3. Alabama can hire Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian
What about Lane Kiffin's replacement? Steve Sarkisian took over offensive coordinator duties late in the 2016 season after Kiffin left. With head coaching experience at Washington (2009-13), USC (2014-15), and now Texas (2021-present), Sarkisian certainly has the résumé and the connections to pop up on Alabama's radar.
It would take a lot to get Sarkisian away from Texas. The Longhorns are, at long last, "back." Their CFP semifinals loss to Washington was a tough pill to swallow, but the state of Texas is a football hotbed. The Longhorns' program is one of the few that can challenge Alabama's prestige in the grand scheme of college football history. Texas currently has the No. 3 recruiting class for 2024, behind only Georgia and Alabama (and the Crimson Tide just lost their all-time great coach...).
Sarkisian has proven his mettle, both as a recruiter in the south and as a coach on the field. He would bring offensive ingenuity to the Crimson Tide sideline. Texas just beat Alabama head-to-head a few months ago. Sarkisian has a winning record in eight of 10 seasons as a college head coach. He is 25-14 in three seasons at Texas.
If the Crimson Tide want a coach with prior experience in the program, Sarkisian is probably the dream candidate. He spent a couple years in the NFL as Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator (2017-18), which speaks to how highly the broader football world thinks of his play-calling talent. Factor in Sarkisian's newfound status as a recruiting behemoth, and Alabama would be lucky to have him.