Rees, Norvell, DeBoer emerge as high Alabama candidates

Alabama offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, Florida State coach Mike Norvell and Washington coach Kalen DeBoer have emerged as the highest three candidates for the Alabama teaching place left vacant by Nick Saban’s retirement, a number of sources aware of the method inform The Athletic. Conferences with Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne are anticipated to be accomplished by finish of day Thursday and an announcement might come as quickly as Friday, sources stated.

Rees, 31, accomplished his first season at Alabama in 2023. He beforehand coached at Notre Dame from 2017-2022 as quarterbacks coach from 2017-19, then the following three seasons as offensive coordinator. One of many youngest assistants within the Saban period, Rees oversaw the transformation of Alabama’s 2023 offense that noticed quarterback Jalen Milroe emerge as a reputation to know coming into the 2024 season.

Norvell, who has accomplished a terrific job rebuilding the Seminoles, has solely a $4 million buyout. He took over a reeling program, and in 4 seasons has gone from three wins, to 5 wins, to 10 wins and the brink of the Playoff, going 13-1. The 42-year-old Texan, like DeBoer, has by no means coached within the SEC. However Norvell has proven that he has a superb grasp of working the switch portal and is perhaps an attention-grabbing match for the Tide. On Thursday, Norvell celebrated on social media the addition of Alabama offensive lineman Terrence Ferguson II from the NCAA switch portal.

DeBoer has accomplished a outstanding job in two seasons in Seattle. He took over a 4-8 crew two years in the past and led them to the nationwide title sport this season. The 49-year-old DeBoer, who received three NAIA nationwide titles at Sioux Falls, has a staggering profession file of 104-12. Over the previous two years, the Huskies went 10-1 versus Prime-25 groups. DeBoer is 12-2 all-time in opposition to ranked opponents.

“As head coaches, all of us discuss poise within the second, however he simply lives it,” Washington State coach Jake Dickert advised The Athletic final week. “He’s so cool, so collected. He is ready to keep by each second and hold pushing by it. Proper, mistaken or detached, he proves that teaching actually issues as a result of a lot of the guys on that roster now had been on that 4-8 crew two years in the past — and I do know (quarterback Michael) Penix wasn’t, however virtually all the different guys had been nonetheless there. What he’s accomplished to remodel these guys is fairly rattling unbelievable. I do know he’s acquired the respect of the entire teaching world.”

The South Dakota native is an excellent offensive thoughts and tradition builder. He loves it at Washington, and his daughter will probably be a freshman on the Huskies softball crew subsequent yr. He has by no means labored within the SEC, which could give some at Alabama pause as that league is seen as a special animal, however DeBoer not too long ago employed Jimmy Sexton, the identical agent as Saban and lots of SEC coaches. The Bama opening might result in Sexton negotiating massive raises for different coaches.

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