Dan Lanning is not your average conference invader. Lanning, the third-year Oregon coach, is heralded as a genius in college football circles. The Ducks’ commander-in-chief on the field sits at the top of the national rankings according to The Athletic and the Coaches Poll, without a single loss. He may have an “L” in his name, but he certainly doesn’t take any on or off the field.

The Ducks had one of their biggest back-to-back wins, defeating Ohio State 32-31 and thrashing Purdue 35-0 in Week 8. Thanks to their head coach, Oregon delivered the highlight of the game against the Buckeyes with a savvy—and controversial—coaching move. Lanning intentionally committed a penalty that halted Ohio State’s progress and helped run out the clock. Without wanting to jinx anything, his team could enter the playoffs undefeated, much like the Wolverines did last year. Lanning was hired by the Ducks roughly one week after Mario Cristobal’s departure for Miami and was introduced in Eugene in 2022, despite still having unfinished business at Georgia, where he was the Bulldogs’ defensive coordinator. If you think Coach Lanning is resilient, you should meet his wife, Sophia Lanning—you’ll be left inspired.

Meet Sophia Lanning wife of Oregon HC Dan Lanning

Sophia Vorngsam Lanning is the wife of Oregon’s head coach. Dan and Sophia met 16 years ago in a rather ordinary but memorable setting—at an Outback Steakhouse, no less! At the time, the now-HC was a server, and she was a student at Northwest Missouri University.

The two connected instantly and eventually tied the knot in 2009, starting a family that now includes three boys—Caden, Kniles, and Titan. Sophia is a North Kansas City High School graduate and earned her bachelor’s in marketing and public relations. She now works as a marketing coordinator at H&R Block. Despite the hectic demands of college football, Lanning always prioritizes his family, and Sophia has been his rock through it all.

Lanning got emotional in a press conference while talking about the strength Sophia has shown, “It’s hard for you to realize the sacrifices that your family deal with in the coaching world. And Sophia has been our head coach at home for so long, and she’s worn so many hats.” One of the most challenging times the family faced was in 2017 when Sophia was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer—an unimaginable blow to the family.

Sophia’s battle against cancer was theirs together

In an interview, Sophia described the journey as “unbearable,” revealing the emotional and physical toll that cancer took on her. Her treatment involved grueling rounds of chemotherapy. Dan’s perspective on life shifted after that, solidifying his mindset. “Made you grow in your faith. You’re on your knees every night praying,” he said.

Throughout Sophia’s battle, her husband stood as a pillar of support, often prioritizing family over football and even missing meetings and practices. Fortunately, Sophia became cancer-free in 2017. It wasn’t just her battle—it was theirs together.