Dan Lanning led Oregon to an unrivaled season. A dominant win after a dominant win. It was a fairytale run. An undefeated regular season that ended in a Big Ten Championship victory. Then came the playoffs with a heartbreak. Only they never got a second chance to remain in the picture after that stinging Rose Bowl defeat. But putting this heartbreak aside, here’s one shocking development regarding the Ducks’ HC that nobody really gave a big deal about. 

Have you ever given a thought about Dan Lanning leaving college football for the NFL? Get ready to hear this announcement. On January 6, CFB reporter Richard Cheese dropped a bombshell on the 38-year-old HC on X. The report read, “@DanLanning reportedly is shortlisted as one of the top candidates for the #Bears head coaching job and is expected to interview for the job.”

Dan Lanning found success in college football after taking up the head coaching role at Oregon in 2022. He came with the mastermind of a former Georgia DC to become one of the youngest CFB HCs to make an immediate impact on his first team. The 38-year-old HC went 35-6 in his three seasons, leading the Ducks to a 13-1 record and a playoff appearance this season. 

The 41-21 loss to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl didn’t taint Dan Lanning’s reputation. Aside from his field success, he was also named a finalist for the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Trophy. This award is given to coaches who stand for “scholarship, leadership, and integrity.” Although Notre Dame HC Marcus Freeman won the award, Lanning being on the list is proof enough that his success isn’t just focused on football. But despite leading one of the top teams in CFB, who wouldn’t want a promotion, right? 

We’ve already seen how Jim Harbaugh left a National Championship team behind to coach in the NFL. After leading Michigan to an undefeated 15-0 season in 2023, he left to become the HC of the Los Angeles Chargers. He’s currently 11-6 with the team, a stark improvement from their last five-win season. There’s no reason why Dan Lanning wouldn’t make a similar transformation with the $6.4 billion franchise. But there’s a big hurdle. 

Can Dan Lanning pay the price for leaving Oregon?

This isn’t the first time this Chicago Bears HC rumor popped up. It has been around since November, but the ongoing CFB season overshadowed it. The Bears have fallen 5-12 this season and, for the first time in the franchise’s history, saw their HC getting fired during the season. Can Dan Lanning make a statement as Matt Eberflus’ replacement? Even if he could, there’s the contract buyout that stands in the way. 

Dan Lanning signed a six-year, $45 million contract extension with Oregon in July 2023. This means he’ll be getting an annual salary of $8.2 million that extends to 2028. So, if he were to leave the Ducks for a new HC role, his contract buyout would be somewhere around $20 million. Blow your mind over it! 

Before their loss to the Buckeyes, Lanning spoke to Zach Gelb, saying, “It [coaching in the NFL] used to be a goal of mine. But I think at this point, everybody can realize that I’m not going anywhere.” And even the CFB world would want Dan Lanning to stay where he is.

After all, it’s not often that a young and brilliant coach who can connect with college football players comes along. But then, even if he takes a higher step, a whole new world of opportunities awaits him. So he’s in a good place either way. It’s just that buyout that’s going to be a hurdle to this crossover.