Alabama offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, Florida State coach Mike Norvell and Washington coach Kalen DeBoer have emerged as the top three candidates for the Alabama coaching position left vacant by the resignation of Nick Saban, multiple sources familiar with the process tell The Athletic. Meetings with Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne are expected to conclude Thursday evening and an announcement could come as early as Friday, sources said.
Rees, 31, completed his first season at Alabama in 2023. He previously served as quarterbacks coach at Notre Dame from 2017 to 2022, then served as offensive coordinator for the next three seasons from 2017 to 2019. As one of the youngest assistants in the Saban era, Rees oversaw the transformation of Alabama's offense in 2023, which resulted in quarterback Jalen Milroe becoming a name to know heading into the 2024 season.
Norvell, who did a great job rebuilding the Seminoles, 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. On Thursday, Norvell celebrated the acceptance of Alabama offensive lineman Terrence Ferguson II from the NCAA transfer portal on social media.
DeBoer 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.