Legendary Alabama staffer Cedric Burns not retiring

There are a ton of questions surrounding Alabama as the program transitions from Nick Saban to Kalen DeBoer. How will the roster be impacted? Who is going to be on the initial staff? Can DeBoer recruit at a level folks in Tuscaloosa are used to?

One that Alabama fans have been asking more than anything else — what is the status of Cedric Burns, the legendary Athletics Relations Coordinator? He has been with the program for over four decades and began working for the Crimson Tide when Bear Bryant was still around.

With DeBoer’s introductory press conference taking place on Saturday, Burns was in attendance and was spotted by AL.com’s Michael Casagrande. The two then caught up, with Burns telling Casagrande he has no plans of retiring.

FWIW, Cedric told me he’s not retiring. https://t.co/oWDS65EJZs

— Michael Casagrande (@ByCasagrande) January 13, 2024

Burns is on a first-name basis with the Alabama fan base, with everyone on social media calling him Cedric. He has become a cult hero over the years and is usually standing right next to Saban. Even after the day Saban announced his retirement but showed up at Mal Moore, Cedric was right there with him.

During this past season’s Iron Bowl at Auburn, Cedric got a lot of love after the Gravedigger play at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Cedric was standing there acting like he knew what was going to happen while everyone else on the Alabama sideline was going crazy.

He was then later seen dancing along with the Alabama band, celebrating the historic win in a big way. If you’re a fan of the Crimson Tide, it’s nearly impossible to not love Cedric.

A new era might be coming in Tuscaloosa but Cedric seemingly is not going anywhere. DeBoer will have to find some kind of role for him on the staff, even if it’s not the same job description as what he did under Saban.

With the introductory press conference taking place from Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday afternoon, there is a lot DeBoer has to figure out. Players still have the opportunity to enter the NCAA transfer portal, while there is a coaching staff to put together. After all, it’s been just around 24 hours since the hire was made official by athletic director Greg Byrne.

At some point, Alabama fans will be expecting some news as to what Cedric will be doing. And if he’s not retiring, seeing him back on the sideline during the 2024 season would make everyone incredibly happy.