Dan Lanning's Birthday Highlights Youth Among Big Ten Coaches

Oregon's 40-year-old head coach stands out as the youngest in the conference.

Apr. 11, 2026 at 1:35am by

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A fragmented, geometric painting in shades of green, gold, and navy blue, capturing the motion and intensity of a college football game through Cubist-inspired abstraction.A cubist interpretation of the energy and dynamism of college football, reflecting the youthful spirit of Oregon's head coach Dan Lanning.Eugene Today

Oregon Ducks football coach Dan Lanning turned 40 years old on April 10, 2026, making him the youngest active head coach in the Big Ten Conference. Lanning has led the Ducks to a Big Ten Championship, an Orange Bowl victory, two College Football Playoff appearances, and an impressive 48-8 overall record in his four seasons with the program.

Why it matters

Lanning's age is notable in the context of college football, where the trend has been towards younger head coaching hires in recent years. At 40, he is significantly younger than the majority of his Big Ten counterparts, many of whom are in their 50s and 60s.

The details

According to ESPN, 81% of head coaching hires across the Power Five conferences in 2025 were under the age of 50, with the average age being 42.6 years old. In contrast, the oldest Big Ten coach is Iowa's Kirk Ferentz at 70 years old, while the next youngest after Lanning is Northwestern's David Braun at 41. Lanning and Braun are also the only two Aries in the Big Ten coaching ranks.

  • Dan Lanning turned 40 years old on April 10, 2026.
  • In 2025, 81% of head coaching hires across the Power Five conferences were under the age of 50.

The players

Dan Lanning

The 40-year-old head coach of the Oregon Ducks football team, who has led the program to a Big Ten Championship, an Orange Bowl victory, two College Football Playoff appearances, and an impressive 48-8 overall record in his four seasons with the team.

David Braun

The 41-year-old head coach of the Northwestern Wildcats football team, who is the second youngest head coach in the Big Ten Conference after Dan Lanning.

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What they’re saying

“When it comes to the age of national champion coaches, Lanning also has a ways to go if the statistics are to be believed as a trend. In the past 10 seasons, the average age of a coach leading the national championship team is 61.4 years old, with Ohio State's Day being the youngest coach to clinch a championship in the past 10 years.”

— J.J. Post, ESPN Writer

What’s next

As Lanning continues to build on his success at Oregon, it will be interesting to see if his relative youth compared to his Big Ten peers gives him an advantage in recruiting and player development. The Ducks' performance in the coming seasons will be closely watched to see if Lanning can capitalize on his youthful energy and lead the program to even greater heights.

The takeaway

Dan Lanning's 40th birthday highlights how he stands out as the youngest head coach in the Big Ten Conference, bucking the trend of older hires in college football. His relative youth could prove to be a competitive advantage as he looks to build on Oregon's recent success and potentially challenge for national championships in the years ahead.