Immediately upon news of Nick Saban retiring from Alabama breaking across the internet, lists of candidates to take over the Crimson Tide football program began popping up. (Check out this list of eight prospective replacements from Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde and Richard Johnson.)
Clemson’s Dabo Swinney is one of the names on all of these lists and there’s good reason for that: It’s a natural connection to make. Swinney played at Alabama from 1990 to ’92 under coach Gene Stallings and began his coaching career in Tuscaloosa as a graduate assistant.
Chuck Burton/Associated Press
