6 Alabama football coaching candidates after Nick Saban’s retirement, plus 3 wild cards

January 10, 2024

The college football world has once again changed as the news of University of Alabama head coach Nick Saban's retirement shocked the nation. University of Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne now has the unenviable task of finding the next successor to the Crimson Throne, the successor to the greatest college football coach of all time.

First, let's set the stage. The University of Alabama is one of the best in college football, but it does have some drawbacks.The pros are: They have a passionate fan base and a group of boosters who want to win. terribly, recruitment seems easy. There appears to be plenty of assistant coaching talent available, and there is a possibility they could fund a big-name assistant. There are several issues here. First, recruitment practices are changing under NIL. Saban publicly went after NIL many times, but instead seemed to be sending a message to Alabama's NIL fund. He has seen multiple starters move on in hopes of getting more out of it.

But I'm sure some of the biggest names in sports will apply for this job…because this is Alabama. Here are some of the top names you should know.

heavy favorite

Dan Lanning, Oregon

Brett McMurphy Lanning has been reported as one of the candidates to replace Saban, and for good reason. Lanning came through the University of Alabama's coaching development program, excelled as the defensive coordinator at the University of Georgia, and lost just five games as head coach at the University of Oregon. Lanning knows the South well and has taken advantage of both high school and transfer portal recruiting, all of which could make him a very good coach at Alabama. The only drawback would be that Oregon State is paying him a hefty amount to stay, but could the biggest job in the sport bring him back?

Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss

Kiffin was one of Saban's offensive coordinators who helped modernize the Crimson Tide's offense and is one of the players to watch at Alabama.But Kiffin Ole Miss Now there's another SEC school willing to pay a lot of money to keep Kiffin. I think Kiffin would only want to be the successor to the Saban era at Alabama, and that's understandable. Kiffin won a lot of games at Ole Miss and, unlike other coaches in college football, is in the transfer portal. But Kiffin may not want to leave with his recruiting efforts at Ole Miss the way they are. But Kiffin is as unpredictable as any football coach ever. He never says never.

Dabo Swinney, Clemson

The kid from Pelham, Alabama is back. That's Swinney's pitch as the Crimson Tide's head coach. He's wanted the job for a while, and there was speculation that Swinney would get a call if Saban eventually quits. Let's break down some of the good points. Swinney brought out the best in nearly every team he ever coached, twice defeating Saban's Crimson Tide and winning two national titles. But Swinney's public image has taken a hit, as has his recruiting efforts. Clemson's recruiting, once a big plus, is down and use of the transfer portal is almost non-existent, which could scare athletic directors. If he gets the job, the question is whether he will use the portal. Saban did it, but can Swinney do it?

Other famous candidates

Karen DeBoer, Washington

DeBoer is coming off a near-perfect season, culminating in a national championship game appearance. The offense is easy, and we've seen his success in the transfer portal (see: Michael Penix Jr.). But I think it's very unlikely that he will leave Washington. With the Big Ten on the horizon and more money coming in, it would be a big leap for DeBoer to move from the area he knows to the heartland of the South. Maybe he's ready, but he might want to keep his footprint in the Pacific Northwest available.

Mike Norvell, Florida

Nobel changed direction florida In three years, through some great transfer portal moves and the development of players who were already there. Players seem to like Norvell, and Alabama's pull could improve the Crimson Tide's high school recruiting. However, Mr. Nobel will be a somewhat disappointing hire.

Steve Sarkisian, Texas

How fitting would it be for Sark to return to the place where he rebuilt his coaching career just before Texas went to the SEC? Sarkisian knows the South well and hires some of the best talent at prestigious schools. His work in the trenches was especially good, bringing in multiple offensive line and defensive line recruits. Additionally, Sark will bring in a number of assistants and one of the most creative NFL-style offenses in college football to date. saw. But Texas won't let him leave without providing some heavy lifting.