To prepare for the next football season, a new ranking of the best Power Five conference coaches was released on Sunday, May 25. Dan Lanning was ranked No. 5 among the 2025 college football coaches.
Lanning was ranked above famous and prestigious coaches like Notre Dame’s coach, Marcus Freeman, for several reasons.
What Dan Lanning Accomplished Last Season
Despite Freeman’s fame, Lanning had some wins that put him and his team above Freeman and his team. For one, the Oregon Ducks beat Ohio State during a regular season match on October 12, 2024, by a one-point margin with a scoreboard of 32-31.
Considering that Ohio State was ranked above Oregon before that match, Oregon’s win was significant, showing Lanning’s ability to coach his team in highly competitive games successfully. This win and others cemented their chances of playing in the college playoffs, where they proved that their win was not coincidental or due to luck.
In the Big Ten Championship, Lanning led his team to a 13-0 record and to appearing in a Rose Bowl game against Ohio State on Jan. 1, 2025.
The Oregon Ducks are 2024 BIG TEN CHAMPIONS!!!#GoDucks pic.twitter.com/NfEI8xz4LR
— Oregon Football (@oregonfootball) December 8, 2024
Winning all their matches in the regular season showed that the Ducks’ head coach had polished the team’s roster and developed the players.
Although the team lost their postseason Rose Bowl game against Ohio State and could not advance to the national championship semifinals, their dominance in the Big Ten Conference reflected Lanning’s strong leadership skills. Although Lanning has not won a national championship, he has beaten highly competitive teams with great players.
Why Has Lanning Been Ranked Over Freeman?
In contrast, Freeman experienced significant losses this last season. One of these was the loss to the Northern Illinois Huskies. This loss is important because, in comparison to the Huskies, Oregon was highly ranked. This loss was a blow to Freeman’s leadership as a coach.
As if this was not bad enough for a coach with Freeman’s extensive experience, Freeman’s team had other losses, like the one against Ohio State.
Lanning’s team members’ ability to defend smoothly has made him stand out among other coaches. His skills and schemes have contributed significantly to the team’s recent successes.
KEEP READING: Analysts Reveal 5 Key Points That Prove Dan Lanning’s Oregon Power Grab
His ability to turn around a game that is becoming sour by substituting the right players, making his players’ strengths stand out, or correcting the manner of play has made a difference in his games.
This new ranking of Power Five coaches is not the first insight into rankings for the same set of coaches. Earlier in the year, a ranking put Lanning above Freeman, with Lanning ranked No. 3 and Freeman ranked No. 6.
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