• PICK CLUB WEEK #1 LINES ARE POSTED!

Saban retiring...

Didnt realize Alabama players now get an extra 30 days to enter the portal

Will there be wn exodus at all?

Surely some teams are gonna try and poach now no?
 
Didnt realize Alabama players now get an extra 30 days to enter the portal

Will there be wn exodus at all?

Surely some teams are gonna try and poach now no?
There was a players only meeting last night after Saban's announcement. Milroe, Malachi Moore and Deontae Lawson led it and apparently asked the team to stick together and see what happens before anyone makes any decision about the future. I'm sure some will leave, and I am confident the tampering is in overdrive right now, but with ESD and the portal closing recently, I'm not sure how many programs have roster spots available that our players would be interested in pursuing. If a coach is named by this weekend as is rumored, I think there's an excellent chance we have minimal portal guys and probably can salvage the remainder of our '24 recruiting class
 
I’m sure it has. I bet the AD has known about this for awhile and a plan is already in place
Beat writers are reporting that Byrne found out 2 hours before the announcement yesterday, but no idea if that is true or not. Regardless, the rumors have been there since Covid and Byrne is the kind of AD that has planned for this eventuality. I feel pretty good that he's the one making the hire
 
So let's say it's Lanning.

There can be no worse position than following the greatest coach the sport has even known.

What would be acceptable to Bama fans? Are 9-3 non-playoff seasons it? Is it an assumption they're just going to be in the playoffs every year? Maybe the semifinals every year? I just don't know.

I guess I can't imagine jumping to a job where the bar is unreachably high. Especially when he's at a program he could stay forever and has the resources Oregon does and about 900% less pressure to win every game.

I think DeBoer makes way more sense personally, being 100 games over 500 in your career, but maybe Lanning's ties to the South are strong enough to forget Kirby kicked his dick in last year and DeBoer outcoached him twice this season.
 
So let's say it's Lanning.

There can be no worse position than following the greatest coach the sport has even known.

What would be acceptable to Bama fans? Are 9-3 non-playoff seasons it? Is it an assumption they're just going to be in the playoffs every year? Maybe the semifinals every year? I just don't know.

I guess I can't imagine jumping to a job where the bar is unreachably high. Especially when he's at a program he could stay forever and has the resources Oregon does and about 900% less pressure to win every game.

I think DeBoer makes way more sense personally, being 100 games over 500 in your career, but maybe Lanning's ties to the South are strong enough to forget Kirby kicked his dick in last year and DeBoer outcoached him twice this season.
It's a fair point. I think the expanded playoff helps, as have the "down" seasons last year and this year. If we're talking a couple of seasons in a row where we aren't in the playoffs, then yeah, I could see the natives getting real restless. As delusional and spoiled as our fanbase is, I think nearly everyone knows that what we've had the last 17 years won't be repeated. It will be bumpy, but I think it will be better for the new coach now than it would have been in 2019 or so. I'll push back a little on it being the worst position to follow Saban. Maybe from an expectations standpoint, but whoever it is will inherit one of the most talented rosters in the country, with a lot of experience coming back. Also heading into a season where 10-2 is probably in the playoff with a first round home game. If someone comes in and fails, the next coach will have farther to climb IMO. And let's be honest, the expectation level of our fanbase doesn't diminish just because we go 8-4 a few times.

I prefer Lanning over DeBoer for the single reason that after having worked at both Alabama and UGA under Kirby, he understands how to recruit at that level. I love the fact that DeBoer has won big at every stop, but the unknown on recruiting gives me pause. I don't think it would be a Harsin at AU situation, but I'm not as confident that he would translate well.
 
Who in their right mind would want to follow saban in that job especially considering that he just won his last chip 3 years ago and just made the CFP for the 8th time in 10 years?

Gut tells me it will Not be Lanning. He seems like a guy who wants to carve his own path and legacy, not follow a living legend.

Gut tells me it will not be a splash hire but rather a guy who is a surprise maybe from the NFL not college.

I get it that the money will be huge but the microscope and the downside for what it could do to a guy's career to the negative, is too big a risk for the uptrending coaches like lanning and Sark etc imo
 
nobody knows anything.

elko was far down on A&M's list.

almost every single QB transfer in Dec/Jan was a total surprise.

smoke screens being thrown out there so amateur reporters on team message boards and Twitter i mean X can buy it hook, line and sinker.

it is all click bait.

there is no proof dan lanning went to tuscaloosa yesterday.

none.
 
Byrne is notoriously tight-lipped about things like this, so anything that is out there right now is most likely people saying things that make sense to them. A bunch of former players are all over social media saying they know who it's going to be. I doubt they have much of a clue either
 
Byrne is notoriously tight-lipped about things like this, so anything that is out there right now is most likely people saying things that make sense to them. A bunch of former players are all over social media saying they know who it's going to be. I doubt they have much of a clue either
it is 99% click bait.
 
Lanning has announced he's staying.
he is too smart to take that job right now.

let the new guy come in and suffer the criticism the next 3-4 seasons and then they can go after lanning in 2027 or 2028 when nick is more "forgotten" and he can come in and save the day.

taking this job right - outside of the massive money - is a fool's errand. it can torpedo an up and coming coach's career.

i think it is a small time guy like PJ Fleck or similar or an NFL guy who comes back to college.
 
Lane 100% would do it. But as others on here have mentioned, they don't believe Saban would sign off on him.
 
he is too smart to take that job right now.

let the new guy come in and suffer the criticism the next 3-4 seasons and then they can go after lanning in 2027 or 2028 when nick is more "forgotten" and he can come in and save the day.

taking this job right - outside of the massive money - is a fool's errand. it can torpedo an up and coming coach's career.

i think it is a small time guy like PJ Fleck or similar or an NFL guy who comes back to college.
I disagree with this sentiment. Why will it be better in 4 years with worse roster, stronger rivals, and a fanbase that will have the same expectation if not more?

I don't think there are many NFL guys itching to enter the college game at this point. Would love for Demeco to come home, but that is a pipe dream and he seems really happy in Houston
 
Lane 100% would do it. But as others on here have mentioned, they don't believe Saban would sign off on him.
Not just Saban, but the BOT that has to approve the hire. There would have to be board members who leave the board for Lane to have a chance
 
I disagree with this sentiment. Why will it be better in 4 years with worse roster, stronger rivals, and a fanbase that will have the same expectation if not more?

I don't think there are many NFL guys itching to enter the college game at this point. Would love for Demeco to come home, but that is a pipe dream and he seems really happy in Houston
i believe it is better to have a buffer between a living legend basically a GOAT and the next guy, in terms of how an up and coming coach would want to play this.

if the next guy misses the CFP just one time in the next 3-4 years with an expanded field and with Nick having made 8 of the 10 four team fields, it is going to be living hell in that town and that state.

you are a Bama guy and you know this.

i do not believe any hot up and comer huge name rising star is going to go to Tuscaloosa when Nick is just 3 years removed from his last Natty and just lost to the 2023 champs in OT in a classic game.

the bar is so high right now.

if another cat like a PJ Fleck or an NFL guy comes in and shits the bed, it will be much better for a Lanning or Deboer type guy to follow him in 3-4 years. give a little time and space for the legend of Nick to fade a little.
 
i believe it is better to have a buffer between a living legend basically a GOAT and the next guy, in terms of how an up and coming coach would want to play this.

if the next guy misses the CFP just one time in the next 3-4 years with an expanded field and with Nick having made 8 of the 10 four team fields, it is going to be living hell in that town and that state.

you are a Bama guy and you know this.

i do not believe any hot up and comer huge name rising star is going to go to Tuscaloosa when Nick is just 3 years removed from his last Natty and just lost to the 2023 champs in OT in a classic game.

the bar is so high right now.

if another cat like a PJ Fleck or an NFL guy comes in and shits the bed, it will be much better for a Lanning or Deboer type guy to follow him in 3-4 years. give a little time and space for the legend of Nick to fade a little.
Our fanbase thought that Mike Shula with a roster ravaged by NCAA sanctions should be consistently winning the SEC and contending for nattys. It doesn't matter if it's 10 days or 10 years removed from Saban, the expectation will not change. The shadow of first Bear, and now Saban will loom large for the rest of my lifetime at the very least. I'd rather start with a full cupboard than a roster full of 3 stars. It will a much steeper hill to climb in 5 years than today. Today, we are on equal footing at worst with UGA, Texas, etc. 5 years from now with a coach who was just a guy? We'll be lucky to have a top 20 roster.
 
I believe Lane thinks he has the best team he’s ever had and will remain at Ole Miss and attempt to create his own magic. When the poor guy that accepts the Bama job is run off and it wont take long Kiffen will slide in and give all of us outside of GPS and Bama fans nightmares for many years to come. I also believe Ole Miss has a real shot to be in at least the final four next year. Really hope I’m wrong.
 
Our fanbase thought that Mike Shula with a roster ravaged by NCAA sanctions should be consistently winning the SEC and contending for nattys. It doesn't matter if it's 10 days or 10 years removed from Saban, the expectation will not change. The shadow of first Bear, and now Saban will loom large for the rest of my lifetime at the very least. I'd rather start with a full cupboard than a roster full of 3 stars. It will a much steeper hill to climb in 5 years than today. Today, we are on equal footing at worst with UGA, Texas, etc. 5 years from now with a coach who was just a guy? We'll be lucky to have a top 20 roster.
If Les Miles and his 3 yards and a cloud of dust mind state managed to have some success following Saban just about anyone should be able to do decent at Bama. Maybe I’m underestimating the portal exodus that could unfold. However, GPS is spot on about the unrealistic expectations of the fanbase. One fact remains and that is Saban is responsible for the special times both Bama and LSU experienced the past 20+ years. The guy will always be one of a kind. Its all about the process.
 
I don’t know why anyone with even a moderate amount of success coaching in the nfl would go to a college job. It’s never been more work since the portal. Have to recruit incoming freshman, portal kids and re recruit your whole roster every year.
 
i'm finding Kalen to Bama a very odd fit culturally. the guy can obviously coach, but he is a Pacific Northwest guy through and through since birth and throughout his playing and coaching career.

when bama hired nick, at least he had been born and played football in west virginia (southern-like northern state) and coached at lsu so he had ties in the south.

if i am kalen i let my agent sexton use these bama rumors to get a better contract ie more money more years and lower buyout from u-dub and i stay in seattle a few more years.

same with norvell.

tommy rees already being there and developing jalen milroe at qb seems like the best fit as a bridge between saban and the next coach.

i still feel like a name comes outta nowhere from the NFL, perhaps a known entity at OC or DC who is respected in the pros and bama gives him a shot.
 
Back
Top