Alabama will have to take one of the top candidates to succeed Nick Saban off the board.
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning shared a video on X, formerly known as Twitter, in which he reaffirmed his commitment to the Ducks:
Dan Lanning @CoachDanLanning<a href="">
247Sports' Matt Zenitz reported rumors of Lanning traveling to Tuscaloosa on Wednesday night were false.
Almost immediately after news of Saban's retirement broke, Lanning was floated as one of the most sensible replacements for the legendary coach. He has experience recruiting in the Southeast after working on the staffs of Alabama and Georgia, and he has a 22-5 record in his two years with the Ducks.
It spoke to how highly regarded the 37-year-old is that he was linked with the Auburn vacancy before even completing a full season in Eugene. That was the context behind the comment in Thursday's video about how "the grass is not always greener."
Brandon Marcello @bmarcelloOregon's Dan Lanning was asked about a fan blog affiliated with Sports Illustrated reporting "mutual interest" between him and Auburn.<br><br>Lanning's initial response — shaking his head in disbelief — is what you'd expect.<br><br>Media literacy is important, even in the silly world of CFB. <a href="">
That seems especially notable now.
Whoever takes over for Saban might be doomed to fail because the expectations around Alabama have long been some of the most demanding in college football.
Bill Curry had a brick thrown through his window after a loss to Ole Miss in 1988, and he resigned altogether after guiding the Crimson Tide to a 10-2 record and the Sugar Bowl in 1989. Alabama went 10-3 with an Orange Bowl under Mike DuBose in 1999, and the following year he chose to step down following a 3-8 finish. Ray Perkins, who had the thankless task of replacing Bear Bryant, only lasted four years before leaving for an NFL job.
Now, you're combining that history with attempting to carry over the success of a coach who delivered six national championships in 17 seasons.
For as much as Alabama offers in terms of track record, resources and administrative alignment, this may not be a vacancy that appeals to every candidate in the mix.
With Lanning specifically, he has to feel good about his chances of achieving at Oregon what he might've with the Crimson Tide right now. The College Football Playoff is expanding, thus widening the margin for error for the top teams, and the Ducks' move to the Big Ten means more money and potentially opening new recruiting pipelines.
Lanning theoretically has a long career ahead of him as well. This almost certainly won't be his last shot at coaching Alabama if that's something he aspires to.
