Nick Saban must nail Alabama's coordinator openings or the 'dynasty is dead' narrative could actually become a reality

Long rumored but finally true, Bill O’Brien is returning to the New England Patriots, which means two of college football’s most coveted assistant coaching jobs are now officially open.

Your move, Nick Saban. 

Alabama fans are rejoicing the departures of O’Brien, who they’ve wanted to personally drive to the airport since he was hired in 2021, and defensive coordinator Pete Golding, who (nudge, nudge) took the same job at Ole Miss, and it’s not hard to read the tea leaves here. 

Less than three months ago, I wrote a column asking What’s wrong at Alabama? And can Nick Saban fix it?

Nick Saban didn’t even need to look under the hood to see what Kirby Smart & Co., are doing at Georgia, and know he had to upgrade two of the most important jobs on his staff if he wants to avoid an Alabama regression. 

Talent is not an issue at Alabama. Sure, some spots (WR, DL) need some reinforcements, but that’s why Saban went out and inked the No. 1 recruiting class in America again.

Coaching was the Crimson Tide’s major issue in 2022 — be it game-planning, play-calling, in-game decision making or player development. Alabama had the most stacked roster in the country last season, yet aside from the wizardry of quarterback Bryce Young or highlight plays from defensive stars like Will Anderson, Brian Branch and Dallas Turner, the staff didn’t get most out of the rest of the roster. 

The defense was not all-worldly like many anticipated. The offensive line was hit-or-miss and riddled by penalties. The receiver room looked mortal without a couple of 1st Round freaks running behind opponents’ DBs. As a team, Alabama was undisciplined and sloppy. 

Some of that is on Saban, and he knows this. Alabama’s coaching — from top down wasn’t up to snuff last year.  

“I can’t blame the players,” Saban said after Alabama lost at LSU.  

“I’m responsible for all this stuff. So if we didn’t do it right, that’s on me.”

The Tide went 11-2 with a dominant victory over Kansas State in the Sugar Bowl. Both their losses came on the final play of the game. They also won a pair of tossup games, but overall, Alabama was still very good last season. 

But very good isn’t the standard Nick Saban expects at Alabama. 

“It’s not called Mission Difficult,” as Anthony Hopkins quips at the start of M-II. 

“It’s Mission Impossible.” 

For Alabama to return to its Death Star status in college football, Saban must nail both coordinator hires. 

“Of course he does dummy!” — Every Tide fan screaming back at me right now. 

But perhaps some might understate just why it’s so important Saban get these hires right. 

The clock is ticking. The margins are narrowing.

In Saban’s 16-year tenure at Alabama, the Crimson Tide are suddenly facing unprecedented challenges.

The Crimson Tide has never gone three straight years without a national title under Saban. 

That’s a historical anomaly. Yet that’s the ridiculous standard he’s set. It’s also what Tide fans have come to expect. 

For the fifth time in his 17-year tenure as Alabama’s head coach, the Crimson Tide must replace both coordinators. The last time that happened was in 2018 after losing to Clemson in the title game.  

So this is not some unique situation for Saban. The machine has continued to churn at Alabama because Saban is so good at recycling coaches. And he’ll have his pick of the litter of the best candidates in the country.

But it’s not about merely replacing both coordinators. 

Alabama must find a way to leapfrog Georgia as the king’s of the SEC (and college football) after losing its best quarterback in school history, too.

Bryce Young never won a title as a starter, but that wasn’t his fault. The eventual Top 5 NFL Draft pick was amazing for two seasons with the Tide, so Saban has to find the program’s next QB whisperer, too — a guy tabbed with figuring out whether Jalen Milroe or Ty Simpson is the future at the position and then developing them into the next Heisman Trophy candidate. 

Aside from becoming a factory of 1st Round receivers, Alabama’s superior QB play has keyed their recent success.

O’Brien was the first OC under Saban since Major Applewhite (in 2007 Year 1) to never win a national title, but you can’t argue he wasn’t instrumental in Young’s development into the best QB in the country the last two seasons.  

The Tide have replaced the Jahmyr Gibbs’ and the Will Anderson’s of the world before, but for the first time since 2016 — right around the time Nick Saban fully embraced modernizing Alabama’s offense — they don’t have an obvious succession plan at quarterback. 

Hurts to Tua to Mac to Bryce to ???

Whoever Saban hires as OC — early rumored candidates include Philadelphia Eagles quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson, Kliff Kingsbury, Joe Brady, Oklahoma OC Jeff Lebby and Jeff Scott, among others — will be responsible for picking the right guy. For turning them into the next dude.

Nick Saban is 71. Perhaps he has another decade of coaching in front of him. 

But what if he doesn’t?

Saban faces a critical moment here. His decisions on these hires — specifically offensive coordinator — could be the difference between adding another ring or two to his collection or seeing those “dynasty is dead” columns being written in earnest. 

I’m fascinated to see how it all plays out either way.