NFL Exec Floats Oregon's Dan Lanning as HC Candidate, Compared to Lions' Dan Campbell

There is reportedly some belief within the NFL that Oregon head football coach Dan Lanning has what it takes to make the leap to the professional ranks if he chooses to do so in the future.

According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, a league executive brought up Lanning's name as a college coach capable of succeeding in the NFL, expressing their belief that Lanning has "got some [Detroit Lions head coach] Dan Campbell to him."

Lanning finds himself in a great situation in Oregon right now, however, as his Ducks are the No. 1-ranked team in the nation with a perfect 10-0 record.

After a successful stint at Georgia from 2018 to 2021 as a linebackers coach and then defensive coordinator, Oregon hired Lanning as its new head coach in 2022, replacing Mario Cristobal.

Lanning delivered instant results, leading the Ducks to a 10-3 record in 2022, followed by a 12-2 mark in 2023, punctuated by a Fiesta Bowl victory over Liberty.

Despite losing some key players to the 2024 NFL draft, including quarterback Bo Nix, wide receiver Troy Franklin, guard Jackson Powers-Johnson, running back Bucky Irving and a host of defensive players, Lanning's squad hasn't missed a beat this season.

In addition to quarterback Dillon Gabriel being a Heisman Trophy candidate in his first season at Oregon by virtue of throwing for 2,848 yards, 22 touchdowns and five interceptions, and rushing for another six scores, Lanning has the defense dominating to the tune of 16 points allowed per game.

Perhaps most impressively, the Ducks are doing all of this in their first season in the Big Ten, which is considered a fairly sizable step up from what the Pac-12 had been in recent years.

Oregon has wins over No. 2 Ohio State and No. 13 Boise State to its credit, leaving little doubt that Lanning's team is the one to beat.

To the anonymous NFL exec's point that Lanning compares favorably to Campbell, it is easy to see the similarities between them.

They both have an ability to captivate and motivate when they speak, and they each have shown an ability to quickly change the culture as well.

When Campbell took over as head coach of the Lions, they were a perennial losing team with little hope of turning things around, but Campbell did the unthinkable.

After going 3-13-1 in his first season at the helm, Campbell helped the Lions improve to 9-8 in 2022 before going 12-5, winning the NFC North and reaching the NFC Championship Game in 2023.

Now, the Lions are the top team in the NFC this season at 8-1, and they are considered leading Super Bowl contenders.

Oregon was not as downtrodden as the Lions when Lanning took over, but they hadn't reached the College Football Playoff since the inaugural edition in 2014.

Now, the Ducks are a virtual slam dunk to reach the CFP this season, and they are lining up to be the No. 1 seed and the odds-on favorites to win it all.

Given how well things are going right now at Oregon, going to the NFL may not yet be on Lanning's radar, but there seems to be a belief within the league that he is capable of translating his success to that level unlike recent college-to-NFL failures such as Urban Meyer and Matt Rhule.