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Greg Byrne has always been preparing for this moment.
He knew what he was signing up for when he took this job in 2017. Byrne knew one day he would likely have to hire the guy to replace Nick Saban.
“You watch and you try to learn when (former UNC coach) Roy Williams retires and (former Duke coach) Mike Krzyzewski retires,” Byrne told The Tuscaloosa News in 2021. “You watch what the different schools do.”
Byrne has been watching, and now he will have a defining moment in his career as he looks to find a new football coach. Saban informed his team Wednesday he is retiring.
Now the question is, who’s next?
“Our ideal candidate will be strong in recruiting and relationship building, player development, excel in Xs and Os and have the overall ability to lead this historic program,” Byrne wrote in a statement Wednesday night.
But the better question is, what type of coach will Byrne hire? Or more specifically, where in his career will the next coach be?
My guess would be that Byrne hires a coach who is on the rise and hasn’t peaked.
WHO’S NEXT? Alabama football coaching search: 5 candidates to replace Nick Saban
EPIC NICK SABAN STORIES: Epic Nick Saban stories, as told by Alabama football players who’d know as he retires
The best example of that is the last time Byrne made a major football hire at an SEC school; When Byrne was at Mississippi State, he turned to Dan Mullen, then the successful Florida offensive coordinator. Mullen had only been a position coach and was an offensive coordinator only with the Gators.
This isn’t the same type of job or opening that Byrne has to fill. Far from it. So, he won’t likely be turning to an offensive coordinator on the rise in the coaching world to replace Saban. However, it’s plausible that Byrne picks another rising candidate, just on a much larger scale.
That’s why someone like Oregon’s…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/greg-byrne-replace-nick-saban-102459778.html
Author : The Tuscaloosa News
Publish date : 2024-01-11 10:24:59
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