At 36 years of age, Oregon head coach Dan Lanning is one of college football’s youngest head coaches this year. And he’s got a unique strategy heading into his first season at the helm.
Speaking to the media on Thursday, Lanning declared that he will not be telling the public who starts at which position or when. He believes it doesn’t help Oregon by letting that information out.
As a result, fans and media members won’t find out who the starters are in their season-opener against Georgia until next weekend. Whether or not that gives him any sort of edge remains to be seen.
Naturally, the announcement is stirring up a little bit of controversy. Some fans believe that Lanning has the right to keep this information to himself while others have pointed out that if the strategy worked, everyone would already be doing it:
“If less fan engagement truly gives us a competitive advantage I’m all for it. I don’t think it does, if it did, more experienced head coaches wouldn’t be making announcements,” one user replied.
“I run my house the same way when I cook meals. I won’t tell anyone what is for dinner. They can find out when they come to the table. The way I cook, telling people what it is doesn’t help anyone,” wrote another.
“Excellent! Finally. It’s about time the program focus internally. An external blackout is exactly what is needed right now. There’s plenty of time to talk after they win the game,” a third user wrote.
Dan Lanning is entitled to do things his own way, but if it doesn’t lead to better results, he’s bound to get criticized for it.
Should Oregon be announcing their starters ahead of time?