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When news broke that Nick Saban would be retiring, many fanbases gleamed with joy, knowing a powerhouse program could be in danger of taking a step back.

Those smiles quickly turned to frowns when many current head coaches at prominent programs were linked to Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne’s coaching search. Saban’s fingerprints are spread far and wide across the college football landscape as he’s built an impressive coaching tree.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning was the most commonly reported replacement for Saban, given his ties to the SEC. Lanning was a graduate assistant for the Crimson Tide in 2015 before becoming the linebackers coach and defensive coordinator at Georgia from 2019 to 2021.

Lanning took over as Oregon’s head coach two seasons ago, holding a 22-5 record, and nearly earned a spot in the 2024 College Football Playoff if not for a loss to Washington in the Pac-12 Championship. The 37-year-old is a prominent up-and-comer and seemed like a natural fit to replace Saban.

However, Lanning didn’t wait long to dispel rumors he’d be packing his bags and leaving Eugene. The coach took to his personal X (formerly Twitter) account Thursday morning to announce his commitment to Oregon, saying, “The grass is not always greener. In fact, the grass is damn green in Eugene.”

With Lanning off the market, even more anxiety is swirling among fanbases with coaches in danger of being poached by Alabama. Below are some of the names floated for the Alabama job.

Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin

At 33 years old, Lane Kiffin was the youngest active head coach when he took the reins at Tennessee in 2009. After just one year in Knoxville, Kiffin was USC’s head coach from 2010 to 2013 until he was fired mid-season.

Lane returned to the SEC and was Alabama’s offensive coordinator for three years, earning the Broyles Award for the best assistant coach in the nation. Kiffin updated the Crimson Tide’s game planning by implementing the spread offense.

He then took the head coaching vacancy at FAU in 2017 and has been with Ole Miss since 2020. Kiffin has won 10 or more games in two seasons with the Rebels and has done an outstanding job of utilizing the transfer portal.

There’s been much speculation on Kiffin’s intent to one day return to Tuscaloosa, and this seems like a logical time for it to happen if Byrne decides to do so.

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian

Steve Sarkisian was terminated from USC in his second year on the job due to off-the-field issues. Saban then hired Sarkisian the following season as an analyst, and he was Alabama’s acting offensive coordinator in the National Championship vs. Clemson when it was announced Kiffin would be leaving for FAU.

The former BYU QB then spent time in the NFL before earning a role as the Tide’s offensive coordinator in 2019 and 2020. Sarkisian parlayed his success into another head coaching opportunity at Texas, and things have been grand for him in Austin.

The Longhorns were one play away from facing Michigan in the National Championship and another promising year on the horizon. Texas currently holds the third-best odds to win the 2025 National Championship.

The resources available at Texas go toe-to-toe with any program in the country, giving Sarkisian a lot to think about if he’s offered the gig in Tuscaloosa.

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney

Clemson was an above-average program for years until Dabo Swinney became the head coach in 2009. Swinney has since led the Tigers to four CFP appearances and two National Championships.

Dabo is in elite company with Saban, Kirby Smart, and Urban Meyer as the only coaches to win multiple championships in the BCS or CFP eras.

It seemed like destiny that Swinney would one day coach in Tuscaloosa after playing for Alabama and filling various coaching roles for the team from 1993 to 2000. However, Clemson failed to win 10 games last season for the first time since 2010, and the issues appear to be a result of coaching decisions.

Swinney has been outspoken in his discontent with the transfer portal and NIL. In today’s college football landscape, you either adapt or get left behind.

How Alabama’s 2025 National Championship odds could shift once a new coach is hired

Backfilling arguably the best coach in college football history will likely be the most important decision of Byrne’s career. The long-term ramifications will be monumental if Alabama is back on the market in a few seasons.

As for the short term, the Crimson Tide are still among the favorites to win the 2025 National Championship. Alabama had +600 odds before news broke on Saban’s retirement, and the Tide have now fallen to +1000.

Alabama’s National Championship odds likely won’t fluctuate much from +1000 if Byrne lands a premier head coach, as that’s what oddsmakers must be expecting. Other potential candidates reported by ESPN’s Pete Thamel include Washington’s Kalen DeBoer, Penn State’s James Franklin, Florida State’s Mike Norvell, and Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman.

But if the Crimson Tide finds an off-the-radar coach to replace Saban, Alabama’s odds could suffer an even more drastic decline.

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