Well, that was unexpected! Out of seemingly nowhere, there’s a head coaching vacancy in Tuscaloosa. Nick Saban is retiring. He leaves the team with six national championships and nine SEC titles. The position of Alabama Head Football Coach will be a coveted job. Who will be the next Alabama coach? Here are the Alabama coach odds and five picks for Nick Saban’s replacement.
Next Alabama Football Coach – Odds and Picks for Nick Saban’s Replacement
Dan Lanning (-125)
Head Coach, Oregon
Dan Lanning has turned Oregon football into a scoring powerhouse. He’s got charm for days that will impress boosters and recruits alike. ESPN even had Lanning as a guest on their College Football National Championship halftime show. How could he not be the favorite here?
Dan Lanning’s most recent comments on his commitment to Oregon two days before the Fiesta Bowl:
“Oregon gave me an opportunity that no one else gave me to start there. They saw something in me that not necessarily anybody else saw…”
“I feel like I have unfinished business… pic.twitter.com/q9l3O4qMl6
— Trevor Denton (@trevordenton37) January 10, 2024
Going against Lanning is the fact that he has no ties to the Alabama football program. Even so – if Alabama boosters want a coach that they can expect to be the face of the program into the future, 37-year-old Lanning could be their man.
Lane Kiffin (+400)
Head Coach, Ole Miss
For a head coach still in his 40s, Lane Kiffin has been EVERYWHERE. He’s coached in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders and well has had coaching stints at Tennessee, USC, and FAU before becoming the offensive coordinator at Alabama from 2014 to 2016.
Most recently, he has a 23-13 record as the head football coach at Ole Miss. His experience recruiting and youthful exuberance as a head coach will make him attractive to the Alabama program.
Steve Sarkisian (+800)
Head Coach, Texas
“Coach Sark” has put on a show as the head coach of the Texas football program. He’s 25-14 as the coach of the Longhorns and is coming off of a college football playoff performance with a lot of talent left over for the 2024 season.
Before his time at Texas, he spent two seasons as the offensive coordinator for Alabama. This Alabama team is already loaded with talent – if they are looking for the next coach to be able to prevent too much turnover and continue down the path to success, it’s hard to find a better fit than Steve Sarkisian.
The 2 GOAT’s! Would not be where I am today without these two men as mentors! Thank you for everything! pic.twitter.com/JTJCgOdYbN
— Steve Sarkisian (@CoachSark) January 10, 2024
Bill O’Brien (+5000)
Offensive Coordinator, New England Patriots
Time for some long shots! First up – Bill O’Brien. The public has a love-hate relationship with “BoB” – but he too, like Kiffin and Sarkisian, has recently had a stint as offensive coordinator for the Crimson Tide. In earlier days as a Penn State coach in 2012, he won multiple “Coach of the Year” awards. He’s not everyone’s first pick, but at +5000 odds, this seems like decent value.
Pete Carroll (+8000)
Former Head Coach, Seattle Seahawks
For the last of the picks for Nick Saban’s replacement, we come to Pete Carroll. Is he the most likely candidate? No. Did he just happen to announce he was stepping down as the coach of the Seattle Seahawks just hours before it was announced that Nick Saban was retiring?
Yes. Does he have experience winning national championships and coaching Heisman winners such as Matt Leinhart and Reggie Bush? Absolutely. His age may be against him, but Pete Carroll is still a strong value play here at +8000 odds.
