Dan Lanning 'Never' Considered Leaving Oregon to Replace Nick Saban at Alabama

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning revealed that he never seriously considered replacing Nick Saban at Alabama.

"Nah. It was never a part of our thought process," Lanning said during an appearance on The Paul Finebaum Show (h/t On3.com's Andrew Graham).

Saban retired on Jan. 10 following a legendary career with the Crimson Tide. The team ended up hiring former Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer after Lanning confirmed his commitment to the Ducks in a post on X.

Lanning appeared to be a potential candidate to replace Saban, as he previously served on his staff as a graduate assistant during the 2015 season. He's thrived at Oregon, post a 22-5 record since he took over the program before the 2022 season.

"I've got so much respect for Coach Saban," Lanning said on Wednesday, via Graham. "And you're right. The reason I'm talking about process is because I learned that from him. So unbelievable job that he did there. But there's so much to take care of here at Oregon, that's always been our focus."

The Ducks are coming off an impressive 2023 season, finishing with 12 wins and a victory over Liberty in the Fiesta Bowl despite falling to Washington in the final Pac-12 title game.

While quarterback Bo Nix is no longer under center as Oregon prepares to navigate through the Big Ten, former Oklahoma signal-caller Dillon Gabriel will start in 2024 after he transferred to the school following a strong 2023 campaign with the Sooners.

Lanning's program is also set up for future success, as the Ducks own the seventh-ranked 2025 recruiting class, according to 247Sports' composite rankings.