jokingly claps back at Kirby Smart’s comments about the Ducks’ NIL.
Just as SEC media days wrapped up last week, Big Ten media days are rolling this week. During Kirby Smart’s time at the podium, he jokingly made a comment
about wishing he had some of Dan Lanning and Oregon’s NIL money to work with. Now, Lanning has clapped back at Coach Smart surrounding the comment.
“I think it’s impressive that guys like Kirby have been signing the No. 1 class in the nation without any NIL money this entire time. Obviously coach Smart took
a little shot at us. If you want to be a top-10 team in college football, you better have great support. We have that,” Coach Lanning said on the Pat McAfee Show.
Lanning has a long history with coach Smart, hence their playful relationship shown between each of their comments. Lanning was a Graduate Assistant at Alabama when Smart was the defensive
coordinator in 2015. Lanning then spent time at Memphis before being hired at Georgia by Smart to help run the defense. He quickly became one of the
biggest names in the coaching circuit and helped build one of the most historic defenses in Athens before taking the job in Eugene.
The two head coaches faced off against one another in Lanning’s first year at Oregon in a neutral site game in Atlanta, Georgia to kickoff the 2022 season. The
Bulldogs would go on to route the Ducks in dominant fashion and would be the first of many wins on track to winning a
second national title in as many years. Lanning has since turned Oregon into a national threat in college football, so fans
can likely expect for their to be a rematch between to the two coaches at some point down the road if the success continues.
Smart also mentioned at SEC media days that his program spent some time studying under Phil Knight and Nike this offseason. This is a common thing Georgia has done under Smart as last offseason they spent time studying the New Zealand All Blacks, a powerful dynasty in rugby.
Other Georgia News:
Kirby Smart Will Reach This Historic Milestone During the 2024 College Football Season
