Lanning dismisses speculation he’ll leave Oregon, cites ‘unfinished business’

Head coach Dan Lanning said there’s “zero chance” he’ll leave Oregon amid speculation that he could be a candidate for the vacant Texas A&M coaching position.

“Everything I want exists right here. I’m not going anywhere,” Lanning said Monday, according to ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg. “There’s zero chance that I would be coaching somewhere else. I’ve got unfinished business here.”

“A lot of coaches … don’t say anything, one, because they don’t want egg on their face when they decide to do something else,” he added. “Two, because they’re concerned about things that I’m not concerned about, like getting a better contract.”

The Aggies have begun searching for a new head coach after firing Jimbo Fisher on Sunday. He’s owed a record $75-million buyout.

Lanning recently signed a one-year contract extension that increased his annual salary to $7 million through the 2028 season. The 37-year-old’s buyout was upped to $20 million if he decided to leave the program.

The Ducks coach has posted a 19-14 record in his second season with the program. Oregon (9-1) ranked sixth in the second edition of the College Football Playoff rankings prior to Tuesday’s update. Lanning took the head coaching role in Dec. 2021 after serving as the defensive coordinator at Georgia from 2019-21. He won a national title in his final year with the Bulldogs.

The Ducks’ previous two coaches left for vacant coaching roles. Mario Cristobal departed to coach at Miami. Before him, Willie Taggart exited the program after one season to take over at Florida State.

Lanning & Co. will face against Arizona State on Saturday.