EUGENE — After a whirlwind weekend, Dan Lanning was in Eugene on Monday for his first meeting with the media as the new head coach of the Oregon Ducks football team.
“Man it feels great to be a Duck,” Lanning told a small group at the Hatfield-Dowling Complex and thousands of Oregon football fans watching online. “I’ve always admired this program from afar and the only word I can really use right now to describe this feeling is grateful.”
Sporting a yellow tie and an Oregon “O” lapel pin, Lanning set the tone for his time as the leader of the Ducks.
“I appreciate your faith in me and I promise to repay that faith with sweat in the bucket. This place deserves that,” said the 35-year-old Lanning. “Our staff with operate with a lunchpail mentality. We will be relentless in our pursuit of excellence and we will be built on what we do, not on what we say.”
Lanning said he had the luxury of being picky with his opportunities to become a head coach for the first time and explained why he felt Oregon was the right fit.
“Oregon provides everything I know you need as a coach to be successful in college football,” said Lanning. “I wanted to be in a place where I knew we could compete and we could win and Oregon has that. There’s great players and a great foundation. I was excited about the talent here and now that I’ve been here I’m more excited about the players and the character of men on our team.”
Lanning was asked what he might say to Ducks fans that are concerned with the fact that he doesn’t have ties to the University of Oregon and might follow the trend of the past two coaches and leave for other jobs after just a few seasons.
“I’m not asking for you to trust me, I’m asking for an opportunity to earn your trust. But I’ll also say my situation is unique. If William Jewell College (Lanning’s alma mater) comes calling, I love William Jewell College, but I’m staying at Oregon and I’m going to stay at Oregon as long as I can stay at Oregon and as long as Oregon will have me.”
Lanning will now be splitting his time between establishing himself in Eugene with the Ducks and still working with Georgia to prepare the Bulldogs for their appearance in the College Football Playoffs later this month.
Watch the full press conference with Dan Lanning below.
