happen is I don’t win enough. To put my focus on something else other than Oregon football, that’s gonna be a distraction to us to accomplishing that goal.”

Dan Lanning holds a 22-5 record in his two seasons at Oregon. He led the Ducks to the Pac-12 championship game in 2023 where they lost to Washington. The coach faces a bigger challenge on the job as the program moves to the Big Ten in 2024.