Who is Saban's replacement?

[PA Tide Fan]

Looks like tomorrow is the day.

https://footballscoop.com/news/update-at-alabama-kalen-deboer-mike-norvell-tommy-rees-nick-saban

Multiple sources tell FootballScoop that today has been an incredibly active day in the Crimson Tide's ongoing search; Byrne has told the program and others within the athletics department that he intends to name Saban's replacement by the end of this week.

Among those emerging as serious contenders along the lines of earning interviews: Washington coach Kalen DeBoer, Florida State coach Mike Norvell and incumbent Tide offensive coordinator Tommy Rees.

 

[CB4]

A name that came up during the TAMU search: Chris Klieman at Kansas State.

 

[Evil Crimson Dragon]

Like this???
View attachment 39954

That would work

 

[KrAzY3]

I'd not throw DeBoer under the bus just yet - dude has won at every level he's coached...

View attachment 39955

I think he's a great coach, but he's shown a complete inability to recruit even with some on-field success. Kind of like Spurrier was at South Carolina. He won plenty, but he wasn't recruiting that hard and he wasn't championship caliber either.

Heck, you can argue the same for Dabo I guess. He doesn't like the portal, isn't using it much, still has won a ton of games and 9 wins is a "bad" season.

Looks like tomorrow is the day.

https://footballscoop.com/news/update-at-alabama-kalen-deboer-mike-norvell-tommy-rees-nick-saban

Still looks like a pretty lousy list to me...

 

[Evil Crimson Dragon]

To be fair, Washington isn't Alabama...

And there are greater resources at Bama

 

[Cruiser]

Just stated on Finebaum that Nick Kelly of Tuscaloosa News reports DeBoer and Norvell are top 2 candidates. But; a "wild card" candidate is Tommy Rees?? I can only see Rees getting on the list as a Saban recommendation? Thoughts?

 

[RammerJammer14]

Just stated on Finebaum that Nick Kelly of Tuscaloosa News reports DeBoer and Norvell are top 2 candidates. But; a "wild card" candidate is Tommy Rees?? I can only see Rees getting on the list as a Saban recommendation? Thoughts?

Not really happy with any of those tbh. Rees might be a great HC coach one day but dang man, he is about the same age as me and has only been an OC for like 3 years. I realize hiring coaches can be a crap shoot most of the time, but you at least want to increase your odds…

 

[crimsonaudio]

Just stated on Finebaum that Nick Kelly of Tuscaloosa News reports DeBoer and Norvell are top 2 candidates. But; a "wild card" candidate is Tommy Rees?? I can only see Rees getting on the list as a Saban recommendation? Thoughts?

People keep saying this stuff, but unless Byrne tells us we have no idea. Even the former players are likely just running their mouths for attention.

No one who really knows what's going on is going to talk to a reporter or media click-baiter about it.

 

[KrAzY3]

And there are greater resources at Bama

He doesn't get to bring Penix though, unfortunately.

Context matters here. He came to Washington after coaching at Frenso State, so he's been in the region, should have existing relationships. Recruiting immediately falls off a cliff. So bad that I had to click "more" on the recruiting page to even find his team. It wasn't just a small class, he had one four star recruit.

That's in his region, his own backyard. By comparison just two years earlier, Washington had 16 four star recruits! So he manages to land one his first class, that's how poorly he hit the ground running. The next year he got 8, and this year he has 7. By the way he had 9 six year seniors this year, this team certainly wasn't built around his recruiting classes...

That's still a total of 16 four stars in three classes! Compared to 16 in 2019 at Washington alone! If he does something like that at Alabama, more resources or not, there will be a massive problem, and he has no connection to the recruits in the area.

Basically who will do the recruiting for him? Because he clearly can't...

 

[Power Eye]

Listening to Coach Saban's interview with Rece Davis, it seems clear that he wants to have some presence in the program. Maybe he's just saying that to try and maintain some stability right now, but if I was an established coach it would potentially give me pause. Personally, I hope Coach Saban sticks around as much as possible, but I can see why the incoming coach would be concerned. To me the only hire that would be okay with having him around is Kiffin.

 

[davefrat]

Looks like tomorrow is the day.

https://footballscoop.com/news/update-at-alabama-kalen-deboer-mike-norvell-tommy-rees-nick-saban

Tommy Rees?

I have nothing against him, and I think he did a good job with the hand he was dealt this season.

But HC at Alabama?

 

[Slowpoke Catracho]

Still waiting on that "any minute" update from Josh Pate from yesterday!

 

[tidefan39817]

Saban didn’t have experience in the Southeast before he took the LSU job…and he recruited these parts just fine

And now every college team has adopted his recruiting process. Make no mistake Saban had a deeper more profound effect on college football than we all know.

 

[bamamc1]

Listening to Coach Saban's interview with Rece Davis, it seems clear that he wants to have some presence in the program. Maybe he's just saying that to try and maintain some stability right now, but if I was an established coach it would potentially give me pause. Personally, I hope Coach Saban sticks around as much as possible, but I can see why the incoming coach would be concerned. To me the only hire that would be okay with having him around is Kiffin.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1745512702955401482

 

[TexasBama]

I'd not throw DeBoer under the bus just yet - dude has won at every level he's coached...

View attachment 39955

Recruiting aside, he's the top of the list. Recruiting/portal is perhaps the only question mark.

 

[Evil Crimson Dragon]

Not really happy with any of those tbh. Rees might be a great HC coach one day but dang man, he is about the same age as me and has only been an OC for like 3 years. I realize hiring coaches can be a crap shoot most of the time, but you at least want to increase your odds…

Well, we aint getting the top choices because a) their schools are giving them raises b) nobody wants to follow Saban, and c) Nobody wants to follow Saban................so we have to run what we can get

 

[davefrat]

Recruiting aside, he's the top of the list. Recruiting/portal is perhaps the only question mark.

Is the deal that only on-field coaches and recruit?

 

[CrimsonTitles]

Just stated on Finebaum that Nick Kelly of Tuscaloosa News reports DeBoer and Norvell are top 2 candidates. But; a "wild card" candidate is Tommy Rees?? I can only see Rees getting on the list as a Saban recommendation? Thoughts?

Only way Rees is hired is if EVERYONE ELSE says no.

 

[TexasBama]

The last time Nick Saban wasn't our coach.

 

[bamacon]

That's not fair. Harsin never made the College Football Playoff, and never coached at a power 5 program before Auburn. If DeBoer is built different, like I think he is, then he can win anywhere.

We're talking about replacing the GOAT. Anything other than Kirby Smart, is going to feel like a disappointment, because since we've had so much success, the only way to go is down. Because of that, I don't feel too bad about rolling the dice with DeBoer. It comes with some risk, but there's huge potential reward there also

And I agreed with the posts pointing out my limited thinking about KD. I still would have to be really sure. It’s an impossible bar but I an absolutely encouraged by how the program is now as to preCNS. I do think that there are coaches who could take the reins and succeed.