Who are the most likely candidates to replace Nick Saban at Alabama?
The college football world changed on Wednesday afternoon with the news that Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban was retiring.
It’s fair to say it marks the end of an era in the sport. Saban will leave college football as arguably the greatest coach in college football history, with seven national championships to his name.
Much of the drama since his departure has been about who would replace Saban in Tuscaloosa. Fans of the Oregon Ducks are all too aware of this because head coach Dan Lanning has been considered one of the top candidates since the news broke. The ensuing hours saw the rumor mill go wild, with false reports that Lanning was in Tuscaloosa on Wednesday night causing quite a stir in Eugene.
While I can confirm Lanning was not in Alabama, that doesn’t mean he is 100% not taking the job, though I believe he will ultimately stay in Eugene.
Who will be the next head coach of the Crimson Tide, though? That’s a good question. Lets break down the top options, and assign hypothetical betting odds for how likely I think that candidate is to actually take over in Tuscaloosa.
Lane Kiffin
Hypothetical Odds: +250
Current Job: Ole Miss Rebels head coach
Analysis: In my mind, there are two leading candidates to take over as the next head coach at Alabama, and Dan Lanning isn’t one of them. More on that later. Lane Kiffin makes a lot of sense. He spent time at Alabama as the offensive coordinator from 2014-2016, and has planted his flag as one of the top coaches in the current era of college football.
Mike Norvell
David Yeazell-USA TODAY Sports
Hypothetical Odds: +250
Current Job: Florida State Seminoles head coach
Analysis: The other top candidate for the job in my eyes is Florida State head coach Mike Norvell. While he doesn’t have the ties to Nick Saban or the SEC, Norvell has turned around a Seminoles program over the past couple of years and shown an ability to build rosters and coach at a high level in the current era of college football.
Steve Sarkisian
Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports
Hypothetical Odds: +400
Current Job: Texas Longhorns head coach
Analysis: Steve Sarkisian is another candidate I think has a real possibility of getting this job, thanks to his ties to Alabama. In 2016, he replaced Lane Kiffin as the interim OC for the Crimson Tide, and he served again at Alabama as the OC from 2019-2020. The biggest question now is whether or not he would want to leave his current situation at Texas for a job in Tuscaloosa following the best coach in the sports’ history.
Kalen DeBoer
Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports
Hypothetical Odds: +450
Current Job: Washington Huskies head coach
Analysis: One name that seems to be flying under the radar for this job is Washington’s Kalen DeBoer, someone I believe is far more likely to be at Alabama next year than people think. DeBoer doesn’t have the SEC ties or connections to Alabama, but he has proven to be one of the best coaches in the nation over the past couple of years, and would be a great fit to take over for Saban. If I had to put money on any single person, it would be right here.
Dan Lanning
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Update: Since this article was written, Dan Lanning has publicly passed on the Alabama vacancy. Below is our original copy.
Hypothetical Odds: +600
Current Job: Oregon Ducks head coach
Analysis: Alright, let’s talk about Dan Lanning. My hypothetical odds for Oregon’s head coach to leave for Alabama are likely a lot lower than many people would project, but it’s because I feel confident based on who I’ve talked to in and around the Ducks’ program that he will not be leaving Eugene for Tuscaloosa. With his ties to Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide, it would make sense that he is considered the leading candidate for the job, but based on intel that I’ve received, I don’t expect Lanning to leave the Ducks and replace Saban.
Dabo Swinney
Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports
Hypothetical Odds: +750
Current Job: Clemson Tigers head coach
Analysis: From the outside looking in, Dabo Swinney seems to be a strong candidate to replace Nick Saban, since he has coached at an incredibly high level before, and he has deep ties in the south after coaching at Clemson for so long. However, videos of Alabama fans chanting “anyone but Dabo” on Wednesday night lead me to believe that Swinney will not be the one to take over in Tuscaloosa.
Deion Sanders
Hypothetical Odds: +1000
Current Job: Colorado Buffaloes HC
Analysis: This is certainly a long shot, but Deion Sanders has had his name thrown out for the Alabama job, and I don’t think it’s the craziest thing in the world. Ultimately, I don’t think he will get the job, but if Alabama is looking for someone to ignite the program and continue with the high-end recruiting in Tuscaloosa, Coach Prime could be your man.
Sherrone Moore
Hypothetical Odds: +1500
Current Job: Michigan Wolverines OC
Analysis: I think Sherrone Moore is absolutely qualified for this job, and would likely do a fantastic job in Tuscaloosa. However, with the future of Jim Harbaugh unclear, I think he will wait. Moore makes way more sense to take over as the next head coach of the Michigan Wolverines if Harbaugh leaves than he does to replace Saban at Alabama, though I think this would be an incredibly strong hire if the Crimson Tide chose to go that route.
