Seven-time national championship winner Nick Saban retired Wednesday, ending one of the most impressive runs in college football history. The 72-year-old spent the last 17 seasons at Alabama, winning six national titles where he rivaled legendary Crimson Tide coach Paul “Bear” Bryant. Saban is the only coach to win national championships over three decades and the only coach since the inception of the AP Top 25 (1936) to win national titles with two separate FBS programs. Alabama now has the task of replacing Saban.
According to our insiders, the search could only take a few days. Oregon head coach Dan Lanning has already announced he is out of the running and staying with the Ducks, but there are still some big names on the roster for the job. Who will Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne consider for the job and who are some of the names in the Alabama coaching rumor mill that you can rule out? If you love the Crimson Tide or just want to know if their coach is the next target, be sure to read what the trusted insider team is saying at Bama247, the 247Sports site that covers Alabama.
Bama247's team of insiders has on-the-spot coverage of all football coaching search developments, including insight from Matt Zenitz, John Talty and Mike Rodak – who have more than 25 years of experience covering the Crimson Tide. The trio has deep-rooted connections in and around the Alabama community, and Talty wrote “The Leadership Secrets of Nick Saban,” a Wall Street Journal and Publishers Weekly bestseller. And right now Bama247 is offering 60% off annual subscriptions*, so now is the time to sign up.
The Bama247 team already has a list of potential candidates and there are some surprising names on the list. Head over to Bama247 now to see them all.
Top candidates for Alabama head coach
One potential candidate is Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian. The former Washington and USC head coach spent one season on Alabama's staff in 2016 after being fired by the Trojans for off-field issues, and the time under Saban helped him revive his career. He then served as the Falcons' offensive coordinator and then returned to Alabama to call plays in 2019 and 2020 before taking the job at Texas.
Sarkisian has slowly turned the Longhorns into a national title contender over the past three seasons, leading Texas to the College Football Playoff this season before losing to Washington in the semifinals. Saban is said to be extremely impressed with Sarkisian's abilities, and there's a chance Sarkisian can lure former five-star recruit Arch Manning to Alabama after Quinn Ewers announced he would be returning to Texas for another season on Thursday.
One name on the list is familiar to the coaching carousel and SEC fans. Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin was the offensive coordinator at Alabama for three seasons (2014-2016) after previously being the head coach of the Oakland Raiders, Tennessee Volunteers and USC Trojans. Kiffin was a finalist in 2014 for the Broyles Award, given to the top assistant coach in college football. He then enjoyed three seasons at Florida Atlantic before taking his current position as head coach at Ole Miss prior to the 2020 season.
Kiffin led the Rebels to a 10-2 record in 2021, an 8-5 record in 2022 and an 11-2 season in 2023. It was the first 11-win season in school history, capped by a Dominant performance against Penn State in the Peach Bowl. Kiffin's track record and ties to Alabama make him a top candidate on Bama247's Hot Board. You can find more candidates at Bama247.
How to Get Insider Coaching Search Updates in Alabama
Other names to know include several coaches who just led their teams to the New Year's Six Bowl games, including a surprising candidate with no connection to Nick Saban or Alabama. Find out who it is at Bama247.
Who are the top names in the Alabama coaching search as the Crimson Tide look to replace Nick Saban, and which surprising coach could get the nod? Head over to Bama247 to see their hotboard and more, all from a team of reporters with decades of experience covering the Crimson Tide, and find out. As a reminder, Bama247 is offering 60% off an annual VIP membership as a coaching search special, so subscribe now before it's too late.
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