The inevitable took place in Tuscaloosa on Wednesday. Nick Saban retired.

The 72-year-old Alabama football coach is leaving after 17 seasons and leading Alabama to six national championships. He also won one at LSU to claim seven titles in 22 seasons as a head coach in the SEC.

Talk has already been directed at who will take over the dynasty Saban built.

Late Wednesday night, a group of students gathered in front of Saban’s statue in front of Bryant-Denny Stadium to celebrate what the coach has meant to Tuscaloosa. During that gathering, a chant started about the future. It wasn’t about who the students wanted to replace Saban. Rather, it was about who they didn’t want.

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The one and only William Christopher Swinney. You know him simply as Dabo. That’s right. The Pelham native and former Alabama walk-on who led Clemson to two college football national championships is a no-go for this segment of the student population.

Take a listen.

“The University of Alabama has been a very special place to Terry and me,” Saban said in an Alabama statement. “We have enjoyed every minute of our 17 years being the head coach at Alabama as well as becoming a part of the Tuscaloosa community. It is not just about how many games we won and lost, but it’s about the legacy and how we went about it. We always tried to do it the right way. The goal was always to help players create more value for their future, be the best player they could be and be more successful in life because they were part of the program. Hopefully, we have done that, and we will always consider Alabama our home.”

Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.