© Jeffrey Becker/Imagn
Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning is not you’re average college football coach. Yes, Lanning is renowned as one of the best coaches in the country.
But there are also countless examples that show that not only is Lanning a duck in the mascot sense, but also an extremely odd duck.
The latest example? His decision to wear a cotton sweatshirt while coaching in the pouring rain as his team took on the Iowa Hawkeyes on Saturday.
Dan Lanning likes the rain 🌧️
pic.twitter.com/0TXrJXBCyq— SleeperCFB (@SleeperCFB) November 8, 2025
Now, anyone who’s ever worn a cotton sweatshirt in the rain knows that it’s a pretty awful experience. The shirt quickly gets very heavy. It begins to stick to you, and on the whole it just makes maneuvering around very difficult.
And Oregon isn’t just a Nike-sponsored school; it is the Nike-sponsored school. So it’s not like there wasn’t rain gear available to him.
So, why the heck did Lanning choose to wear what he wore? Well, because he’s an absolute psychopath. But also, because he believes in shared suffering.
Dan Lanning likes the rain 🌧️
pic.twitter.com/0TXrJXBCyq— SleeperCFB (@SleeperCFB) November 8, 2025
“We’ve gotta keep fighting, our guys are having a lot of fun out there… just keeping swinging,” Lanning said at halftime. “It’s fun to play in the rain, let’s play in the rain.”
But there’s a more psychological reason as well. Earlier in the week, a member of the Oregon football beat asked Lanning why he routinely refuses to wear waterproof gear during rain games.
Lanning told the report that he opts against waterproof gear because he wants to “be in the fight” with his players, who can’t wear any protection from the rain outside of leggings or arm sleeves.
It’s an admirable choice. But also a pretty insane one.
All the greatest coaches in football history have had at least a screw or two loose, so it’s probably a good sign for Oregon fans that Lanning seems to follow that trend.