Alabama football: 3 ideal replacements for Nick Saban as head coach

1. Dan Lanning, Oregon HC

Dan Lanning would be my first call if I'm Greg Byrne. The athletic department needs to make Lanning the top priority as he's probably the best attainable head coach in college football. I would say Kirby Smart would be the ideal hire to replace Nick Saban, but Georgia is on an equal level, if not better, than the Tide in the national spotlight.

Lanning is one of the best coaches in the country and he's only been at Oregon for a couple of years. He's improved the Ducks each season and has excelled both on the recruiting trail and with Xs and Os.

The Ducks are 22-5 over the past two seasons and Lanning has done a great job with the program, getting some of the nation's top talent to buy in. And he didn't slow down this offseason, landing Dillon Gabriel and Dante Moore in the transfer portal. He would immediately bring an elite recruiting mindset and a solid coaching staff with him to Tuscaloosa.

Lanning also spent time under Saban in 2015 as a grad assistant and then learned under Kirby Smart, winning a national title as the defensive coordinator before leaving for Oregon.

Alabama would be wise to reach out to Lanning before pursuing anyone else.