This week, all eyes in the college football world were on the Alabama Crimson Tide. Earlier this week, legendary head coach Nick Saban announced he was retiring after 17 years with Alabama. From then, the clock was ticking to find a new head coach.
Now, it appears the dust has settled. Reports indicate that Washington Huskies head coach Kalen DeBoer is going to take the position. However, one unexpected mastermind benefited several people during this process.
Jimmy Sexton Likely Pulled the Strings
For those of you who do not know, Jimmy Sexton is one of the most powerful agents in the college football world. He represents just about every major head coach in college football. This likely played a crucial role in how the position was ultimately filled.
First of all, Sexton represented Nick Saban. As a result, he likely knew in advance as to if Saban was going to retire. With that kind of information, you have leverage to pull the strings for what happens next.
Major Coaches Got Raises
Just about every major head coach was connected to this Alabama position. Considering Alabama is one of the most prominent football programs in the country, it is likely to draw the top talent. This plays a major role because it could scare other schools into losing the coaching talent they already have.
This is where Sexton comes in. He represents several big names that were in the mix to get this job. One of them was Oregon head coach Dan Lanning. Earlier this year, Lanning triggered a clause in his contract that resulted in a decent raise. Considering his buyout was also $20 million, he had little financial incentive to leave Oregon.
Then, there is Florida State head coach Mike Norvell. He had leverage considering Florida State was controversially left out of the College Football Playoff this season. With the Alabama job opening up, it likely forced the Seminoles to pay up. Today, Norvell agreed to an 8-year extension worth more than $10 million annually.
Finally, there is Steve Sarkisian from Texas. He just led Texas to one of their best seasons in the last 15 years. As a result, the Longhorns have incentives to keep the momentum going. Right now, reports indicate that Texas and Sarkisian are finalizing an extension that will land Sarkisian a nice chunk of change.
Kalen DeBoer Gets Alabama Position
Of course, we cannot forget about Kalen DeBoer. Yes, he is another major head coach represented by Sexton. Earlier today, it was reported that DeBoer would take over for Saban as the Alabama head coach.
Sexton was linked to every single coach listed in this article. One of them retired and he likely knew about it before most people did. As a result, all of the other coaches either got raises or are about to any day now. All we can do from here is tip our caps.
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