Nick Saban has retired as Alabama coach after 17 seasons leading the Crimson Tide program, leaving some legendary shoes to fill in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Saban went 292-71-1 overall as a head football coach throughout his career including an absurd 201-29 at Alabama with six national championships. The search for his replacement now begins, and a successor is expected to be named within the coming days, according to 247Sports.
Oregon coach Dan Lanning was immediately pointed toward as the frontrunner to replace Saban, though the Ducks boss ultimately shot down any interest and announced his intentions to remain at Eugene, Oregon, within 24 hours of Saban stepping away. Texas coach and former Alabama assistant Steve Sarkisian was another popular name making the rounds, but on Friday, he was removed from the running after the Longhorns announced he will be staying in Austin likely under a new contract.
Perhaps the best job in college football, the Alabama coaching gig presents a fascinating opportunity. Tuscaloosa been home to some of the most successful coaches in the sport’s history, but it also presents a pressure cooker for whomever earns the right to replace Saban. In the 15 years between Gene Stallings’ lone national championship in 1992 and Saban’s arrival in 2007, Alabama had almost as many losing seasons (four) as 10-win seasons (five).
Replacing a legendary coach is one of the toughest tasks in football. When Paul “Bear” Bryant retired in 1982, New York Giants coach Ray Perkins took over the Crimson Tide program. Two years later, Alabama posted its first losing season in 27 years. When Mack Brown retired at Texas, Charlie Strong went 16-21 over the next three seasons. Now we get the chance to see whether Saban’s successor can live up to…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/alabama-coaching-candidates-kalen-deboer-dabo-swinney-among-options-to-replace-nick-saban/
Author : Shehan Jeyarajah
Publish date : 2024-01-12 16:09:16
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