Speculation running rampant on who Alabama should next hire at offensive coordinator
Alabama head coach Nick Saban likely feels a bit blindsided by the decision of his offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian to leave the program just over a month after taking over the job. With Sarkisian on his way to Atlanta, Saban will likely have to cut his vacation short in order to work the phones to gauge interest in the opening on his staff.
Who should Alabama call? The names being floated around on Twitter are all over the place, with most centering on former Oregon head coach Chip Kelly:
Given the fact that he’s now redeemed the college coaching careers of Kiffin and Sarkisian, any way Saban calls Derek Dooley about OC job?
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) February 7, 2017
Names I'm told could get consideration for #Alabama OC: Mark Helfrich, Chip Kelly & George Godsey who is tight with OL coach Brent Key.
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) February 7, 2017
Chip Kelly to Bama now? He’d get the most from Hurts. It would be interesting
— Geoff Schwartz (@geoffschwartz) February 7, 2017
Chip Kelly seeing the Alabama offensive coordinator job open up: pic.twitter.com/MoS1Hh4Jwb
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) February 7, 2017
USA TODAY’s Dan Wolken notes that Saban met with Chip Kelly before the national championship game against Clemson:
I think this would be a bad fit, but just gonna leave it here for now https://t.co/m7yaLyUd2S
— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) February 7, 2017
Could Mike Locksley, Alabama offensive coordinator actually be a thing? Talk about falling up.
New Mexico -> Maryland -> Alabama
— AUBlog (@AUBlog) February 7, 2017
Look, Locksley is perfect for the guy who recruits and does nothing else role. No one wants Locksley calling the plays
— Jake Nazar (@ATVS_JakeNazar) February 7, 2017
Might be time to at least give Billy Napier a call.
— Andrew Bone (@AndrewJBone) February 7, 2017
Is Nick Saban paging through the USC staff directory now to find his next OC?
— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) February 7, 2017
Current USC offensive coordinator Tee Martin would make some sense. He’s from Alabama, played at Tennessee and is very familiar with the offensive systems Lane Kiffin and Sarkisian ran at USC (and since transferred to Tuscaloosa), having worked under Sarkisian and now Clay Helton the past several years.
