Kalen DeBoer to Alabama: 5 replacements for outgoing Washington head coach

The Alabama Crimson Tide saved face by being able to pry Kalen DeBoer away from Washington. Replacing Nick Saban was not going to be easy. While Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne could have gone with someone stemming from Saban's robust coaching tree, keep in mind that the Crimson Tide were best served by going with an outside hire last time when they landed Saban.

DeBoer achieved great success at places like Washington and Fresno State previously. Tuscaloosa may be on the other side of the country from Seattle, but this was an opportunity he could not pass up. While it remains to be seen if he will work out in the SEC, as this could be Alabama's version of Auburn hiring former Boise State head coach Bryan Harsin, Washington still has to replace its coach.

This hire will be the defining moment of new athletic director Troy Dannen's career. He just came over from Tulane to replace Jennifer Cohen, who is now calling the shots at USC. Dannen has a few interesting candidates to consider, many of whom with obvious Washington and Pacific Northwest football ties. Unfortunately, he cannot screw this one up, as Washington could pull back massively.

Here are five candidates I would venture to guess Dannen would consider to replace DeBoer with.

Washington football rumors: 5 replacements for Kalen DeBoer as coach

5. Mark Brunell is a Washington alum, keen on quarterback development

This one is a bit outside the box, but hear me out. Few people know what sustained excellence looks like at Washington than former Huskies star quarterback Mark Brunell. He may have gotten hurt during their last championship season in 1991, but he saw what worked under the late, great Don James. Currently, the former Pro Bowl quarterback in Jacksonville is working for the Detroit Lions.

We find ourselves in a similar situation with Brunell's Detroit colleague in wide receivers coach Antwaan Randle El. He is an Indiana alum and former Hoosiers legend. For a very brief moment, Randle El could have been a candidate to replace Tom Allen at his alma mater. Instead, Indiana opted to hire former James Madison head coach Curt Cignetti away from the emerging Sun Belt power.

Brunell has been tied to Jared Goff's growth and success of late since joining Dan Campbell's Lions staff. With offensive coordinator Ben Johnson expected to be named an NFL head coach by someone this offseason, Brunell has a choice to make: To be promoted from within by Campbell and stay at Detroit or answer the call if his alma mater comes calling. The NFL playoffs are about to start.

The timing is not right for Brunell to leave for his alma mater, but the fit would not be terrible either.