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The Alabama Crimson Tide are in the midst of a somewhat unexpected coaching search following the retirement of Nick Saban. It seems they’ve swung and missed on their top option.
Immediately after the news broke, speculation arose about leading candidates to fill Saban’s massive shoes.
The man at the top of the list was Oregon’s Dan Lanning.
Lanning has a history in the SEC, most recently holding the defensive coordinator tag at Georgia. In two seasons as a head coach, he’s led the Ducks to 22 wins.
Rumors swirled late Wednesday of an overnight trip from Eugene to Tuscaloosa, hinting that Lanning was already interviewing for the Tide opening.
That speculation was later rebutted with insiders saying Lanning was home with family – watching the Jason Bourne movie series!
At the time the reports were coming out about Dan Lanning being in Tuscaloosa last night, Lanning was in Eugene watching a Jason Bourne movie with his family, sources tell @247Sports https://t.co/hpJcG23c66
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) January 11, 2024
While that didn’t necessarily rule the UO coach out as a candidate, he all but confirmed his plan to stay at Oregon in his latest social media post.
Dan Lanning posts message on Alabama speculation
Reports came out early Thursday that Lanning had no intention of leaving his current role. Matt Zenitz of 24/7 Sports broke that bombshell news.
“Lanning, who has been a popular name as a potential heir apparent to Nick Saban, is staying at Oregon, sources tell 247Sports.”
That narrative was seemingly confirmed in a video posted by Lanning shortly thereafter.
— Dan Lanning (@CoachDanLanning) January 11, 2024
“Everybody’s got goals and aspirations,” Lanning said in a 2024 team meeting. “You know how you get those? Be the best where you’re at… It means something to be an Oregon Duck.”
With Lanning out of the picture, names like Dabo Swinney, Kalen DeBoer, and Mike Norvell will move to the forefront of the coaching search.