Intriguing storylines surround the upcoming Georgia football matchup with Oregon. One of the most prominent angles Duck fans are leaning heavily on is how former Georgia defensive coordinator Dan Lanning coaches the Ducks.
Lanning was initially brought on with the Dawgs in 2018 to be the outside linebackers coach. Upon Mel Tucker taking the head coaching job at Michigan State, Lanning earned the promotion to defensive coordinator in 2019.
His stint in Athens was very successful. In his first season as defensive coordinator in 2019, Georgia had the No. 1 scoring defense in the country, allowing just 12.6 points per game. The team also ranked third nationally in yards per game, only surrendering an average of 276 yards per contest.
Flash forward to 2021, and Lanning’s success continued as the Dawgs won the national championship with a legendary defensive unit that allowed just 10.2 points per game.
Given his history and success with Georgia, many speculate whether his familiarity with the team, players and head coach Kirby Smart will give Oregon an advantage on the field.
Dan Lanning’s familiarity with Georgia is not an advantage for the Ducks.
When it comes down to it, Smart knows Lanning just as well as he knows Georgia. There is no denying the impact he had as defensive coordinator, but the Dawgs’ defense has been a product of Smart since he took over as head coach.
The media and fans questioned whether Georgia’s defensive success during Tucker’s tenure was attributed primarily to him rather than Smart, but the unit never missed a beat upon his replacement.
Smart should be regarded as one of the best defensive minds in college football, and this will continue to be proven as the years pass and more defensive coordinators leave for head coaching gigs.
Both coaches are well aware of each other and their tendencies, but neither side will have any particular advantage based on that. While it makes for a good homecoming storyline, the game will be decided the same as any other game.
Lanning might have learned from the best, but being a head coach is a change of pace from a coordinator position. It will be a while before he is ready to try to reach Smart’s level.