"Kind of baffles me": CFB insider takes a unique position on coach pay amid Dan Lanning's $66M deal report

Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning agreed to a contract restructure on Thursday that will pay him close to $11 million annually for the next six seasons. The new deal runs through the 2030 season and increases his pay by an average of $2 million per season from his old contract.

On Thursday, "Cover 3 College Football" put out a new podcast episode and the hosts talked about the deal. Tom Fornelli chimed in first with his opinion, saying that Dan Lanning is a top-five coach and should be paid like one.

"Remember when we thought that NIL was going to be lowering the salaries of coaches. Nope, I mean it's deserved if you look at the market and how things are going. You look at what they've accomplished so far under him. Ok, he's been a top five coach, let's pay him like a top five coach. I think on the other side of that coin, it brings a little more pressure."

Chip Patterson then chimed in with his opinion on the new contract for Dan Lanning.

"This salary is paying for the future, not paying for the past. That's what I see here. This is setting a bar and an expectation that you are going to take that next step because 35-6 and no bad losses in terms of opponent, the profile is sterling. This is paying you to get the job done and continue to push this thing forward."

Danny Kanell then added his opinion, saying the signing baffles him.

"I look at a lot of these and think they're completely unnecessary but I've become completely immune to it. Just, oh yeah, he's been good, go ahead, bump him up. It happens all the time and it kind of baffles me why these schools just continue to bump up the rate. Whoever's representing Dan Lanning must've done a fantastic job."

Dan Lanning has taken Oregon football to the next level

While the "Cover 3 College Football" hosts were mixed in their reception of Dan Lanning's new contract, there is no denying the impact he has had on the team. He has been coaching the team for three seasons and has improved steadily each season. He went from 10-3 in 2022, to 12-2 in 2023, to 13-1 in 2024.

The Oregon Ducks have steadily improved and have been an elite team with Lanning at the helm. As a result, it is not surprising to see that he is being paid like one of the best head coaches in college football.