Wow.

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/39281202/alabama-crimson-tide-football-coach-nick-saban-retiring

I bet BKs agent is drooling right now to get his contract upped.  So many top jobs set to open up.  Carroll gone in Seattle, Saban at Bama, possible JH leaves Meatchicken, Oregon may open, rumors of Smart getting NFL looks, Clemson of Dabo comes back to Momma, NFL stuff will open.

*Extreme sarcasm alert if you didn't catch it.

Imagine walking into that situation being compared to Saban from day 1. The expectations for the new HC will be for him to be the second coming of Nick Saban. Anything less….  

What’s the expression, “never follow a legend”.

You know what makes Saban retiring even better, is that no one is talking about Michigan anymore! 😂🤣😂🤣

12 hours ago, FaithInIrish Forever said:

Makes a ton of sense Oregon gets left all the time. He won't stay at Oregon forever

Pre-NIL, sure.  But Uncle Phil can (and has) bought Lanning players.  I don't think that Lanning is a good of an HC as people make him out to be.

Crazy couple of days....Saban out, Carroll out, Belichick out.

Talk about the end of an era.... Saban is arguably the best coach in the history of the sport (pre portal and NIL), Carroll was one of the greats (especially at SC) and Belichick (the only guy even in the discussion of who is better than Saban). 

 

16 minutes ago, IrishGuy said:

Crazy couple of days....Saban out, Carroll out, Belichick out.

Talk about the end of an era.... Saban is arguably the best coach in the history of the sport (pre portal and NIL), Carroll was one of the greats (especially at SC) and Belichick (the only guy even in the discussion of who is better than Saban). 

 

Saw this tidbit: Saban succeeded Pete Carroll as the Ohio State secondary coach in 1980. 

Belichick never made it to a championship game without Brady. His best ever status has a huge Brady asterisk. 

25 minutes ago, Island Domer 23 said:

Belichick never made it to a championship game without Brady. His best ever status has a huge Brady asterisk. 

That is a bit unfair. Brady owes his career to Belichick as much as Belichick owes his to Brady. That would be like putting an asterisk next to every coach that had a great / HoF QB (Dungy, Walsh, Reid, Tomlin, Johnson etc.) or only considering coaches great when they won without a great / HoF QB.

Simple truth, Brady would not have been Brady if he was not drafted by the Patriots and was not able to play in Belichick's system and Belichick likely wouldn't have half a dozed rings if he hadn't drafted Brady and/or if he didn't run the team the way he did. 

11 minutes ago, IrishGuy said:

That is a bit unfair. Brady owes his career to Belichick as much as Belichick owes his to Brady. That would be like putting an asterisk next to every coach that had a great / HoF QB (Dungy, Walsh, Reid, Tomlin, Johnson etc.) or only considering coaches great when they won without a great / HoF QB.

Simple truth, Brady would not have been Brady if he was not drafted by the Patriots and was not able to play in Belichick's system and Belichick likely wouldn't have half a dozed rings if he hadn't drafted Brady and/or if he didn't run the team the way he did. 

I'm not so sure I agree with this assessment. Look at what happened when they parted ways. Tom Brady won another Super Bowl. Belichick has just…well look at his record and consider the fact that he is no longer coaching NE. On the surface it seems Belichick needed Brady more than Brady needed Belichick.

Back to Saban…. See that some rumored targets are saying they will stay where they are… Texas and Oregon so far 

The king is dead, long live the king!

 

Hey, Freeman stays with us, that’s all I care about 

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/39294498/deboer-alabama-replace-saban-head-coach

Good hire.....even better since his name doesn't start with M and end is arcus Freeman.

I really wonder where Rees will end up.  SI had Rees as one of the top three to replace Saban, with DeBoer and Norvell the other two.  Personally, I don't see that happening.   Can't see 'Bama taking a guy with no head coaching experience.  

https://www.si.com/college/2024/01/12/sources-alabama-football-focusing-three-candidates-replace-nick-saban-kalen-deboer

I could see a team like Washington taking Rees.  I do believe he will be a head coach at a P5 school in either 2024 or 2025. 

Given how high everyone was on Rees by year's end, I wonder if DeBoer might make an effort to keep him. Personally, I don't care where he ends up as long as he is not calling plays at ND next year 🙂

 

Edit: Did LSU replace Denbrock?

Edited January 12, 20241 yr by IrishGuy