The Georgia Bulldogs faced off against defending NCAA champions and number one seed Alabama in the 2022 national championship game. No. 3 Georgia came into the title game with a 13-1 record. The Bulldogs were looking for their first college football title since 1980. Georgia came away with a 33-18 win after a hard-fought battle.

Much of the Bulldogs’ success can be attributed to defensive coordinator Dan Lanning. Georgia’s defense leads the country in scoring with Lanning calling out plays behind the scenes. Just before the semi-finals on Dec. 11, 2021, word got out that the University of Oregon  hired Lanning as their new head coach. The rumors were confirmed later that afternoon. 

“I am honored and humbled to be selected to lead one of the premier programs in the nation at the University of Oregon…I’m excited to roll up my sleeves and get to work with our players in the pursuit of championships,” Lanning said in a statement published by The Oregonian. 

After college, Lanning began his coaching career at Park Hill South High School in his hometown in Missouri. He then went on to be a graduate assistant under Todd Graham at Pittsburgh, then followed him to Arizona State University and was hired as the on-campus recruiting coordinator in 2013. Lanning bounced around from defensive backs coach at Sam Houston State to graduate assistant at University of Alabama and inside linebackers coach at Memphis. He was then hired in 2018 as Georgia’s outside linebackers coach. 

“He is a tremendous recruiter and developer of talent, and we will continue to compete for championships while providing an environment where our football student-athletes can develop to their fullest potential in the classroom, on the football field, and as people,” Oregon athletic director Rob Mullens commented.