During Big Ten Media Days in Las Vegas last week, Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning revealed that he spoke with Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney this offseason, citing discussions over the process of running a program — including how he developed his “Double Down” mantra heading into the 2025 season.
On Monday, during Oregon’s 2025 media day in Eugene, Lanning was asked to elaborate on the meeting and why it occurred. In essence, it was to pick the brain of a coach who has succeeded on the biggest stage.
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“Every year, I kind of challenge myself to find some people to touch base with, and he was kind enough to touch base back, you know,” Lanning said. “So there’s a lot of people who’ve done the game at a really high level that I want to go pick their brain.”
Lanning continued, breaking down the topics the two coaches discussed.
“We really talked about all things. All things program, right?” Lanning said. “Not necessarily messaging, but all things organizationally, why he thought he was able to have some of the success that he’s had over the years, and what separates some of his team. So I really appreciate his insight.”
Entering his fourth season at the helm for the Ducks, Lanning has quickly established himself as one of the top coaches in the country with three straight double-digit season win totals.
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Last season was his best work, as Oregon was ranked No. 1 in the country for the back half of the season, won a Big Ten title, and earned the top seed in the College Football Playoff. However, the season-ending Rose Bowl loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes stung for a team with national championship hopes.
It doesn’t get much better than asking Swinney for advice, who’s 35th in all-time wins as a college football head coach, including two national titles in 2016 and 2018.
With a new perspective and the ensuing inspiration for a new season motto, Lanning’s meeting with Swinney should prove to be another building block towards the continued success of the Oregon program.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon HC Dan Lanning breaks down offseason meeting with Dabo Swinney
