College Football Coaches Rankings: Dan Lanning, Kirby Smart, Ryan Day

"He has a remarkable 35 and 6 [record]," McElroy said on his podcast. "Those 35 wins are by far the most to start a career at Oregon. Pretty impressive to think about what's been accomplished in his tenure. What's most impressive is probably the 10 and 6 record against AP ranked teams and his ability to adapt to the modern era."

"Granted he's got a ridiculous amount of resources at his disposal," McElroy continued. "Oregon is one of the best jobs in the country because of their access to resources, but he has put those resources to work and been thoughtful about going and attracting the right players onto his roster."

With Lanning's three year tenure with the Ducks showing growth year over year (making three double-digit win seasons), the 2024 season yielding a Big Ten Conference championship title, a 13-0 record regular season, and a post season appearance at the Rose Bowl, the coach has certainly earned his spot on this list. However, execution in the post season for later seasons will be what propels Lanning beyond his higher-listed peers.

ESPN's Greg McElroy's List of Top 10 Best College Football Coaches:

#1: Kirby Smart, Georgia
#2: Ryan Day, Ohio State
#3: Steve Sarkisian, Texas
#4: Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame
#5: Dan Lanning, Oregon
#6: Kalen Deboer, Alabama
#7: Dabo Swinney, Clemson
#8: Jeff Brohm, Louisville
#9: Brian Kelly, LSU
#10: James Franklin, Penn State

Fun fact: Lanning's 35 wins are second-most among active head coaches since 2022 behind only Smart, the leader of McElroy's list.

Lanning's prowess at Oregon was recently recognized by winning the 2025 Stallings Award, given to a coach in college football with outstanding achievement, leadership, and character. Lanning is the first Oregon coach to ever receive the honor.

Before the start of spring training, Lanning signed a new contract with the Ducks to keep him with the program through the 2030 season. With this new contract, Lanning will make an average of $11 million annually, making him one of the top five highest paid coaches in college football (of salaries that are currently known).

With a mindset of moving forward to the next game, next season will tell if more top ten lists should add, or move up, that coach out west.