Believe it or not, but Dan Lanning hasn’t actually been the head coach of the University of Oregon Ducks football team for all that long. The 39-year-old in charge of running one of the most impressive programs in the country is currently in just his fourth season leading the Ducks (which also happens to be just his fourth season as a head coach at any point ever throughout his career).
And so, when you have a seasoned coach like Texas Tech Red Raiders head coach Joey McGuire make a statement like saying Dan Lanning is “great for college football,” I personally think it’s pretty important to highlight that a bit.
McGuire has thrived in coaching at both the high school and college ranks in Texas and the 54-year-old has certainly seen the landscape of football change throughout his career. So his observations (and his willingness to share said observations) are pretty important to note, in my opinion.
Texas Tech head coach Dan Lanning heaps a ton of praise on Oregon head coach Dan Lanning ahead of the Orange Bowl
During a press conference on Monday, as McGuire and the Texas Tech Red Raiders are getting set to meet up with Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks in the Orange Bowl as part of the quarterfinals round of the 2025-2026 College Football Playoff, Texas Tech’s head coach made it abundantly clear that he’s impressed with what Lanning does and has accomplished.
“I am a huge fan of Dan Lanning,” McGuire said. “I listen to a lot of stuff that he does, I love what he does. I think he does it right. He’s a great coach, he’s great for college football.”
That’s not a light thing to say about a colleague or a counterpart at another school. That’s pretty high praise from McGuire for another head coach.
“I love to see how his guys compete, they play with an edge,” McGuire continued. “He’s one of those guys, he’s a defensive guy, he’s got an edge to him. So, man, just a huge fan of his.”
This isn’t the first time that McGuire has taken the opportunity to share some appreciation for Lanning (and the Oregon Ducks) this season. It’s cool to see that continue.