Joseph Goodman: Critical moment is here for Saban, Alabama football

Bill O’Brien is out as Alabama’s offensive coordinator, which means Alabama’s offense will no doubt be better next season.

This was the consensus opinion of Alabama fans on Tuesday, and when we say “consensus opinion” we mean they were partying like it was 1992 after news broke that O’Brien was off to wherever it is failed offensive coordinators go when they can’t even gain a few measly yards against Tennessee at the end of a game.

O’Brien is leaving Alabama for the New England Patriots where he will be reunited with the best NFL coach of his generation. Saban hired O’Brien to coach quarterback Bryce Young at Alabama for two years, and now O’Brien will coach former Alabama quarterback Mac Jones in New England.

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What was New England coach Bill Belichick thinking, right? O’Brien was the Patriots’ offensive coordinator AND quarterbacks coach in 2011. One would think Belichick learned his lesson the first time around. I mean, did he even watch Alabama play LSU last season?

Now that O’Brien is gone, and Alabama can finally have a chance to win close games again, here’s the reality for Alabama coach Nick Saban going into spring practice for the 2023 season. Saban needs a new offensive coordinator, a new quarterback specialist, a new quarterback, and — oh, yeah — a new defensive coordinator, too.

That’s a lot to replace for any coach, even one who has mastered the art of recycling coaches through his program like a reality show on HGTV. After all, “Flip My Coach at Alabama” is like a cottage industry for people in the business of throwing a fresh coat of lacquer on tired-looking things and making them shine again.

Coming off a disappointing season by Alabama’s standards, Saban and Alabama athletics director Greg Byrne find themselves at a critical moment for the future of Alabama football. Yes, I’m including Byrne in this conversation because, let’s face it, Saban is 71 years old. Maybe it’s time to start thinking about life after the G.O.A.T.

Should Byrne have a say in some of these hires? Perhaps just one, a potential head coach in waiting.

Everyone’s hope is that Saban will coach until he’s 75, or even 80, but planning for the future never hurt anyone.

First, though, there is an immediacy of critical needs to address.

Young is off to the NFL Draft, and the quarterback position is a question mark. Will it be Jalen Milroe, who played well enough against Arkansas and Texas A&M, or will it be Ty Simpson, the former five-star from Martin, Tennessee? Alex Mortensen, the longtime quarterback specialist at Alabama, is now the offensive coordinator at UAB, so he’s no longer around to help with the transition. Mortensen might not seem like a big loss to fans, but he has been described to me as something like a glue for the offense between Saban’s many coordinators.

At defensive coordinator, Saban must replace Pete Golding, who was hired away by Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin. Just like O’Brien, fans will call Golding’s loss addition by subtraction. Maybe so, but Golding is an excellent recruiter and now he’s working for another team in the SEC West.

Saban is like an artist looking at a blank canvas.

Who will Saban and sports agent Jimmy Sexton — I mean Byrne — bring in this time? If I had to put money on it, my guess is Dan Mullen will be Alabama’s next offensive coordinator and Jeremy Pruitt will return to be the defensive coordinator. They’re both great coaches, and they’re both clients of Sexton who are looking to rehab their images.

Here’s my thinking on Mullen, who coached Tim Tebow, Cam Newton and, later as the Gators’ head coach, Kyle Trask at Florida. In between his stints at The Swamp, Mullen had Dak Prescott at Mississippi State. The common denominator here is that Mullen is pretty good at coaching dual-threat quarterbacks.

Whoever Saban hires at offensive coordinator will be a good indicator of who his preferred starting quarterback will be going into spring practice. Milroe seems to be the leader, but if Saban hires a coordinator with pro-style experience, then Simpson would be my pick to start for Alabama in 2023.

On defense, Pruitt’s track record as a coach is familiar to everyone in the SEC. This would be his third stint with Saban in Tuscaloosa. Pruitt was Saban’s defensive coordinator in 2016 and 2017 and those defenses are considered some of the best of Saban’s dynasty.

But what about “a head coach in waiting?” Mullen and Pruitt wouldn’t be on my short list for that position. Thinking of the future at Alabama, I couldn’t be more impressed with the job former Crimson Tide player DeMeco Ryans has done as the defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers.

Thinking of the future in Alabama, I can’t help but be reminded that history here is always within reach for the bold.

Joseph Goodman is a columnist for the Alabama Media Group, and author of “We Want Bama: A season of hope and the making of Nick Saban’s ‘ultimate team’”. You can find him on Twitter @JoeGoodmanJr.