Alabama football: 3 perfect coordinator pairings to replace Bill O’Brien, Pete Golding

Nick Saban needs to replace both of his Alabama coordinators with Pete Golding and now Bill O’Brien taking other jobs.

And once again, Nick Saban will have to replace both of his coordinators at Alabama…

This is getting old, right? While Saban is not getting any younger, he still leads one of the very best programs in all of college football. Though they have not won a national title the last two years, having to replace Pete Golding (Ole Miss Rebels) and Bill O’Brien (New England Patriots) is easier said than done. Maybe Saban’s next Lane Kiffin or Kirby Smart is on the horizon, only a call away?

Let’s take a look at three potential coordinator pairings that could get Alabama back on top soon.

Table of Contents

• Introduction: Look what the cat dragged in… Cry tough over these SEC retreads.
• Page 2: All the young dudes are going to Mott the Hoople over in Tuscaloosa now.
• Page: 3: You ain’t seen nothin’ yet! B-b-b-bama, you ain’t seen n-n-nothin’ yet!

Don’t need nothin’ but a good time with some SEC retreaded shenanigans

Dan Mullen is good on TV, bad at recruiting, but elite at calling offensive plays

One of the best offensive minds out there is former Florida and Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen. Though it hit the fan catastrophically during his final year in Gainesville, Mullen did win an SEC East title with the Gators and led them to three New Year’s Six bowls. Prior to that, he was an iconic head coach at Mississippi State, winning 69 games in nine years at a historic SEC doormat.

What hurt him in the end at Florida was an inability, or rather, a reluctance to recruit. When your biggest conference rival is Georgia, you’re going to have a bad time. However, Mullen is arguably Urban Meyer’s most distinguished protege. His offense relies on a quarterback being mobile, but is one where signal-callers flourish. Schematically, Mullen is every bit as good as Steve Sarkisian is.

Mullen may be good on TV, bad at recruiting, but is too good at calling plays to do media forever.

Jeremy Pruitt may not know what asparagus is, but he can coordinate a defense!

After it went to hell in a hand basket for him at Tennessee, Jeremy Pruitt briefly worked on Joe Judge’s last New York Giants staff as a defensive assistant. Though Pruitt may not get to be a head coach again, he has been a great coordinator at three high-profile jobs previously: Florida State, Georgia and his alma mater, Alabama. Pruitt worked under Saban in two separate stints.

As with Mullen, this is all about getting the Saban treatment. Mullen may not need it as badly, as TV has largely worked out for him. For Pruitt, he needs to go back to a familiar place and work for a familiar face to revitalize his coaching career. Pruitt has been part of five national championship staffs (four at Alabama, one at Florida State), so he absolutely knows what he is doing on defense.

Pruitt may not be one with asparagus or McDonald’s bags, but the man can coordinate defenses!

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