Kirby Smart explains how Dan Lanning paid dues, is ready for opportunity at Oregon

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart lost defensive coordinator Dan Lanning after the national championship run, watching the two-time Broyles Award finalist leave for the Oregon job. The reunion will come quickly as the two teams play each other in Week 1 of the 2022 season.

During SEC meetings in Destin, Florida, Kirby Smart answered a question from outside the conference as he heaped high praise on his former defensive coordinator Dan Lanning.

“Hard work,” said Smart of Lanning’s best trait. “He slept on floors in offices, he drove thousands of miles for job opportunities to be a high school coach who had a dream. And he realized the dream because of his hard work. I like to think in our profession that if you work really hard, are smart, catch all the right people that you can be successful. And Dan’s paid his own way for it, he’s done more for the people he’s worked for than the people have done for him. So he’s really an incredible worker, enthusiastic, buys in and just a great family story.”

Lanning hit the ground running out west with multiple transfer portal additions and recruiting wins. There will be no easing into the head coaching ranks on the field either, as he takes on the defending national champions who he helped build.

Kirby Smart on Oregon quarterback

One of the biggest additions for Dan Lanning was former Auburn quarterback Bo Nix, who looks for a fresh start on the West Coast. Kirby Smart also had high praise for the quarterback ahead of their matchup in the fall.

“He’s a great athlete, probably one of the best athletes I’ve ever seen at quarterback in terms of GPS numbers, speed, overall athleticism,” said Smart, via On3’s Jesse Simonton. “He has grown since being a freshman and getting thrown in there (at Auburn) and playing under multiple coordinators.”

Nix should be able to showcase his talent right away in the PAC-12. Dan Lanning hired Kenny Dillingham, Nix’s former offensive coordinator at Auburn, to be coordinator and quarterback coach in December. He spent the last two seasons as offensive coordinator at Florida State and is now reunited with Nix. The pair hopes to recreate the quarterback’s best statistical season as a freshman in 2019.

“He went back to a coordinator he’s familiar with. That should make him feel comfortable,” said Smart.

Last season, Nix’s Tigers lost to Georgia 34-10 in a Top-25 matchup in Jordan-Hare Stadium. Nix went 21-38 for 217 yards, but only had one interception to show for it.