Two more names emerge in Alabama football coaching search, per insiders

Alabama faces the unenviable task of having to replace the greatest coach in college football history after the surprise retirement of Nick Saban. But the school is going on the offensive and wants to move fast to find the GOAT's successor. And now, two more names have emerged as persons of interest for the Crimson Tide.

The first name on the list is that of Florida State head coach Mike Norvell, who led the Seminoles to an undefeated ACC championship season in 2023 before the team was infamously bumped out of the final four, in part by Alabama.

Norvell is 31-17 at Florida State since 2020, improving in each season from three wins, to five, to 10, and finally to this year's 13-1 mark.

He's regarded as a very able program manager, competent recruiter, and has been successful in the transfer portal, especially last offseason in helping reinforce his roster with critical starting pieces ahead of the 2023 campaign.

Moreover, he's among the cheaper options on the market, with a $4 million buyout.

The second name Alabama is doing due diligence on is current Crimson Tide offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, the 31-year-old former Notre Dame quarterback and OC who joined the Tide for the 2023 season.

Rees was one of Saban's youngest assistants, and despite the offense's somewhat slow start, he helped recover the unit, especially as regards scoring, line play, and third down production behind the play of quarterback Jalen Milroe.

The first name to emerge in the search? That was Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer, a name that has apparently attracted the interest of Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne for some time now.

DeBoer is 25-3 over his two seasons with the Huskies, and he helped engineer the No. 1 passing offense in college football en route to the College Football Playoff national championship game this past year.

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