Multiple sources are reporting that Nick Saban has told Alabama he is retiring.
Saban, who is 72, would retire with 7 national championships.
So far nearly all the candidates I’ve seen to replace Saban have been from the Saban coaching tree. Most of them are pretty entrenched in their current jobs, is Bama that big a plum?
I have to wonder if part of the reason Nick stepped down (apparently) so abruptly was that he sees the future and doesn’t like it. (Some folks in Lincoln thought that was why Osborne retired, seemingly at the top of his game.)
Oregon coach Dan Lanning, a former Saban assistant, has said he’s staying at Oregon, though there were unconfirmed reports of his being in Tuscaloosa earlier today.
Washington coach Kalen DeBoer is taking the Alabama job.
He is a midwesterner with the first 39 years of his life in SD, IN, IL, and MI
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalen_DeBoer
with no southern connection he is going to have a tough go besides following Saban.
I guess people do strange things for $12 million – guess.
Guess he doesn’t want to play Michigan again even though it is a home game for them.
Pretty rapid rise for DaBoer. One full season as a Div I HC at Fresno State and two at Washington and he leapfrogs the whole Saban coaching family tree. Wow!
Jeff
Aside from his stint at LSU, Nick Saban didn’t have a lot of southern ties when he took the Alabaman job.
He had coached the Dolphins in Miami for a couple of years. While not in the heart of SEC country, it still is the South
Regarding the hiring of Deboer, I am pessimistic he will be able to satisfy Tide fans He was very fortunate to be able to grab Penix from his days at IU. UW ( excluding the title game) won about their last 6 or so games by 10 points or less and got very lucky with both wins over Oregon , Wazzu and lowly ASU They nearly lost to Stanford as well He obviously made some dumb mistakes not taking knees at the end of the Sugar bowl vs Texas that nearly cost them
I think he had a perfect storm of things going right for him his last 2 years. We know from Alabama’ past that they will have short leash , they are after all, Alabama , the school that won so many titles with Bear Bryant and now with Saban
Harry
Alabama blew through 2 coaches before winning another NC, and that coach (Stallings) had to leave over NCAA sanctions problems. Then they went through 3 more coaches plus 2 interim coaches before Saban arrived.
Nebraska might finally have found a coach who can right the ship, but 1997 was a very long time ago in football years.
Oklahoma wandered in the wilderness for a long time after Switzer, and Texas struggled to replace Darryl Royal.
It’ll be interesting to see who Washington chooses to attempt to keep the Huskies at their current level.
And replacing Ferentz in Iowa City when the time comes (my guess, less than 3 years) won’t be a cakewalk, either.
One rumor has Pete Carroll for UW. I think he is too old to both have credibility recruiting and relating to players. Still it could happen, though sounds like a long shot
Harry
ESPN’s article suggests Washington should elevate OC Ryan Grubb immediately.
ESPN says Washington has informed Grubb he will not be the new head coach at Washington, he is now expected to leave to become the OC at Alabama under DeBoer.
Washington has hired Arizona coach Jedd Fisch.