Oregon Ducks Hire New Head Coach, Bring Dan Lanning From Georgia

PORTLAND, OR — Well, that didn't take long. Less than a week after Ducks head coach Mario Cristobal announced that he was leaving not-so-sunny Oregon for perhaps-too-sunny Miami, The Univesity of Oregon introduced his replacement.

On Monday, the school announced they'd hired Dan Lanning, the defensive coordinator for the Georgia Bulldogs, to be their 35th head coach.

"Dan is an outstanding, high-energy football coach who will provide a world-class experience for our football student-athletes,” Oregon Athletic Director Rob Mullens said.

"He is a tremendous recruiter and developer of talent, and we will continue to compete for championships while providing an environment where our football student-athletes can develop to their fullest potential in the classroom, on the football field, and as people."

It will be the first head coaching gig for Lanning, who is 35 years old. He's spent the past four years at Georgia, the last three running the defense. Twice he was a finalist for the Broyles Award as the top assistant coach in the nation.

With Lanning, Georgia reached four consecutive bowls – back-to-back Allstate Sugar Bowls, the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, and the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic.

It wasn't until the fourth quarter of their third game this season that Georgia's defense gave up a touchdown.

Lanning will stay with Georgia, the number three team in the country, through their New Year's Eve Orange Bowl appearance against the second-ranked Michigan Wolverines.

The Ducks, who ended the regular season ranked 15th after spending several weeks this season in the top-10 lost to Utah in the Pac-12 championship game last week. They play the 14th-ranked Oklahoma Sooners in the Alamo Bowl on December 29.