Rece Davis lists Dan Lanning, Kalen DeBoer, Mike Norvell as possible Nick Saban replacements

Just over one week after leading Alabama to a College Football Playoff, Nick Saban has retired as Crimson Tide head coach.

This sudden change leaves Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne scrambling to find a successor for his longtime football coach. According to ESPN College GameDay host Rece Davis, the Crimson Tide need to be reaching out to several top coaches throughout the country. Although, the first call will be to someone very familiar with what it looks like to win in the SEC.

“Well, I think the first call — and there’s a pretty hefty buyout that goes with it, and certainly reasonable for this person to be very happy where he is — but I would say first call if I were Greg Byrne, the athletic director, would go to Dan Lanning, the coach at Oregon.

“He’s certainly familiar with the way things operate in the Saban system, having been a GA there and having worked for Kirby Smart, and had great success in his first couple of years as the head coach at Oregon. I think that’s where you start.”

Lanning has led Oregon to a 22-5 record over two seasons as head coach in Eugene. Before that, he was the defensive coordinator at Georgia for the Bulldogs’ first of two national championships in 2022. His stint as a graduate assistant under Saban in Tuscaloosa was short, but there is at least some relationship there.

Other names have also circulated throughout social media. Davis’ colleague, ESPN’s Pete Thamel, revealed a list that named Lanning alongside a host of other names as well, including Dabo Swinney, James Franklin, Marcus Freeman, Mike Norvell and more.

“Let me reiterate. These guys all have great jobs. Maybe they’re very happy where they are and you know, don’t care to move,” Davis continued. “But if I’m Alabama looking, I would certainly reach out to Kalen DeBoer, I would look at Mike Norvell and reach out to him. Those are all guys I think you reach out to.

“The tricky part then becomes who’s willing to follow this guy? Six national championships and a few bounces of the ball away from eight or nine, seven including LSU.”

ESPN’s Chris Low expects Nick Saban to play a hand in helping the Crimson Tide come to a final decision in finding his ultimate successor. If one thing is for sure, those are some of the biggest shoes to fill in the history of any sport.