Oregon Ducks, Dan Lanning’s Massive Contract Extension Goes Viral

Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning, 38, is one of the youngest head coaches in college football, and now, is one of the highest-paid. The Ducks are investing in Lanning for the long term, amending his six-year contract that will increase his pay by $2 million annually and run through the 2030 season, according to multiple reports.

Lanning will now make an average of $11 million annually, which catapults his salary into the top-five of known college football coach salaries. On Friday, the amended contract will need to receive board approval.

Oregon fans are ecstatic with the news, as Lanning continues to prove that “the grass is damn green in Eugene.” The internet went wild with reactions to Lanning’s contract extension. Notably, Arizona State Sun Devils coach Kenny Dillingham shared a heartfelt message to his former boss, Lanning.

“Fired up for him!!! Worked for everything he is getting! Literally no connections, no short cuts! Just worked!” Dillingham wrote on Twitter/X.

Dillingham was Oregon’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach under Lanning for the 2022 football season. A rising star himself, Dillingham has often spoke of the positive influence Lanning has had on his career.

Bussin’ With The Boys, a podcast by former NFL players Will Compton and Taylor Lewan, are big fans of Lanning and made their feelings known with a simple “LFG.”

An underrated aspect to Lanning’s commitment to Oregon is the benefits his team will see on the recruiting trail. His stability is an anomaly in the current state of college football in the transfer portal and NIL world. Lanning’s 2026 recruiting class currently ranks No. 2 in the country.

Below is more social media reactions to the news.

Of course, Ohio State Buckeyes fans felt a little differently than Oregon fans.

The buyout for Lanning’s contract remains at $20 million that must be paid if he were to leave the program. However, Lanning has shut down any rumors of leaving Eugene.

“(Coaching in the NFL) used to be a goal of mine,” Lanning said in December 2024 on The Zach Gelb Show. “At this point, everybody can realize that I’m not going anywhere.”

“I love what we have here,” Lanning continued. “I’ve got three young boys that love Eugene. We have a lot of unfinished business that we hope to handle, and I’m enjoying the ride. This will be the place that I’m coaching for a long, long time as long as I continue to do my job.”

Before the extension, Lanning was the 14th-highest paid coach in college football and the fourth-highest paid in the Big Ten.

Can Lanning build on his best season yet as a Duck? Oregon won the 2024 Big Ten Conference Championship in it’s first season in the conference. The Ducks also achieved the first 13-0 start in program history, earning the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff and a berth in the Rose Bowl. 

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Since taking over the Oregon program in 2022, Lanning’s Ducks have been one of the best teams in college football, with a 35-6 record so far through his first three seasons. 

Lanning is in elite company, as his 35 wins are second-most among active head coaches since 2022 behind only Georgia’s Kirby Smart (39).

Those 35 wins are the most by any Oregon head coach through his first 40 games.