Canzano: The truth behind what Dan Lanning says

Oregon's football coach is talking with purpose.

Oregon coach Dan Lanning is preparing for his first season in the Big Ten.

Dan Lanning is entering his third season as Oregon’s football coach. He’s got a 22-5 record and a positive trajectory. But the stakes have never felt higher, particularly for a program that aspires to win a national championship in its first Big Ten season.

I’ve talked frequently with Lanning since he arrived in Eugene. We’ve discussed movies, his childhood, family vacations, and his football team. There was a shift in mentality this summer as Oregon’s head coach approached what will be his most significant season ever.

How has his thinking changed? What resources is he drawing on? Where is his focus? I’ve collected a series of things Lanning told me in 1-on-1 conversations and my analysis.

In his words:

“It’s football — you’ve got to go out there and win. The formula to win hasn’t changed. You have to adapt, meet your team where they’re at, figure out what their strengths are, and lean into your team’s strengths. We’ve got to lean into what our hedgehogs are, find out what our strengths are, and attack the things we need to improve.”

Lanning is leaning into an ancient Greek parable here. The poet Archilochus wrote: “The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing.” It knows that it needs to stick to its strengths to survive and thrive.

I don’t think Oregon is interested in curling into a ball this season. But when Lanning said this to me, I wrote it down. I wondered if the coach left last season — one that came with a 12-2 record — thinking he didn’t lean with a singular focus into his team’s strengths.