Dan Lanning is one of the best things to happen to Oregon. He’s coming back after a great 2024 record of 13-1. His time with the Ducks has been marked by annual progress. Now, for a coach to put out those numbers, it shows that he enjoys a wonderful rapport with his team. They’re able to translate whatever he guides them to do in the field. Albeit short, Lanning has built a career in Oregon that is worth mentioning. And some of that has to do with the culture he built. Lanning has a message for Dante Moore and the rest of the team. Coincidentally, that can also apply to someone who was last with Tennessee.

Now, as he heads to his 4 season, that same dynamic is expected to be witnessed on the field. In ESPN’s ‘Way-Too-Early’ power rankings, the Ducks are in the 6 spot. Which is a win in many ways. That shows a Dante Moore-led team that is ready to deliver and guided by Lanning’s coaching genius. Hopes are riding high after the HC’s perfect 12-0 regular season finish, which is a rare feat in gridiron football. For that level of brilliance to occur, Lanning says the boys should always be at their best.

He spoke to Bussin’ With The Boys in an April 15 episode about how he’s building a culture amidst the nature of NILs. Lanning said, “[Y]ou better love football, right? You better be infatuated with the process.” That’s the No. 1 requirement, flat out. He then alluded to Geno Auriemma winning his 12th National Championship in women’s basketball, and how he sets his standards. “What’s going to happen, [is] that standard in practice has to be here,” he said, referring to a high degree, “because you’re going to fall down a little bit at the level of competition when the pressure is so high.” 

As Moore could soon turn out to be the starting QB and thereby a key influence on the team, the HC also made it a point to highlight what matters first.

“So, if you practice here all the time, you’re never going to reach that standard,” he said. “You’re never going to reach that level that you want to be at on game day,” the HC declared. According to Lanning, you can’t risk it all and take it easy, thinking that you’ll be able to deliver on the Saturdays.

Lanning claims that the Ducks are taking that mindset seriously. “Our guys have bought into that process. They’ve bought into wearing full pads at practice, to thud and to tackling, and to being physical. You have to be in love with football to be a part of that.” And he’s right in what he says. More importantly, Lanning is a person who is absolutely in love with football, and that’s why there are high standards in his coaching. To be able to lead Oregon to greater results, players have to be able to relate to that level of infatuation to succeed. Nothing else should take precedence, which is seemingly the case with former — yep, we’re going to have to use that word — Tennessee QB, Nico Iamaleava.

All of this is especially in light of the wild ride of events that are unfolding at Knoxville, courtesy of Nico Iamleava. They are two guys in the same position, but one is looking at the position while keeping NIL as a priority.

How is Dan Lanning’s move going to affect Iamaleava’s career?

Is Dan Lanning a snitch? Or was he a head coach looking out for a fellow head coach? Ever since Dan Lanning’s involvement with the whole Iamaleava fiasco came to light, this debate has risen. The star QB’s career is on the brink of an end now. Apparently, Lanning knew about his intentions to transfer and decided to give Josh Heupel a heads-up. Iamaleava, on the other hand, is unsatisfied with his pay and is now ditching camp. The danger now, after all of this drama, is that the QB might not have anywhere to go.

In simpler words, Iamaleava’s career stands a solid chance of ending right now, after his decision to leave Tennessee. His reps reached out to Oregon, but Lanning refused. He doesn’t need Iamaleava, since he’s got some great options in Dante Moore and Austin Novosad. The Sporting News claims that the Tennessee QB could be looking to be the first CFB player to have his career cut short because of an NIL deal. It seemed that money was the deciding factor behind Iamaleava’s decision to skip practice on Friday. His father and agent reportedly encouraged this.

Josh Pate, however, gives Lanning a pat on the back. “If Lanning did what they say he did… Good for Dan Lanning. Because I can tell you that’s not the only program that Nico’s folks had engaged behind the scenes. Reports say that USC and Notre Dame have backed out of the offer. With Oregon clearly starting the fire, making them an immediate red flag for Iamaleava’s team, the QB might not find a program better than Tennessee. Sports Illustrated predicts that UCLA, Tulane, and North Carolina can be probable destinations.

It’s safe to say that Lanning did what was needed, which was a tough call to make on his part. The Sporting News wrote that Heupel now has an easier job of looking for other QBs to replace him, instead of shelling out more money to keep Iamaleava sated. Clearly, one very big reason why Lanning would not want to have him at Oregon is that he doesn’t resonate with his ‘football first’ motto at all. That has shown results in all of the HC’s years at Oregon, and he clearly hasn’t seen that in the former Tennessee QB.