Alabama's top Nick Saban replacement takes his name out of the running

It was never going to be a clean break anyway. We all knew it was inevitably coming. We just didn't know when. So when Nick Saban announced his intentions to retire from the coaching profession on Wednesday evening, that certainly caught everyone in the college football world off-guard. Alabama needs to replace a living legend. Although Dan Lanning did briefly serve under him, he is not coming.

Lanning was thought to be the favorite to be the next head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide. He just finished up his second season leading the Oregon Ducks. Before that, Lanning had been Kirby Smart's noted defensive coordinator at Oregon. He also stems from the Todd Graham/Mike Norvell coaching tree from his days at Pitt, Arizona State and Memphis. Lanning is only 37 years old as well.

Other candidates for the Alabama vacancy included other former Saban proteges such as Lane Kiffin, who is reportedly not going to leave Ole Miss to go to Tuscaloosa and Steve Sarkisian, who is fresh off a College Football Playoff berth. Of course, there are other massive names out there such as Alabama alum Dabo Swinney over at Clemson and Kalen DeBoer from over there at Washington.

Here is Lanning sending out a message to everyone on X that he is not going anywhere this winter.

Lanning opting to stay in Eugene for another year makes sense, but what is poor Alabama to do?

Alabama's top choice to replace Nick Saban is staying put in Dan Lanning

This is going to be utterly fascinating. Apparently, Lanning and Kiffin aren't coming, but there is still a chance for guys like DeBoer, Sarkisian, Swinney, and heck, even Georgia head coach Kirby Smart to come to Tuscaloosa. I would not back on the latter, since Smart is at his alma mater. Swinney is too entrenched in his ways to go to a place like Alabama now. DeBoer and Sarkisian are a bit intriguing.

If you really wanted to off the board, there is another former Alabama coach who is out there. It is Georgia defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann's alma mater, but for even as good of a coach he is, this is a massive step up from being a co-coordinator to being the guy who replaces Saban. You also have to wonder if any recently terminated NFL head coaches would have interest in this vacancy, too.

Initially, Lanning made the most sense because of his age, his early success as a college head coach at Oregon, his Alabama ties and potentially having an easier time getting out of his contract than some of his other coaching contemporaries. There may be a time when Lanning gets the opportunity to coach the Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny, but that is not going to be for several years.

Alabama will make an intelligent hire in replacing Saban, but they are still replacing a living legend.