Bruce Feldman discusses Dan Lanning's interest in Alabama job amid Nick Saban retirement

The stunning and unexpected news of Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban retiring from coaching has sent ripples throughout the college football world. While many down in Tuscaloosa, AL, are saddened to see the legendary head coach walk away from the game, others are quickly gathering a list of names of potential replacements for the now-open head coaching vacancy including Oregon head coach Dan Lanning.

That list will likely take some time to materialize; however, according to The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman, there are a handful of individuals at the front of that list including Lanning.

While on the Paul Finebaum Show, shortly after the news of Saban’s retirement broke, the college football expert discussed the possibility of the Ducks head man leaving Eugene, OR, and heading back to the SEC.

“It’s one thing to take it and have a discussion; it’s another thing to say I’m going to move my family and jump and be the guy who tries to replace Nick Saban,” said Feldman. “I don’t know the answer to that. Everything I know from Dan is he and his family really like it where they’re at. And I think he knows he’s got a good situation; he’s built a good staff, recruited exceptionally well.”

In his two seasons leading the Oregon Ducks, Lanning has come up just short of reaching the College Football Playoff. In his inaugural year, 2022, Oregon missed out on playing for the Pac-12 Championship following a late-season loss to Oregon State in the Civil War. In 2023, the Ducks took another step in the right direction, making it to the title game. Unfortunately, they would fall for the second time in the season to the Washington Huskies, who participated in this year’s national championship game.

Feldman on what Lanning and others must consider before taking the call

Still, for what it’s worth, planning to Alabama makes sense to Feldman. Unfortunately, he doesn’t know if that move would be right for the Oregon head coach. To be more specific, Feldman wonders what things any individual considering to assume the Alabama head coaching position will have to take into account. In Lanning’s case, he has a multitude of things to weigh, like his recent success at Oregon and the position he has the program in as they prepare for their inaugural season in the Big Ten in 2024.

“I can see why Alabama would be really impressed by Dan Lanning. I can see why Dan Lanning would be interested. I just don’t know. To be the guy who’s going to replace Nick Saban? As you know, we’re talking about the greatest college football coach in the history of the sport. That is going to be a really tough job.

“You just think about what the bar becomes at that point. If you’re Dan Lanning, do you sit there and say my team is built to make a run [and] maybe dominate the Big Ten? Is there a situation where you’re like, ‘That could be great, and I can make my own legacy here.’ I don’t know. I think that’s a lot for him or whoever else Alabama ultimately targets to sort out.”

With the news of Nick Saban’s retirement still fresh, it is anyone’s guess as to who the Alabama athletic department is looking at to replace the legendary head coach. While coaches like Lanning might be at the top of mind, the position coaches like him currently occupy also have an inside track to compete for a national championship next season minus the immense amount of scrutiny they would be under should they choose to take over the Crimson Tide. For now, the college football world will have to wait and see who Saban’s heir will be.