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Alabama coaching search: ESPN insider details latest on ‘focal points’ of search
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
The Alabama coaching search could be gaining significant traction, as ESPN’s Pete Thamel identified Washington’s Kalen DeBoer and Florida State’s Mike Norvell as the two names that he expects “over the next 48 hours [to] come into focus” to take the reins of the Crimson Tide program.
“Look for those two to become the center of the search here in the near future,” Thamel said on “SportsCenter” on Thursday.
DeBoer, of course, is coming off a loss to Michigan in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game on Monday. Through 2 years, he is 25-3 in Seattle, with a 104-12 career mark that includes a 67-3 record and 3 NAIA championships at Sioux Falls from 2005-2009 and a 12-6 mark in 2020 and 2021 with Fresno State.
Meanwhile, Norvell has revived Florida State in his 4 seasons at the helm of the Seminoles, with 3 and 5 wins in his first 2 seasons before going 10-3 in 2022 and 13-1 plus an Orange Bowl appearance in 2023.
Thamel stated that Alabama AD Greg Byrne has established a 72-hour timeframe “for which he’d like to get something done”, while keeping in mind the 30-day transfer portal reopening for Crimson Tide student-athletes that was triggered by the retirement of Nick Saban on Wednesday.
Latest from @SportsCenter with @elleduncanESPN and @KevinNegandhi on the Alabama search. The expectation is for Washington’s Kalen DeBoer and Florida State’s Mike Norvell to emerge as focal points of the search. pic.twitter.com/X6ZDrzG4WB
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 12, 2024
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
