Nick Saban’s replacement at Alabama will be expected to win national championships — and note the plural, indicating multiple, not just one.
Best of luck to the Crimson Tide’s future coach.
But the successor to the greatest coach in college football history will inherit a powerhouse program that even during a so-called down year, relatively speaking, managed to snap Georgia’s long winning streak, win the SEC and reach the College Football Playoff. The Crimson Tide also came within a snap of beating eventual national champion Michigan in the Rose Bowl.
The search will focus on coaches who can fulfill three non-negotiable factors:
He must be an experienced Bowl Subdivision coach, and in the Power Five in particular. This is obvious.
He must have won or played for national championships, or at least have a familiarity with how championship teams or programs are built. So don’t look for an up-and-coming coach who has exceeded expectations at a lower-resource program.
And he must have the personality to thrive in Alabama’s spotlight. There aren’t many coaches built to succeed in this environment.
The coming days will bring clarity to this search. For now, here are five current Power Five coaches on Alabama’s radar:
The Alabama graduate has been linked to this potential opening since transforming Clemson into a national power. That the Tigers beat Alabama twice in the playoff championship game is enough to prove Swinney’s credentials. That he’s hit on a rougher patch the last handful of seasons might be something Alabama considers, though the broader resume ranks among the best of this generation of coaches. Swinney has spoken of his love for the program in the past but always deflected questions about his future. He’ll need to give an answer.
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Kiffin is the most likely member of Saban’s coaching tree to rank near the top of Alabama’s board. He’s rebuilt his reputation with the Rebels after earning another chance thanks in large part to his stint as Alabama’s offensive coordinator, when he helped install the scheme that yielded multiple national champions in the playoff era. Kiffin has built something special with the Rebels but would take over a program with substantially more resources and a greater opportunity to dominate the SEC. Kiffin has the offensive mind and personality to thrive in the position.
Lanning has SEC experience as a graduate assistant at Alabama and as the defensive coordinator under Kirby Smart at Georgia. Since taking over at Oregon, he’s constructed a team that blends cutting-edge offensive philosophies with nearly unmatched physicality. The 37-year-old Lanning might top Alabama’s board for multiple reasons: he’s composed, he's young, he’s hungry and he has the defensive pedigree to maintain Saban’s standard on that side of the ball. He's also shown the ability to recruit some of the best players in the country.
DeBoer’s stock is exploding after Washington reached the championship game before losing to Michigan. Across two seasons, he’s turned the Huskies’ offense into one of the nation’s best and been particularly successful against ranked teams, speaking to a Saban-like ability to evaluate and prepare for the best teams on his team’s schedule. Unlike others, however, DeBoer has no experience in the SEC or in the Southeast. That won’t be a non-starter for the Tide, but it could be the difference between DeBoer and another candidate.
Norvell took over another historic powerhouse in Florida State and within four seasons had the Seminoles atop the ACC and on the doorstep of the College Football Playoff. Given that FSU came up short of the top four and given the uncertainty around the program’s relationship with the ACC, Norvell might not be difficult to pull away, should Alabama be willing to pay the buyout. Norvell would keep Alabama’s recruiting machine rolling and bring a new mindset to the offense.
