Nick Saban addresses rumors of Bill O'Brien's potential departure

Bill O’Brien had a great first season as Alabama offensive coordinator. As a result, he’s seen his name come up in NFL coaching circles.

Nick Saban tried to pumped the brakes on speculation on Wednesday, saying he has no reason to believe O’Brien is leaving the Crimson Tide.

This year, O’Brien helped Bryce Young become the first Alabama quarterback to win the Heisman Trophy. The Crimson Tide had the No. 1 offense in the SEC with 7,323 total yards and 5,073 passing yards. They also scored a league-high 39.9 points per game — the No. 6 scoring offense in the nation.

Saban definitely noticed, and spoke about what O’Brien brought to Alabama this season before addressing the rumors.

“Bill’s done a great job for us here,” Saban said in his National Signing Day press conference. “Bill’s had a very successful career. I don’t think Bill’s trying to leave. I think he likes it at Alabama, and we have an opportunity with some pretty good players at the quarterback position and other positions to maybe continue to grow and develop here offensively, and I think he’s looking forward to that challenge.

“I’m saying all that to say this. I’ve always been one that guys that work hard and do a good job for you, if they get opportunities to go someplace else, I want to support them and help them if it benefits them and their family. But we have no indication (that O’Brien is leaving) other than what y’all put on the internet right now, which is a lot of maybes. So we’re really not trying to address something that might happen.”

Paul Finebaum lists Bill O’Brien as a name to watch for Michigan Wolverines head coach

Paul Finebaum was tough on Jim Harbaugh prior to his appearance in the College Football Playoff. However, it seems like Harbaugh is on his way back to the NFL, leaving Michigan without a coach to recapture their recent success.

As Wolverines faithful wonders who could replace Harbaugh, Finebaum revealed three names to watch to become the next Michigan head coach.

“I think the shortlist ought to include Bill O’Brien, who has done very well in college at Penn State, of course, before the NFL,” Finebaum said on ESPN’s Get Up. “Another name to keep your eye on is Matt Rhule. He has really done a terrible job at the Carolina Panthers, but he was brilliant in college football at Temple and Baylor.”

“And a wildcard possibly would be David Shaw. Remember, Harbaugh went Stanford to San Francisco to Michigan and I think [Shaw] is an undervalued coach, who a couple of years ago was one of the top-five coaches in the country.”

First, Bill O’Brien is the first name Finebaum mentions as a possibility. In the past, O’Brien was the leader of the Penn State Nittany Lions — helping the program get back on their feet and bringing them back to prominence. Additionally, the current Alabama offensive coordinator would bring a wealth of NFL experience to Michigan.