Multiple sources are reporting that Nick Saban has told Alabama he’s retiring.
And already one five-star Alabama recruit for 2025 has decommitted.
ESPN Radio reported last night that Oregon’s head coach was in Tuscaloosa. Coincidence?
Lanning is a former Alabama assistant coach, and he’s on all the short lists I’ve seen. With several years as the DC at Georgia, he knows the territory.
Lanning has posted that he’s staying at Oregon.
I don’t think I would want to be the coach who replaces a legend. I would rather be the guy who replaces the guy who replaced the legend.
Replacing the legend is always tough.
Stallings was the 3rd coach after Bryant, and he wound up leaving over NCAA infractions.
There were 3 coaches who had a full season or longer after Stallings (and 2 interim coaches) before Saban came in to right the ship. But there was a long interval between Stalling’s only NC in 1992 and Saban’s first in 2009. I don’t know that Bama fans are willing to wait 15 years for their next one, and that’s gonna put a lot of pressure on the next guy.
Saban posted he was staying with the Dolphins too 
Washington coach Kalen DeBoer is taking the Alabama job.
I am a little surprised that the job went to DeBoer. I am not stunned just mildly surprised. I thought maybe Alabama would hire from within. Of course it is possible DBoer is getting a big time raise. That, and Alabama packs more punch on the national scene than does Washington.
John Papenhagen
I’m curious what Alabama’s hiring laws are for public employees. This seems…quick. As in they had already chosen him before Saban announced.
DeBoer was reportedly their first choice, despite the others who quickly indicated no interest.
Bill Moos said that every AD has a list in his desk of the coaches he’d want to hire in the event of an unexpected vacancy.
Saban said he didn’t know himself if he was announcing his retirement until about 5 minutes before he did, but he may have given his AD hints that he was thinking about it.
For those with ESPN+, there’s a good article on how teams have struggled to replace a legendary coach, with the Devaney to Osborne transition being one of the notable exceptions. (And that one had its rough spots.)