Now that Nick Saban shocked the college football world by retiring Wednesday, where does Alabama turn for their next head coach?
Saban’s coaching tree is long and wide with several current head coaches on it and the chatter has already begun as to who will have the guts to follow the guy who won six national titles with the Crimson Tide.
Saban may or may not have a say in picking his successor, but whoever it is, will have to be someone who has had early success, knows how to handle the Bama fan base, and is, obviously, a winner.
Who are the favorites to be the next head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide?
Dabo Swinney, Clemson Tigers
Dabo Swinney was a very unpopular choice among most Bama fans from the moment his name appeared on lists. Still, of all the potential candidates out there, he has had the most success and has even beaten Saban. Swinney has won two national championships, not to mention eight ACC titles, and has put a lot of Clemson players in the NFL. And, of course, he’s an Alabama alum.
The issue with Swinney is his lack of desire to adapt to the modern world of NIL and the transfer portal. In recent years, Swinney has expressed his dislike for both and refuses to use either to get players, which has cost his team. Even though he may be considered for the job, don’t look for him to get it unless he is willing to make drastic changes.
DeMeco Ryans, Houston Texans
DeMeco Ryans was a very popular player at Alabama. After his recent success in the NFL as the defensive coordinator with the San Francisco 49ers and now as the head coach of the Houston Texas, Alabama athletic director Greg Bryne would be nuts not to at least give him a call and make him turned down an offer. Ryans just took a team that only won four games last year to the playoffs with a rookie quarterback, which sounds almost Saban-like. Ryans may not be ready to follow Nick Saban and be the first black head football coach at the University of Alabama, but we wouldn’t be shocked if and when that day comes.
Steve Sarkisian, Texas Longhorns
A name that should be coming up a lot more in this search is Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian. Sarkisian was the offensive coordinator when Alabama their won their last national championship in 2020 before eventually leaving for Austin. That same year, DeVonta Smith won the Heisman Trophy and, when Nick Saban contracted COVID, Sark had to coach the Tide against the Auburn Tigers and won.
Sarkisian also credited Saban for saving his life and career after his disastrous USC Trojans head coaching stint. Sarkisian is a heck of a recruiter, a great offensive mind, and has taken the Longhorns to a Big 12 title and the College Football Playoff in his second year. He also has done something most of his former assistants haven’t done; beat Nick Saban, doing so in his backyard this past season.
Fox Sports Joel Klatt has said Alabama’s first phone call should be to Sark.
“At some point in the last few years, Steve Sarkisian has envisioned himself as the Alabama head coach after Nick Saban,” Klatt said. “He had so much success there as an offensive coordinator, he’s had so much success as a head coach at three different places… He built Washington from a no-win program into a perennial bowl contender,” he said
“He has his life issues at USC, he changes his life, he becomes a great offensive coordinator, goes to Texas, and now has built them into a team that we all think is going to be in the top five next year. That’s got to be their first call… Through his experience, not only at Alabama but as a head coach, I think Steve’s going to be the first call for Alabama.”
It’s also worth noting that Sarkasian’s buyout, unlike others on this list, is only four million dollars.
Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss Rebels
The most popular candidate among Alabama fans is Lane Kiffin for obvious reasons. Kiffin was the offensive coordinator on Saban’s staff before Sark. Kiffin also won a national championship with Saban while running an explosive offense. He is also brash, a great recruiter, and an offensive genius.
The two 🐐. So honored and blessed to have learned from them and won national championships with both. Thanks for taking a chance on me and being amazing mentor’s to me. Appreciate you both more than you will ever know. 💙♥️. @AlabamaFTBL @Seahawks Greatness we may never see… https://t.co/wzbKVsq11o
— Lane Kiffin (@Lane_Kiffin) January 11, 2024
Kiffin also loves and respects Saban. But unlike Sark, he has never beaten Saban and has never won an SEC title. He is, however, a great recruiter and has taken this Rebels program to heights they haven’t seen since Johnny Vaught back in the 1960s. For the first time in school history, the Rebels won 11 games in a season this year.
Kiffin is thought to be on the top of the list for the job and the only question is at this point, how much is it going to take to get him out of Oxford, Mississippi?
