With the departure of Nick Saban, the immediate next question is, who will take the Alabama job? Surely, every college coach in the nation is salivating for the opportunity, right? Not for Dan Lanning, I don’t see Kirby Smart starting any rumors. Obviously, the Alabama job is a very high-profile job, and someone with quite the reputation is going to take over, but is it as desirable as the media is making it out to be?
The answer may surprise you. Here’s why.
The World of NIL and the Alabama Job
One of the theories on why Nick Saban decided to walk away when he did is because of NIL and the headache it can be to find funding to pay players. Technically, coaches aren’t supposed to be involved with NIL, but let’s be honest: every coach in the nation right now is very active in doing whatever they can to secure more funds.
Alabama is a huge brand, but they aren’t the richest school in the nation. The endowment of Alabama is $1.87 billion dollars, or 30th among public colleges. Among all FBS schools, the Crimson Tide ranks 41st. Why is this important? NIL can be correlated with endowments in that many donors will donate to both the University and to collectives that are used for NIL.
As NIL continues to grow and, in many ways, recruit top talent, having donors is essential, and it is something that Alabama may struggle to keep up with down the road. The brand and influence that Nick Saban and Alabama have had over the past few seasons have been enough to make up for any gap that may exist. But what happens if Alabama has an 8-4 season? Will the donors still show up and pay as much? Will Alabama continue to have the fanbase they have today?
It’s impossible to say, but it is certainly a concern some coaches may have.
Living in Nick Saban’s Shadow
Want to know the easiest way to get fired? Be a great coach following the most successful coach of all time. Yes, even being great may not be good enough to stay at Alabama. To be successful at Alabama, fans demand perfection. Being great isn’t good enough. Going 9-3 won’t cut it.
That is a lot of pressure.
The incoming coach can’t miss the College Football Playoff, ever. With 12 teams in next year’s playoff, missing the playoff is unacceptable. In fact, after two seasons, Alabama may have to win at least one playoff game to not fire their coach. So, for anyone hoping to take the Alabama job, there is no grace period.
Access to the Playoff
The SEC is going to be loaded next season with Alabama, Georgia, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, Kentucky, and Texas A&M all feeling confident that they will have a great chance to make the College Football Playoff.
With automatic qualifiers coming from each P4 conference, plus one or two additional from G5 Champions, it may be easier to make the College Football Playoff as the second-best Big 12 or ACC team than it is to be the third-best SEC team. Also, there is more grace if a team like Kansas, Lousiville, or Miami don’t make the Playoff every year.
Still a Great Job
The Alabama job is still a very attractive job. The roster will have some activity in the transfer portal, but overall, once spring comes around, the roster is still going to be loaded. Following up Nick Saban is a tall task, but it is also an honor and opportunity to continue a dynasty.
Alabama is not going to have any issues finding a new head coach. However, don’t be shocked if more coaches like Dan Lanning decline the Alabama job if they’ve already got a great job at another school, which if we are being honest, is probably the case for every coaching candidate that Alabama wants to hire.
