Who should Bama hire?

[StateCollege]

Of course I'm hoping they don't make a great hire (unless its Kiffin). But if you were Byrne, who would be your pick?

Notable potential candidates:

Lane Kiffin
Dan Lanning - Staying at Oregon
Dabo Swinney
Kalen DeBoer
Mike Norvell
Steve Sarkisian
James Franklin

I'm not convinced by Lanning yet. Good coach, but limited experience. Kiffin probably has the highest ceiling, but might be too volatile for that program. I'm not sure that Sark would leave Texas, but I would probably go with him or Kiffin.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

I don't think they get any of those, except maybe DeBoer. And honestly he's probably the best option. Dabo is dumb enough to go so many he will.

DeBoer is losing everybody and Dabo seems to have run his course at Clemson, I could see him trying to complete the circle.

 

[HRMSU]

Kiffin might average 50 a game with Bama recruits. He'd be the safest bet to me to keep them at or near the top.

 

[POTUS]

Kiffin has done a great job at OM. For that alone, I want him to go to Bama so OM will hopefully implode. BUT, that's also the reason they should choose him. He's done it in the SEC at a have-not school. The other candidates haven't done it in the SEC and many of them have short track records of success.

 

[ckDOG]

Kiffin might average 50 a game with Bama recruits. He'd be the safest bet to me to keep them at or near the top.

Kiffin could do well. Very likely win a championship there but he'd have to grow up quickly. I don't think he's mature enough to handle the criticism he will get being the HC there from both within and outside the program. And criticism for the guy that follows Saban will be 10x of any other situation. He's somewhat insulated from national criticism at OM and would be offered a longer grace period if he had a couple rough seasons. They can put up with his pout sessions and passive aggressiveness. Likely isn't going to fly at Bama. Not this soon after Saban.

 

[Dawg1976]

Of course I'm hoping they don't make a great hire (unless its Kiffin). But if you were Byrne, who would be your pick?

Notable potential candidates:

Lane Kiffin
Dan Lanning
Dabo Swinney
Kalen DeBoer
Mike Norvell
Steve Sarkisian
James Franklin

I'm not convinced by Lanning yet. Good coach, but limited experience. Kiffin probably has the highest ceiling, but might be too volatile for that program. I'm not sure that Sark would leave Texas, but I would probably go with him or Kiffin.

Franklin is about the only one I would eliminate from this list. Any of the rest would be good.

 

[johnson86-1]

Of course I'm hoping they don't make a great hire (unless its Kiffin). But if you were Byrne, who would be your pick?

Notable potential candidates:

Lane Kiffin
Dan Lanning
Dabo Swinney
Kalen DeBoer
Mike Norvell
Steve Sarkisian
James Franklin

I'm not convinced by Lanning yet. Good coach, but limited experience. Kiffin probably has the highest ceiling, but might be too volatile for that program. I'm not sure that Sark would leave Texas, but I would probably go with him or Kiffin.

I'd be prepared for whoever I pick to flop if I were Byrne. I think NIL has been a negative for Bama, and I think Bama fans are going to turn on anybody that doesn't have them in the championship game every other year. I'd be hesitant to commit $50-$60M to a coach that fans are probably going to hate in 3 years regardless, and I think it's going to take something like that to poach most of those coaches.

Dabo makes $10M+. Norvell is making $8M per year at FSU. Franklin makes $8.5 and has like a 10 year contract I think. Lane is making $9M? Lanning is making $7-8M. I would think minimum to get those guys to listen would be $10M per year for 5 years on the low end to $12M per year for the higher paid coaches?

Now Sarkisian is only making $6Mish? And Kalen DeBoer is making under $5M. I think I'd at least make Sarkisian say no and make UT up his pay to around $10M, which I'm guessing they'd happily do.

After that? Would fans be happy with DeBoer?

 

[dawgman42]

Just goes to show you that if this is "the list," the quality and real coaching talent out there for arguably THE elite job is very wanting.

 

[Felonious Junk]

It doesn’t matter. The job is too big for any candidate and any possible name will be viewed as a disappointment to their fan base. Whoever they hire will be fired in 3 seasons or fewer.

 

[columbiadawg2]

 

[Mjoelner]

I'm hearing that Lanning declined the offer. So, my own guess list looks like this now:
1. Lanning
2. Norvell - FSU
3. Ryan - Texans
4a. Kiffin - UM 4b. DeBoer -UW
5. Chadwell - Liberty

 

[$altyDawg]

Of course I'm hoping they don't make a great hire (unless its Kiffin). But if you were Byrne, who would be your pick?

Notable potential candidates:

Lane Kiffin
Dan Lanning - Staying at Oregon
Dabo Swinney
Kalen DeBoer
Mike Norvell
Steve Sarkisian
James Franklin

I'm not convinced by Lanning yet. Good coach, but limited experience. Kiffin probably has the highest ceiling, but might be too volatile for that program. I'm not sure that Sark would leave Texas, but I would probably go with him or Kiffin.

My vote is for Mike DuBose.

 

[Pilgrimdawg]

If I was already coaching at a high level program I wouldn’t touch Alabama right now. It is going to be an almost impossible task to follow Saben. No matter what they do it won’t be good enough.

 

[columbiadawg2]

If I was already coaching at a high level program I wouldn’t touch Alabama right now. It is going to be an almost impossible task to follow Saben. No matter what they do it won’t be good enough.

I agree. I'd want to be the guy that follows the guy that followed the guy. Wait til the next guy gets canned for going 8-4 then take the job once expectations are at a semi-crazy level. But I know a guy with the ego to follow Saban and he resides in Oxford.

 

[GloryDawg]

John Harbough

 

[GloryDawg]

If I was already coaching at a high level program I wouldn’t touch Alabama right now. It is going to be an almost impossible task to follow Saben. No matter what they do it won’t be good enough.

Kiffin is arrogant enough to think he could.

 

[patdog]

I'm hearing that Lanning declined the offer. So, my own guess list looks like this now:
1. Lanning
2. Norvell - FSU
3. Ryan - Texans
4a. Kiffin - UM 4b. DeBoer -UW
5. Chadwell - Liberty

I be wouldn’t trust what you “hear”. There’s gonna be a lot a guesses published as “I’m hearing.”

 

[Mjoelner]

I be wouldn’t trust what you “hear”. There’s gonna be a lot a guesses published as “I’m hearing.”

https://duckswire.usatoday.com/list...-lanning-emphatically-turns-down-alabama-job/

 

[SanfordRJones]

I be wouldn’t trust what you “hear”. There’s gonna be a lot a guesses published as “I’m hearing.”

I'm hearing Kiffin to Alabama and Matt Luke back to Ole Miss. I'm the one saying it and I'm just saying what I want to happen because I don't know ****, but that's what I'm hearing.

 

[HammerOfTheDogs]

Mike Dubose is tanned, rested, and ready

Of course I'm hoping they don't make a great hire (unless its Kiffin). But if you were Byrne, who would be your pick?

Notable potential candidates:

Lane Kiffin
Dan Lanning - Staying at Oregon
Dabo Swinney
Kalen DeBoer
Mike Norvell
Steve Sarkisian
James Franklin

I'm not convinced by Lanning yet. Good coach, but limited experience. Kiffin probably has the highest ceiling, but might be too volatile for that program. I'm not sure that Sark would leave Texas, but I would probably go with him or Kiffin.

 

[Ranchdawg]

Dan Mullen

 

[Walkthedawg]

Of course I'm hoping they don't make a great hire (unless its Kiffin). But if you were Byrne, who would be your pick?

Notable potential candidates:

Lane Kiffin
Dan Lanning - Staying at Oregon
Dabo Swinney
Kalen DeBoer
Mike Norvell
Steve Sarkisian
James Franklin

I'm not convinced by Lanning yet. Good coach, but limited experience. Kiffin probably has the highest ceiling, but might be too volatile for that program. I'm not sure that Sark would leave Texas, but I would probably go with him or Kiffin.

I’d be happy if they hired Dabo. His rejection of getting in the portal and dislike for the NIL will not set well with AL fans long term. At all.

You see where Clemson was vs is. If Al has to play in the Gator Bowl? Awwwww man. They can’t have that. You haven’t seen holes in trailer walls till Bama loses its 4th game of the year.

 

[dudehead]

I like Sark. He's a Sabin disciple and probably has some tough thick skin given his story. He probably knows the NIL well by his experience at UT. I would go after him then Kiffin if I couldn't get Sark.

 

[SteelCurtain74]

Since Belichick has been let go with New England, would they possibly look at Bill O'Brien, assuming he's not up for an NFL job?

 

[Dawgg]

Funny... 2-3 years ago, Dabo would be a slam dunk. The problem is that he has the same problem as Saban and hasn't really embraced the NIL/Portal era and I think that will hurt his chances. Otherwise, he looked like the heir-apparent over the past 7-8 years.

 

[Dawgg]

Kiffin could do well. Very likely win a championship there but he'd have to grow up quickly. I don't think he's mature enough to handle the criticism he will get being the HC there from both within and outside the program. And criticism for the guy that follows Saban will be 10x of any other situation. He's somewhat insulated from national criticism at OM and would be offered a longer grace period if he had a couple rough seasons. They can put up with his pout sessions and passive aggressiveness. Likely isn't going to fly at Bama. Not this soon after Saban.

Correct. There's a big difference between:
"Wow! We kept it close with Georgia and gave them a run for their money! Great coaching job!"
and:
"WT17! We couldn't take care of business against Georgia?!? Maybe we made the wrong choice."

I could be wrong, but I don't think Kiffin is built for that life.

 

[Pak Drescott]

Hearing Glenn Schumann, Georgia DC, is the guy. Came out of nowhere

 

[Dawgg]

Hearing Glenn Schumann, Georgia DC, is the guy. Came out of nowhere

I'm sorry, but my understanding is that elite programs only hire established head coaches with championship pedigrees and only the bottom level of the Power 5 or Group of 5 hire coordinators.***

 

[OG Goat Holder]

I don't think they get any of those, except maybe DeBoer. And honestly he's probably the best option. Dabo is dumb enough to go so many he will.

DeBoer is losing everybody and Dabo seems to have run his course at Clemson, I could see him trying to complete the circle.

Sometimes, I hate being right.