Paul Finebaum jokes about Dan Lanning's path to become Nick Saban's replacement

SEC media days hadn’t even started before Paul Finebaum began making headlines. The radio host joked on SEC Now that if Dan Lanning is able to beat Georgia, then he should replace Nick Saban at Alabama.

“The thing I’m really intrigued by is Dan Lanning though, because he to me is so impressive,” said Paul Finebaum. “But it’s his first game. And a lot of coaches have a hard time figuring out what sideline to go to in the first game. I will give you a hot take though, should Dan Lanning win this game, he’s immediately the No. 1 contender to replace Nick Saban at Alabama.”

“Oh boy, here we go,” responded former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy. “Let’s jump to conclusions.”

Paul Finebaum is clearly high on Dan Lanning. Nick Saban, for his part, will get to choose how long he wants to coach. At 70 years old, though, retirement is looming for the great football coach and rumors will swirl about his possible replacement until that time comes.

Dan Lanning at only 36 years old is the Oregon Ducks head coach. Previously, he had been a graduate assistant at Alabama, and more recently he was the Georgia defensive coordinator. In 2021, Lanning became the architect for one of the best defenses in modern college football history and helped Georgia win a national championship.

Oregon plays Georgia to start the season at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Technically, this is a neutral site game, but it will act as a Georgia home game in all reality. Paul Finebaum sees this as a nearly impossible task for Oregon.

On top of that, he does see Dan Lanning as an up-and-coming mind in the sport who has a bright future ahead of him. And, while Dan Lanning won’t win the Alabama job in one game, Paul Finebaum is right that it would grab the college football world’s attention if he did win.