What Greg Byrne is looking for in next Alabama football coach
Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne is faced with the unenviable task of hiring who will replace the greatest coach in college football history. On Wednesday, Nick Saban retired as the head of the Crimson Tide program, and now, the search for his replacement begins.
Shortly after the university made Saban’s retirement official with statements from Saban himself, Byrne and UA president Dr. Stuart R. Bell, Byrne took to X to provide a more succinct note on what will be a highly-discussed head coaching search. But Byrne said it will be swift.
“As with any coaching search, our goal is to be thorough, but expedient,” Byrne said. “Our ideal candidate will be strong in recruiting and relationship building, player development, excel in Xs and Os and have the overall ability to lead this historic program.
“There will be plenty of rumors out there during this process. Next time I talk publicly will be to announce our new coach. If you don’t hear it from me, don’t believe it. Roll Tide!”
Whoever is hired will lead a team that has won six national championships in the last 15 years. He will also have to immediately focus on roster retention as with Saban’s retirement, the NCAA transfer portal will open for players to enter for the next 30 days. Alabama already saw 17 of its players enter the portal when the initial window opened back on Monday, Dec. 4.
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While Byrne works to find Saban’s replacement, he shared his thoughts on the head coach’s impact on not only the Tide athletic department but the college sports world as a whole.
“Simply put, Nick Saban is one of the greatest coaches of all time, in any sport, and The University of Alabama is fortunate to have had him leading our football program for the past 17 seasons,” Byrne said in a statement. “Throughout his career as a head coach, his teams have won seven national championships, 11 conference championships and 312 games, and he’s developed an NCAA-record 49 NFL first-round draft picks and, most importantly, hundreds of college graduates. He is the consummate coach, mentor and leader, and his impact is felt far beyond the football field.
“Coach Saban and Ms. Terry have touched countless lives in our community and the state of Alabama with the work they’ve done through the Nick’s Kids Foundation. While his time as our coach may have come to an end, his legacy will live on forever. What an honor it has been for us to have a front-row seat to one of the best to ever do it. A truly remarkable career for Coach Saban.”
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