Nick Saban has retired from college football. The legendary coach announced his decision on Wednesday and took the football world by storm. Now, the Crimson Tide are searching for a head coach for the first time in almost 20 years.
Saban ends his career with 7 national championships (6 of those at Alabama), 297 wins, and a .806 winning percentage over 28 years as a head coach.
Now, let’s identify 5 coaches who would make sense as Saban’s replacement.
Oregon HC Dan Lanning
Lanning has gone 22-5 in 2 seasons as the head man at Oregon. Before taking over in Eugene, Lanning led arguably the best defense Kirby Smart has ever had at Georgia. Lanning worked as a graduate assistant at Alabama in 2015 and Saban reportedly thought highly of the young coach.
One hurdle here is Lanning’s buyout- The coach has a $20M buyout. Alabama can afford to pay it, but that’s a lot of money for a coach who does not have that much head coaching experience. However, if the Tide administration wants a young coach who could be at the helm for decades potentially, Lanning would be interesting.
Ole Miss HC Lane Kiffin
No coach has been more rumored for this position than Kiffin. The coach has openly flirted with the job and showed interest in the Auburn job last season as well. Not to mention Kiffin spent time in Tuscaloosa and is credited with modernizing the offense.
Kiffin has taken Ole Miss to new heights, winning 29 games in 3 seasons and appearing in a couple of New Year’s Six bowls. However, it’s fair to question if the boosters in Tuscaloosa would tolerate Kiffin’s antics. The coach has also struggled in big games over the years. It’s safe to assume Kiffin would be interested in the job, I just wonder if that interest goes both ways.
Florida State HC Mike Norvell
Norvell is another young offensive mind who has a proven track record in college. Norvell went 38-16 over 4 years at Memphis and took the team to a Cotton Bowl. Norvell was then hired on at Florida State where he has successfully brought the team back to relevance.
Norvell has recruited well at Florida State, but the coach may be intrigued by the resources offered by Alabama. Similarly to Lanning, Norvell is a younger coach who could be at the helm for years. If the Tide want to stay relevant for the long term, a coach like Norvell should be in the mix.
Texas HC Steve Sarkisian
Sarkisian is another former Saban pupil who has had major success at a new program. Sarkisian took the Texas Longhorns from a 5-7 team to a College Football Playoff participant. The coach is also one of the top recruiters in the nation and has two top overall quarterback recruits on his roster.
However, Sarkisian has a great job at one of the top programs in the country. Would he really leave to try and replace Saban? Whoever takes the job at Alabama will have almost unreachable expectations. Sark may prefer to continue building his program in Austin.
Clemson HC Dabo Swinney
Swinney is from Birmingham, and also played and coached at Alabama in the past. The Clemson coach has long been seen as a potential successor to Saban. Swinney is one of the few coaches to win multiple national championships and has turned Clemson into a national powerhouse.
However, the Tigers have fallen from grace over the last couple of years. Swinney has also refused to embrace the transfer portal, which could be a major problem for Alabama’s decision-makers. Swinney is also the oldest option on this list, and the Tide may prefer to go for a younger option.
