JD PicKell: Why Nick Saban is under intense pressure to nail Alabama coordinator search

Alabama head coach Nick Saban is in the market for a new pair of coordinators to run his offense and defense after both coaches left to take other jobs this offseason. On3’s JD PicKell believes the Hall of Fame coach needs to hit these hires out of the park in order to maintain his hold on college football. After all, conference rival and former mentee Kirby Smart has Georgia as the back-to-back title-winners and the clear kings of the country right now.

How can Saban get ‘Bama back on top? By hitting on two excellent coaches to run the offense and defense for this upcoming year. A lot weighing on these decisions, PicKell explains below.

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JD PicKell on pressure for Saban to nail coordinator hires

“When you look at what the 2020 season should be, or could be, rather, there’s so much pressure around it. Yes, Alabama lost two games and, yes, they didn’t play for the SEC title or achieve their standard. But even so there is so much pressure around Alabama because of what they have in-house. They have five-star ingredients at Alabama. And last year you did not have a five-star product. To me, you look back to who is in charge of those sides of the football — both the offensive and defensive side…to be honest with you, you need someone who’s going to capitalize on those five-star ingredients.

“Last year, like I said, two losses, didn’t win the SEC, won a New Year’ Six bowl game. However you look at Alabama’s recruiting, you look at the ingredients. Their lowest finish since 2019 in terms of recruiting class rankings. Two. That’s that’s the lowest they have finished. So what does that tell you? You have players, from a talent standpoint, that should consistently put you in the SEC title game, put you in the national championship. And that’s been the case for Alabama. They haven’t until last year, or let me rephrase, that they have never gone three years without winning a national title under Nick Saban. If they don’t win one in 2023, that would be a reality really quickly.

“Alabama have two coordinator hires in front of them. There will be no shortage of big names that are a part of this search and a part of the rumor mill around Tuscaloosa. But like I said, you cannot overstate the importance of five-star ingredients. Tuscaloosa, they recruit better than anybody else in the country. Put somebody in place on offense and defense to get the most out of those sides of the football.

“The rest of the SEC is starting to scratch and claw and gain some ground on Alabama. Alabama’s still Alabama. But the coaching, the individuals in charge of the offense and the defense have to push this roster that’s so talented, just 10 percent more to get them back to National Title contention. Georgia has won the last two. Alabama is no longer the King of the Hill. They are just as close as falling back to the pack as they are to winning another National Title. 2023, to me, will determine that and will give us a good gauge for him and going forward.”