The King is dead: Who’s gonna be the King?
Nick Saban is gone.
No, not ‘gone gone’, but just retired.
But it felt like a death. Especially in Tuscaloosa where they laid cokes and biscuits at the foot of their saviour’s statue (but not at Auburn, where trees were toilet-papered in celebration).
So who’s going to come on board?
Here are your runners and riders (in our opinion)
THE FAVORITES
Dan Lanning (Oregon): Oregon head coach. Brilliant DC at Georgia, which meant that he’s good at recruiting in the SEC. Young, fresh-faced, and has the Sabanesque qualities of extreme focus and being a damn good recruiter.
Lane Kiffin (Ole Miss): Been there before in terms of working in Tuscaloosa, and is pretty well-liked in those parts. Even though he’s stuck around in Oxford, he’s flirted with Auburn, and he would jump ship if Bama came calling.
Kalen DeBoer (Washington): Took Washington off the floor to the National Championship Game in a couple of years. He’s great with high-octane offenses, and is good at getting players in the NFL. Will the job be too big for him? Before this season? Yes. Now? No.
THE GUY WHO ALWAYS GET TALKED ABOUT
James Franklin (Penn State): Franklin’s one of the best recruiters in football, and has consistently had a team that’s been one of the best in the Big Ten, but he’s been awful against Top 10 opponents. Short-termist Alabama fans might like the idea as having a ‘three-year rental’. The buyout is doable at $6m, but let’s be honest, will it be worth it for either him or Penn State?
THE GUY WITH A HIGH STAR
Mike Norvell (Florida State): Never has been a better time for Norvell to leave Florida State. Not only did he finish the season 13-1, but he’s also young and can deal with the pressures of a big-time program.
WASN’T HE MEANT TO BE THE NEXT ONE ANYWAY?
Dabo Swinney (Clemson): When Clemson was starting to some real hay during these play-off times, people were expecting an automatic jump from South Carolina to Alabama when Saban retired. The reasons were simple: He’d beaten Saban before, he can recruit premier players in the South, and he was a players’ coach. However, his star is faded somewhat — mainly because of his refusal to use the transfer portal, and his sometimes crazy rants.
WHY IN THE HELL NOT AT LEAST HAVE A CONVERSATION?
Sherrone Moore (OC, Michigan): Moore’s a National Champion, and when he was in charge when Jim Harbaugh was on the naughty step, he led the team to wins against Penn State and then Ohio State, and then the team’s offense against Alabama and Washington. There can’t be a better CV than that?
Brian Hartline (OC, Ohio State): One of the best recruiters in the land, he’s put together some killer offenses at Ohio State. Although he’s obviously been groomed for Ryan Day’s job, this might be a hell of a move for Bama.