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Eugene “A place where you can achieve all your goals”

Oregon Ducks Football coach Dan Lanning wants to bring Eugene another national title.

Is that an obvious statement from a high-level head coach? Sure. But Lanning’s love for Eugene and the people of Oregon gives it some extra weight.

“It’s everything I ever wanted,” Lanning told Rick Pizzo at the B1G Spring Meetings. “As far as everything, for my family. We’ve been a lot of different places. It’s great to have continuity and be in a place where you feel like you can accomplish all of your goals.

“There are a number of goals that I haven’t achieved yet, but I feel like I owe it to the people who brought me here. And that I want to achieve.”

Lanning has recorded two straight double-digit wins, with 10 wins in 2022 and 12 in 2023. He has also led the Ducks to two bowl victories, as well as one top-20 and one top-10 finish.

Oregon Ducks quarterback Bo Nix and head coach Dan Lanning celebrate after defeating the Liberty Flames in the Fiesta Bowl.

Oregon Ducks quarterback Bo Nix and head coach Dan Lanning celebrate the Fiesta Bowl victory over the Liberty Flames at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on Jan. 1, 2024. / Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY

What’s missing? Conference and national titles. That starts with a new set of opponents in the expanded Big Ten Conference.

“At the end of the day, winning football is winning football,” Lanning said. “It’s not going to look much different (in a new league). It’s a conference that’s really strong and it’s going to be a fun challenge for us, week in and week out, to go out there and play.”

Lanning wouldn’t name any specific road trips he’s looking forward to this fall, but he did say he’s glad more people will have the chance to travel to Eugene.

“We have great fans,” Lanning said. “They make the experience unique. Things happen in Autzen Stadium that don’t happen anywhere else in the world.”

But after the new visitors experience Autzen, the Ducks hope to have positioned themselves for the expanded College Football Playoff, where they will now play 12 teams for the first time.

“I think it’s going to bring a lot of excitement to college football,” Lanning said. “The more quality teams you can have competing for a championship at the end of the year, the better the product on the field is going to be.”

You can watch the full conversation below.