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The Tuscaloosa News
Alabama football coaching search: 5 candidates to replace Nick Saban
- Story byThe Tuscaloosa News
- Alabama football coaching search: 5 candidates to replace Nick Saban
Alabama athletics director Greg Byrne has made it almost seven years without having to make what could be a career-defining hire.
Byrne knew what he was signing up for when he took the job in 2017. He would have to be the person to pick the person who replaces Alabama football coach Nick Saban.
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Byrne has said he wanted to kick that can down the road as long as possible, but there's no more road left. Saban has retired, sources tell The Tuscaloosa News. He told the team Wednesday.
MORE: Relive Nick Saban's epic Alabama football coaching career with our special book!
"You watch and you try to learn when (former UNC coach) Roy Williams retires and (former Duke coach) Mike Krzyzewski retires," Byrne said in 2021 . "You watch what the different schools do."
Now, everyone will be watching Byrne as he tries to hire someone who can keep Alabama in the top echelon of college football. This isn't the first time Byrne has hired a football coach. While at Mississippi State, he hired Dan Mullen. While at Arizona , he hired Rich Rodriguez.
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Selecting someone for those roles pales in comparison to what Byrne must do now. Perhaps he hires a Saban disciple. Or maybe Byrne goes outside that coaching tree.
Here are some candidates who could make sense for Byrne to hire, or people he should try to hire, as Alabama's next football coach.
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Dan Lanning, Oregon
Maybe Byrne should take indirect advice from Saban and hire Lanning.
Saban wanted to bring Lanning back onto the Alabama staff in 2018, but Georgia coach Kirby Smart did so two days before Saban could. Lanning had been a defensive graduate assistant for the Crimson Tide in 2015.
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"I've got a lot of respect for Coach Saban," Lanning told On3. "I probably learned more in football than any other year in my career than that year working for Coach. And obviously, I was fortunate to get to go and work for Kirby and learned a ton from him."
In his first season with Oregon, Lanning led the Ducks to a 9-3 regular-season record and a top-10 ranking. This season, Lanning has led Oregon to another successful season with another top 10 ranking.
Prior to Oregon, Lanning served as defensive coordinator for Georgia from 2019-21. He was also an outside linebackers coach for the Bulldogs in 2018. Lanning led the top Georgia defense in 2021 that gave up only 10.2 points per game (No. 1 nationally) and 268.5 yards per game (No. 2). Then Georgia won the College Football Playoff Championship.
He doesn't have decades of head-coaching experience, but Lanning stems from the Saban tree, has had success as a Power Five head coach, and could be the perfect fit to replace Saban.
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning calls to players during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Oregon State on Saturday, Nov 26, 2022, in Corvallis, Ore. (AP Photo/Amanda Loman)
Steve Sarkisian, Texas coach
The Alabama-Sarkisian pairing was a highly successful one. He directed the No. 3 (2019) and No. 2 (2020) scoring offenses in college football during his two seasons as offensive coordinator at Alabama.
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Sarkisian has since gone on to lead the Longhorns for the past three seasons, and in 2023, he even beat his former team in Tuscaloosa. Texas also has been a constant presence in the top 10.
Sarkisian has plenty of head coaching experience, having led Texas, Washington and USC. He also has an elite offensive mind. Plus, he fits the description of a Saban disciple. Sarkisian understands the process.
In fact, Sarkisian is one of the best success stories of Saban's coaching rehab. Sarkisian joined Alabama as an analyst in 2016 after he was fired from USC in 2015.
"I think as (the Sabans) got to know me and made that commitment and that willingness to hire me and support me in my own journey, at that point showed me a ton of compassion when others maybe wouldn't have," Sarkisian told The Tuscaloosa News. "I am forever grateful to them for that."
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Could Alabama pry Sarkisian away from Texas, though? The Longhorns job is a good one, especially with the deep pockets there, which are needed in today's college football world of NIL.
Sarkisian is making $5.6 million this year, which ranks No. 30 among college football coaches. Perhaps a substantial raise mixed with the draw of returning to a place where he won a national championship could be enticing enough for Alabama to pull Sarkisian away from Texas. It won't be easy, but it's worth a call from Byrne.
Sep 9, 2023; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian talks with Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban before the game at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr. -USA TODAY Sports
Mike Norvell, Florida State coach
Norvell doesn't fall into the Saban-disciple category, but he's a coach who's had success in multiple spots.
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First at Memphis , he led the Tigers to a 12-1 season and the Cotton Bowl in 2019, finishing with a 38-15 record over four seasons with Memphis. Then, Florida State hired him. Norvell started with two losing seasons, but the Seminoles have since tallied back-to-back 10 win seasons in 2022 and 2023. Norvell has shown he knows what it takes to success in this era of college football. He's had success already, and he's only 42.
There's high long-term upside there for Norvell, making him worthy of consideration for Byrne.
Florida State coach Mike Norvell congratulates players after a touchdown against North Alabama during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, in Tallahassee, Fla. (AP Photo/Colin Hackley)
Dabo Swinney, Clemson coach
Hiring Swinney wouldn't be cheap, but when there's a will, there's cash.
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Swinney signed a new deal with Clemson through 2031 and he's one of the highest-paid coaches in college football. His buyout is much higher if he decides to leave for Alabama, where Swinney was a walk-on receiver from 1990-92. He also spent some time on the UA coaching staff.
Swinney has been Clemson's coach since 2009 and has won two College Football Playoff championships and earned a CFP trip in six of the eight previous years of its existence. Clemson hasn't won a national championship since 2018, though.
He's not near as close to the top of this list as he would have been years ago, but Swinney is still worth consideration. 2023 will be his first year without a 10-win season since 2010, but that's still a strong run of 12 seasons with 10 or more wins. A coach with that kind of experience and success is certainly worth a call, especially one who went to school at Alabama.
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney kisses the trophy after Clemson defeated Alabama 44-16 in Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California Monday, Jan. 7, 2019 to win the College Football Playoff National Championship game. [Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr.]
Kalen DeBoer, Washington coach
He has coached Washington to a 25-3 record over two seasons, including an appearance in the national championship game. DeBoer has won in every head coaching job to date, too, with a 104-12 record. He might be a tempting option for Byrne.
Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer speaks during the CFP national championship head coaches news conference at Liberty Hall in Houston on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Who replaces Nick Saban? 5 Alabama football coaching candidates
