I don't think this is a big surprise, but apparently it's official...
https://sports.yahoo.com/report-ala...r-17-seasons-with-crimson-tide-221300348.html
https://sports.yahoo.com/report-ala...r-17-seasons-with-crimson-tide-221300348.html
Saban retiring
- Thread starter 95coug
- Start date
An opening like this one in the college ranks is likely to have a multiple-domino triggering effect. Alabama will take an established P5 coach. The school that loses that coach will either significantly up the salary to get another P5 HC or take a top G5 (unlikely to promote their own OC or DC, since Bama will pay out the nose to bring in the complete staff with the new HC). And so on.
Would be interesting to see if either would bolt for that job. Those jobs are HARD jobs replacing a legend like Saban. But they also have to realize their administrations set them up to be at an immediate disadvantage in their new conference and 8-4 records won’t be tolerated for long after where both schools are at now.
I think Lane will be the guy after the guy.
Lanning to Bama, DeBoer to UM (closer to home), Harbaugh...to the Hawks?
Harbaugh to the Bears (If they knew he would go there Eberflus is out) or Chargers.
I like the sound of DeBours to UW and their program getting gutted.
Bears just announced today the they're keeping Eberflus. Harbaugh would have his pick: Chargers, Raiders, Hawks, (potentially) Philly.
My guess is Saban's successor will have marginal success, get fired, then another string of Mike Shulas, Mike Prices, Mike Duboses (remember that dude!), etc. will do even worse, then in about 25 years Bama will find the next hugely successful guy.
Maybe they just stay away from anyone named Mike?
BTW, remembering the big reason why it didn't work out for Mike Price (he wasn't a good old boy from the south), how many of the names being thrown around actually ARE good old boys? Don't we all think that will be a major criteria for a new coach?
My guess is Sweeney is their first move, but he may not want to leave Clemson. After that, maybe DeBoer or Lanning.
Would be quite the ironic twist if UW couldn’t afford that bag because of their 1/2 share move to the b10 and forfeiture of p12 $$
Kirby isn't leaving his ala mater and Dabo isn't getting the job unless he changes his stance on the transfer portal / NIL. Kiffin stayed at Ole Miss last season instead of going to Auburn due to his daughter asking. Joey Freshwater may want to go though...
Recruiting can be left to others, Pete could focus on the "free agents" of which there is an unlimited supply of coming from the portal. I think Pete should call it quits, but he will have a hard time doing that, some people simply can't retire, and Pete is one of those, which is why he may still coach again.
Dabo is probably the top Bama choice, but he may not want to go there. He could certainly use their interest to leverage his current employer. If that happens, and the #2 Bama pick does the same, then Bama will be in the awkward position of having been refused twice...no telling what they might do then.
I can fully understand why someone would not want to step into the Bama job right now. The odds of mutual disappointment far exceed the odds of mutual delight. Sure, someone will certainly take the job and pull in a lot of money...but probably at the expense of an ulcer and several years of their life, as well as a tarnished legacy. But lots of money.
I can fully understand why someone would not want to step into the Bama job right now. The odds of mutual disappointment far exceed the odds of mutual delight. Sure, someone will certainly take the job and pull in a lot of money...but probably at the expense of an ulcer and several years of their life, as well as a tarnished legacy. But lots of money.
There’s a perfect match for everyone. It’s going to be a Jimbo Fischer/Bryan Kelly type. An opportunistic SOB who will sacrifice a likely legacy to be at the helm of the most powerful program with a big payday. As much as I’d love to see it I’d be shocked if a guy like Debouer took it. Kiffin would make a lot of sense and I think he would believe he could continue winning at Sabans level there. He’s taken Ol Miss to new heights.
On the other hand...is there any reason other than ego for him to take it? He doesn't need to win a NC at Ole Miss. If he makes a playoff berth, he'll be a legend there. If he goes to Alabama, if he doesn't make a playoff people will want him fired. If he doesn't make it 2 years in a row, he may be done.
Especially right in the wake of Saban, I think the expectations will be too high, and the odds of failure too great.
He should be. Maybe he will, but I don’t think it’s likely. He’s got his ticket punched at UW for a while. I don’t think he will make another run at a NC, the stars were aligned this year and he couldn’t get it done. The big 10 has enough bad teams he should be able to win 8-10 a year and get them into the playoff here and there.
I could see De Boer being the choice at Bama, but there is a lot to be said for the cultural fit or lack thereof. He's never coached anywhere near the South, and I doubt he's even spent any meaningful time down there.
I think he'd be fine at Bama, especially in light of how Kelly has done relatively well at LSU and been accepted so far (as long as the team is doing well, at least) despite being a stereotypical north / northeast kind of guy, but De Boer would have to go in knowing he'd be in a position where he can win, and win big, but he had better do so every single year, and he and his family would have a lot of cultural adjustments.
More generally, I can't claim to know all the details of UW's roster or pipeline, but he's losing a lot of guys who had stuck around for this year, and Penix was pretty special when healthy and not facing pressure. It wouldn't be the worst time to bolt, since even at UW, they are going to expect not much less than what they just saw, year after year, to stay happy.
If Saban had retired a few years ago, I would have been shocked if anyone other than Dabo got the gig, but in light of Clemson falling off the past few years, I don't know that he would satisfy the fan base or do all that well. He would have to embrace transfers and would face even more pressure than he has.
The guy I'm surprised isn't getting more talk is Norvell. Not because he's necessarily a slam-dunk option, but he seems to have the clearest path out from where he is, knowing that he is going into a pretty tough situation at Bama, where he has to follow a legend. Easier to do that when you're escaping a dying conference and going to a place that clearly has a lot more resources. I could see some other guys being tougher to land and him turning out to be the best hire they can make.
I think he'd be fine at Bama, especially in light of how Kelly has done relatively well at LSU and been accepted so far (as long as the team is doing well, at least) despite being a stereotypical north / northeast kind of guy, but De Boer would have to go in knowing he'd be in a position where he can win, and win big, but he had better do so every single year, and he and his family would have a lot of cultural adjustments.
More generally, I can't claim to know all the details of UW's roster or pipeline, but he's losing a lot of guys who had stuck around for this year, and Penix was pretty special when healthy and not facing pressure. It wouldn't be the worst time to bolt, since even at UW, they are going to expect not much less than what they just saw, year after year, to stay happy.
If Saban had retired a few years ago, I would have been shocked if anyone other than Dabo got the gig, but in light of Clemson falling off the past few years, I don't know that he would satisfy the fan base or do all that well. He would have to embrace transfers and would face even more pressure than he has.
The guy I'm surprised isn't getting more talk is Norvell. Not because he's necessarily a slam-dunk option, but he seems to have the clearest path out from where he is, knowing that he is going into a pretty tough situation at Bama, where he has to follow a legend. Easier to do that when you're escaping a dying conference and going to a place that clearly has a lot more resources. I could see some other guys being tougher to land and him turning out to be the best hire they can make.
DeBoer is another one that I think there's limited draw. Husky fans already have him on their Mt. Rushmore next to Don James and Chris Petersen. Another playoff berth and they'll give him the crown.
The next hire at Bama has strong odds of being an unpopular failure and getting canned in 3-4 years. DeBoer, Dabo, and many of the others that Bama will be interested in are probably at least as well off staying where they are.
except they be driving the Brinzks truck to the bank. 4 years at Bama = 10 years at UW financially
I agree with you. But someone will be willing to let the Brinks truck drop off a giant bag of cash.
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