Alabama students chant for 'anyone but Dabo' to succeed Nick Saban as Crimson Tide coach

The biggest storyline of the 2024 offseason has begun. Nick Saban has retired, so who will be the next head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide?

It’s always best for business to give the fans what they want — and that does not include Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney, according to a group of students in Tuscaloosa on Wednesday.

With a statue of Saban standing over candles, roses and cream pies, the group chanted ‘anyone but Dabo’ when it came to the question of who they might want to be the Crimson Tide’s next head coach.

Students chant “anyone but Dabo!” in front of Bryant-Denny Stadium. @WVTM13 pic.twitter.com/3MPGDt7WQ9

— Brittany Decker (@BrittanyWVTM13) January 11, 2024

Fans aren’t soon to forget the time when Dabo Swinney’s Clemson Tigers defeated Alabama on two separate occasions to win the College Football Playoff National Championship in 2016 and 2018, respectively.

Most notably, Clemson won the 2016 title game off a last-second touchdown pass from current Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson. Two years later and the Tigers would handle Saban’s Crimson Tide 44-16 in what was the final meeting between the two head coaches.

In that regard, he robbed their beloved now former head coach Nick Saban of two national championship wins. These students are old enough to remember those games — and it seems they’d rather keep Swinney at a distance for now.

But if it isn’t Dabo Swinney? Who would Alabama fans be okay with leading their charge? ESPN’s Pete Thamel rattled off a list of names once the news broke that included Swinney, but also saw names like Dan Lanning, Marcus Freeman, Kalen DeBoer and others be grouped into the same conversation.

Each coach that has been rumored to potentially be a candidate for the job is, admittedly, probably well-off where they’re at right now. Saban’s retirement could even bring the possibility of evening out the recruiting field a bit more. At least a handful of Crimson Tide players and recruits will either transfer or de-commit from the program after the shocking news, but that is to be expected.

On the other side of the coin, whoever succeeds Saban will inherit his empire. The reputation of Alabama football alone is enough to get the Crimson Tide over the hump. Duke didn’t stop signing five-star recruits when Mike Krzyzewski retired, and you can expect the same from Alabama.

Alabama AD Greg Byrne’s search for a new head coach will begin immediately. Whether that search will include Swinney remains to be seen, but the Crimson Tide would be remiss to not at least inquire.