Georgia football defensive coordinator Dan Lanning confirmed his return to Athens for the 2021 season after emerging as a favorite for the same position at Texas under new Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian.
— Dan Lanning (@CoachDanLanning) January 16, 2021
Last year, Lanning led the 2019 Bulldogs defense to a No. 1 ranking in scoring defense, while ranking No. 3 in total defense and in 2020, led Georgia to the No. 15 scoring defense and the No. 13 total defense in the country with several key starters going down with injuries.
Coach Kirby Smart gave Lanning a raise last year, going from $750,000 to $1.25 million, making him the highest-paid assistant coach on the Bulldogs staff after Lanning was considered for the head coaching position at Memphis.
If Georgia continues its dominance on defense, which it most likely will with the talent coming in and Smarts eye for that side of the ball, Lanning will be a top coaching candidate every offseason and it’s only a matter of time before he takes on of those offers.
But, as Nick Saban has proved at Alabama, programs with the talent level like Georgia has can replace coordinators and not miss a beat.
Make sure and check out the new episode of UGA Football Live with J.C. Shelton! This week I talk about Dawgs who are coming back for next season and give out more of our season superlatives. Listen here:
