Eight candidates to replace the retiring Nick Saban at Alabama

Bryan Fischer

College Football Writer

Nick Saban has hung up his headset for the final time.

In a seismic decision for college football, the SEC and particularly for Alabama, the legendary coach rocked the sports world with his retirement Wednesday afternoon.

After 28 years as a head coach, the last 17 with the Crimson Tide, 369 wins, seven national championships and enough NFL draft picks to stock every roster several times over, it’s safe to say there will never be another one like him.

It takes a lot to cast aside the great Bear Bryant in the record books in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, yet Saban did that and then some.

Perhaps we should have seen it coming.

“There’s been sometimes when I’d say I should smarten up and take a day off,” Saban remarked two days before what was to wind up as his final game, a Rose Bowl loss in overtime to eventual national champion Michigan. “That comes from (Saban’s wife) Ms. Terry more than me. But it is what it is.”

Now, it is the harsh reality for Alabama, which not only must conduct a coaching search, but must replace somebody who is pretty much irreplaceable. Not only that, but they’re hiring for a job which is much more difficult, as NIL flourishes, the SEC expands and so, too, does the College Football Playoff — all factors complicating the road at a place where the standard is national championship or bust.

“It’s going to be much more challenging because the circumstances around it have changed a little bit,” Saban said two weeks ago about the changing college football landscape in 2024 and beyond.

No pressure there for athletic director Greg Byrne for what will be a momentous upcoming decision for the school.

So, who could replace Saban and attempt to fill the biggest shoes imaginable on the sidelines? Here are eight candidates for the Crimson Tide:

Dabo Swinney, Clemson head coach

Swinney is almost the perfect candidate. He is an alum and not just a link to the past, but somebody who worked his way up from a walk-on to a beloved player on several successful teams. Not only would he be coming home, he has national title rings in his trophy case.

“If you’re going to get him, given everything that has gone in the ACC, now would be the time,” one source familiar with Swinney told FOX Sports.

Mike Norvell, Florida State head coach

The ending of the Seminoles’ season didn’t play out how Norvell wanted, but he returned FSU to national prominence and has proven to be a terrific program-builder throughout his time as a head coach.

He’s young and would be unlikely to be dissuaded from expectations in Tuscaloosa, given he’s used to some pretty similar ones in Tallahassee. Like with Swinney, the fact his school is agitating to leave a league where it has far fewer resources than a place like Alabama can’t be overlooked.

Dan Quinn, Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator

The former Atlanta Falcons head coach is one of the hottest names for the NFL market, but those who’ve been around him think he’d be a home run at the college level given his knowledge and temperament. He has coached in the SEC before and would be one of the few who could come in and chart a new era at Bama.

Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss head coach

Nobody needled Saban like Kiffin, who went from the former assistant credited with revolutionizing the Crimson Tide offense to a pariah at an SEC rival. Still, beyond the outward façade, Kiffin is a terrific coach between the lines and has shown no fear in some of the gigs he has taken in the past – including replacing a legend at USC back in the day.

Dan Lanning, Oregon head coach

A former Saban and Kirby Smart assistant, Lanning, in many ways, has turned the Ducks into Alabama West. His teams are physical, he has embraced recruiting at the highest levels, and he has helped architect one of the top NIL programs.

RJ Young reacts to Nick Saban’s retirement

Kalen DeBoer, Washington head coach

There’s an argument DeBoer is the hottest coach in the country not named Jim Harbaugh after leading Washington to the national title game and losing just three times during his first two seasons with the Huskies. He’s a terrific program-builder who is represented by mega-agent Jimmy Sexton.

Mario Cristobal, Miami head coach

Another former Saban assistant who knows how to run the Process in Tuscaloosa, Crisotbal just returned to his alma mater. Results haven’t matched expectations yet on the field, but there’s no doubt Cristobal knows how to keep things rolling like they have under his former mentor.

Pete Carroll, former Seahawks head coach

Carroll is not returning as head coach in Seattle, but despite being 72 years old, he still has the energy of somebody who’s 20 and capable of coaching at a high level.

Sure, it wouldn’t be a long-term appointment, but he replaced Bill Parcells in the pros and elevated USC to back-to-back national champions so he wouldn’t be afraid of the gig either — perhaps embracing a return to the college ranks.

Bryan Fischer is a college football writer for FOX Sports. He has been covering college athletics for nearly two decades at outlets such as NBC Sports, CBS Sports, Yahoo! Sports and NFL.com among others. Follow him on Twitter at @BryanDFischer.