Josh Pate Drops Unexpected Hints Amid Dan Lanning Speculation Following Brian Kelly Exit at LSU

So, LSU pulls the trigger on Brian Kelly, leaving their head coaching spot emptier than a stadium post-game. Naturally, speculation lights up like a Fourth of July firecracker—and guess who’s caught in the crosshairs? Oregon’s Dan Lanning, the darling coach who’s been racking up wins and big moments since taking over the Ducks. But hold your horses: Josh Pate throws a serious wrench in those dreams. He’s saying, nope, Lanning’s not packing his bags for Baton Rouge anytime soon. Why? It boils down to money, loyalty, and one heck of a unique gig Lanning’s got with Oregon’s powerhouse backing him up. So, could LSU really sway a guy pulling in more dough and prestige than pretty much anyone else in college football? The short answer: don’t bet your house on it. The longer story? Well, it’s a fascinating look at what really keeps a coach rooted—even when greener pastures beckon. LEARN MORE.

After firing Brian Kelly, the LSU football program is without a head coach. And, if Josh Pate is correct, Oregon’s Dan Lanning will not be filling that vacancy.

Since leading Oregon back-to-back double-digit win seasons in his first two years as a head coach, including a 2024 Fiesta Bowl victory, Lanning has been a popular fan pick when a major job becomes available. However, even amid reported interest from Alabama to replace Nick Saban, Lanning decided to stay put before putting together an undefeated regular season and winning a Big Ten title in 2024.

But could LSU, which (unlike Alabama) does not have an in-state conference rival with which to compete, lure Lanning away from his extraordinarily lucrative position as the Ducks’ head coach? Pate doesn’t think so.

“I know Dan fairly well. I know his situation fairly well up there, more importantly. I could not know Dan Lanning, period, but if I knew his situation, that’s all I would need to know about this,” Pate told AYS Sports’ Blake Ruffino.

“Dan is one of the only people — in fact, he is the only person who has the specific setup that he has at Oregon. When you’re the head coach at Oregon in the post-Mario Cristobal era — it’s important to note that they lost Mario to Miami — and you got to understand what that does to someone like Phil Knight. When Phil Knight and Oregon believe, ‘We’ve got our guy,’ and he says, ‘Bye,’ the next guy you bring in, once you decide he’s the guy, and they’ve long since decided Lanning is the guy, he’s not leaving. You’re doing whatever it takes.”

Pate said that leaving Oregon would mean Lanning, who signed an extension in March, would be leaving more money “than LSU or any program would be willing to pay someone to coach football.” For that reason, he said he would “be very surprised if that ever got serious traction.”

Is Dan Lanning a realistic option for LSU's Next HC? Are literal signs been shown? @JoshPateCFB explains

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— AYS Sports (@AYSSPORTS) October 27, 2025

In nearly four years at Oregon, Lanning is 42-7 overall and 28-4 in conference. Last season, the Ducks were the No. 1 seed in the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff, having run the table in their inaugural Big Ten season, before losing a rematch to eventual national champion Ohio State in the quarterfinals.

This year, Oregon is 7-1 and ranked sixth in the country. While a return to the conference title game is out of its control after a loss to Indiana, which is tied with Ohio State at the top of the Big Ten, the Ducks have a clear path back to the CFP, which would be the first time Oregon has made consecutive playoff appearances.

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