The time has come for a legend to be replaced in Tuscaloosa.

No, it’s not Nick Saban. As far as we know, the Alabama coach has another decade competing at the sport’s highest level.

It’s Steve Sarkisian. You know, the guy who arrived as Alabama’s offensive coordinator amidst criticism after his struggles with the Atlanta Falcons. He’s the same guy who is now heading to Texas to take over for Tom Herman as arguably the top offensive mind in the sport. He was certainly that over the last 2 years having led Alabama to its 2 best offenses in school history.

Sarkisian had an FBS-record 24 games of 35-plus points to start his time as Alabama’s offensive coordinator. That streak finally ended Friday night in the Rose Bowl against Notre Dame … which held Alabama to 31 points.

Historically dominant, Sarkisian was. That’s not up for debate. He had 2 quarterbacks execute his system, and both Tua Tagovailoa and Mac Jones were historically efficient. Come Tuesday night, he could have a receiver win the Heisman Trophy for the first time since 1991. Oh, and tailback Najee Harris became the program’s all-time leading rusher thanks to a pair of prolific seasons as the starter in Sarkisian’s backfield.

To say that Alabama’s next offensive coordinator has big shoes to fill would be like saying the Crimson Tide offense is fun to watch. Duh. That’s a no-brainer. Sarkisian elevated the Alabama offense to a level that neither Brian Daboll nor Mike Locksley could quite reach. Sarkisian to those Alabama offensive coordinators was like Lane Kiffin to Doug Nussmeier and Jim McElwain.

Sarkisian approached this job in a way that allowed him to set a key foundation for his 2 years in Tuscaloosa. Instead of being in awe of Tagovailoa, Sarkisian looked at what he could improve. He helped him change his thought process instead of always defaulting to the deep shot. Tagovailoa became a more cerebral player, and until he got hurt, Alabama’s offense benefitted from it.

Everything Sarkisian did was about using the full arsenal. Whether that was making sure DeVonta Smith got immediate touches once he developed into the best player in college football (nobody in America caught more screen passes than Smith in 2020) or moving tight end Jahleel Billingsley all over the field to create mismatches, Sarkisian did a masterful job with the 2020 offense.

That’s why he won the Broyles Award as the nation’s top assistant. That’s why Texas was willing to pay Tom Herman $15 million not to work so that Sarkisian could.

Sarkisian’s successor will be asked to do what Kiffin’s Alabama successor was asked to do — keep the system in place and find ways to make it the most explosive unit in America.

It’ll be an ideal situation to walk into with Bryce Young waiting in the wings. Another No. 1 overall recruiting class just enrolled in Tuscaloosa, which included 4 of the top 12 receiver recruits in America. There will be a long list of candidates lining up for the opportunity.

Will it be another addition to Saban’s coaching rehab program? Could Gus Malzahn or Kevin Sumlin make sense? Or will Saban pursue someone more established like Buffalo coach Lance Leipold, who totally transformed the Bulls’ offense into one of the nation’s best? Ole Miss offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby might make the most sense, and given what he’s meant to Lane Kiffin’s offense in Oxford, certainly it would be a major move for Saban to poach Kiffin’s top assistant.

(If I’m Saban, Lebby would be my top target. Then again, I’m not Saban. I’m also one of the people who scratched my head when Saban hired Sarkisian, which is another reason why I’m not Saban.)

Alabama fans saw a new peak with Sarkisian. His replacement will face scrutiny every time he doesn’t hit 35 points. Even at Alabama, that’s a new standard. Balance should be expected. All-Americans in the passing game? You bet. Development at the quarterback position? That’s a must. Young follows in Tagovailoa’s and Jones’ footsteps and becomes a Heisman finalist? Has to be.

These sound like lofty things because they are. Sarkisian made them look routine. While his availability with the media was seldom, all signs point to him handling the role of “Saban assistant” as well as anyone ever has. How many times did we ever see Sarkisian animated? And speaking of animated, did Saban ever have a bad word/reaction for Sarkisian? If he did, we certainly didn’t see it. At least not in the way we saw the sideline blowups with Kiffin.

Alabama’s offense was so consistent in part because Sarkisian himself was so consistent. He moved past the demons that derailed his rise through the Power 5 ranks, and Alabama was significantly better for it.

Sarkisian’s departure now puts Saban in familiar territory. He’s got a top assistant to replace. For a program that hasn’t lost to a non-top 15 team in over a decade, it’s easy to assume that everyone will be a perfect fit in Tuscaloosa. That won’t necessarily be the case. Of course, it helps when you’ve got the best coach of all-time making that decision.

The next Alabama offensive coordinator has a lot to learn from Sarkisian.

After all, replacing a legend ain’t easy.