Alabama's Nick Saban is retiring. Saban, 72, will go down as the greatest coach in college football history. He won seven national titles, one at LSU and six with the Crimson Tide.
Saban returned Alabama to the top of the college football world, leaves behind a tremendous legacy and has the largest coaching staff in the sport. Replacing him will be a monumental task for Alabama and athletic director Greg Byrne.
Among the names being considered, according to industry officials, are some former Saban protégés.
Dan Lanning from Oregon is a former assistant to Saban and quickly rose through the coaching ranks, helping Georgia win a national title as defensive coordinator and then going 22-5 in Eugene. Lanning may be only 37, but he is wise beyond his years. He has proven that he can put together good people, recruit to a very high level, and understands name, image and likeness (NIL). I hear his family really likes it at Oregon, and he's assembled a 2024 team that could be the favorite to win the Big Ten in its debut season. The terms of his contract with the school for his buyout are a hefty $20 million, but I've heard that it would actually cost significantly more if Lanning were to leave the Ducks job. The Tide football program has been printing money under Saban. Does Lanning want to be the guy to take over for Saban? He has a good job, but it's also a place where no one has ever won the national title.
Steve Sarkisian from Texas rebounded his career in Tuscaloosa after off-field issues ended his short tenure at USC. The 49-year-old Sarkisian learned well how to run a program under Saban and his offensive philosophy continued to evolve. He went 25-14 in three years at Texas. That season, Sarkisian's Longhorns went 12-2, defeated Bama in Tuscaloosa and reached the College Football Playoff.
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian (left) revived his career at Alabama. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
The 2023 Horns were the best Texas team coaches of their rivals had seen in years. “It’s not even close,” one Big 12 analyst said. “Apart from the talent, it is the most disciplined and at the same time the hardest. They were always going to be the most talented, but we always thought we were the tougher team and we could get to them mentally. I think they are very disciplined, more than ever. That’s a huge compliment to Sark.”
I'm told that Sarkisian impressed the Tide leadership during his time at Alabama. Would he leave behind the good situation he worked hard to achieve in Austin to succeed a legend who will leave a big shadow behind? Is it a better job than the one he has?
Kalen DeBoer from Washington did a remarkable job in two seasons in Seattle. He took over a 4-8 team two years ago and led them to the national title game this season. The 49-year-old DeBoer, who won three NAIA national titles in Sioux Falls, has a stunning career record of 104-12. Over the last two years, the Huskies are 10-1 against top-25 teams. DeBoer is 12-2 all-time against ranked opponents.
“As a head coach, we all talk about balance right now, but he’s just living it,” Washington State coach Jake Dickert told The Athletic last week. “He’s so cool, so calm. He is able to persevere at any moment and continue to persevere. Right, wrong or indifferent, he proves that coaching really matters, because most of the guys on this roster were on that 4-8 team two years ago – and I know (quarterback Michael) Penix wasn't, but almost everyone else was Boys were still there. What he did to transform these guys is fucking incredible. I know he has the respect of the entire coaching world.”
The South Dakota native is a brilliant offensive mind and cultural creator. He loves it in Washington and his daughter will be a freshman on the Huskies softball team next year. He has never worked in the SEC, which may concern some in Alabama since that league is viewed as a different league, but DeBoer recently hired Jimmy Sexton, the same agent as Saban and many SEC coaches. The Bama opening could lead to Sexton negotiating big raises for other coaches.
Mike Norvell from Florida State could get out of the ACC before his team can. Norvell, who did a great job rebuilding the Noles, only has a $4 million buyout. He took over a tumultuous program and went from three wins to five wins to 10 wins in four seasons and was 13-1, on the verge of the playoffs. Like DeBoer, the 42-year-old Texan has never coached in the SEC. But Norvell has shown that he is extremely comfortable working in the transfer portal and could potentially be an interesting addition to the Tide.
Clemson's Dabo Swinney played at Alabama. He also beat his alma mater and Saban to win two national titles. He's fit in well with the Tigers, but many in the game feel like he's having a hard time adjusting to life in the transfer portal. His program has suffered regression in recent years. After six top-four finishes (and those two national titles), the Tigers finished 14th, 13th and, this year, 20th. There is skepticism about whether he would want to replace Saban, and it is unclear whether Alabama would pursue him .
(Top photo of Oregon coach Dan Lanning: Soobum Im / USA Today)