Sources: Alabama Football Focusing on Three Candidates to Replace Nick Saban

The Crimson Tide have their sights set on naming a successor by the end of the weekend following the 72-year-old’s unexpected retirement on Wednesday.

Alabama’s coaching search is currently focused around three candidates, sources tell Sports Illustrated: Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer, Florida State head coach Mike Norvell and Crimson Tide offensive coordinator Tommy Rees.

Nick Saban Never Stopped Proving Himself as College Football’s Coaching GOAT

DeBoer has had a contract extension from Washington on his desk for over a month, but it was not deemed in his best interest to sign it as the Huskies went from being a title contender to actually playing in the national championship game, giving him more leverage in a re-up negotiation with the school. Should DeBoer leave UW, the main question would then be if Huskies offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb would come to Bama with him (coincidentally, an OC job he turned down under Saban last summer) or if he would be in line to replace DeBoer as head coach in Seattle.

DeBoer has been weighing an extension offer from Washington after making the national championship game in his second year with the Huskies :: Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports

Florida State is expected to fight to keep Norvell if it comes down to that, and Rees is regarded as a long shot but has support within the building as an internal candidate. Sources tell SI that Alabama players were informed that the intent is to name a coach within 72 hours of Saban shocking the college football world with his retirement.

Order Your Michigan Wolverines National Championship Commemorative Issue

After false reports Oregon’s Dan Lanning was in Tuscaloosa yesterday, the Ducks’ head coach posted a tweet confirming he was indeed in Eugene last night, as SI previously reported.

Oregon also released video from a Thursday morning team meeting in which Lanning told his team he was staying.

📍@CoachDanLanning x #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/qIOf7cAF1R

— Oregon Football (@oregonfootball) January 11, 2024

Whoever takes over for Saban will be replacing the most successful coach in the history of the sport and the expectations will be higher than any job in the country. College football fans of a certain age may not remember Alabama’s infamously dysfunctional booster corps which Saban held at bay due in large part to his unprecedented winning.