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**** Curt Cignettii, This is the one they probably should have hired looking back on it. Cignetti was WR coach and Recruiting coordinator at Bama 07-10 (so when saban first got there). But the biggest problem with him is that he was HC at two small schools after his bama tenure - IUP/Elon, where he had a LOT of success, including taking these teams to like their first conference champ wins and the lower level playoffs, and he won coach of year... But that was waaaay too small stakes for 8 years tbh. Then he went to JMU where he had excellent results, but again, fcs program. Of course when they moved up to FBS for 2 seasons he had excellent success still. But like was Bama ever going to hire the guy from JMU? As it turns out I think looking back he was probably the best choice. And the money wouldn't have been an issue at all. Just you'd have to overlook no major program success... Which would be a tough call to make.Then they hired the wrong guy for Bama as you said because that’s not DeBoer. They’d have been better off with Dabo or maybe someone who was on Saban’s last staff or on his staff at some point and knew the routine. DeBoer would be better off at USC.
Other coaches that Could have made some sense: Brent Key, Bill O'Brien who both coached at Alabama, and probably would be more of a culture fit. But Key is at his alma mater. The Guy that imo would actually funnily make a lot of sense is Greg Schiano tbh. He seems exactly the same type of culture guy as a Saban to me. Obviously some bama fans are going to want Lane Kiffin and that probably has the highest risk:reward after Deboer possibly tbh. But I'd say given his time at Bama and Ole Miss is a better culture fit than Deboer still. Bret Bielman would probably fit well at Alabama tbh.
Guys like Lebby, Fran Brown, Jon Sumrall aren't/werent experienced enough. Dillingham too, but I doubt he'd be a culture fit either.
Guys like Matt Campbell, Lance Leipold, Chris Klieman are all 3 VERY good coaches, but idk if they'd be a culture fit. They seem midwestern guys that like the ideal fit for them is taking a Nebraska team back to dominance...
Guys like Kirby, Dabo, Sark, Kelly, Franklin, etc weren't really a realistic option at all imo.
To me with Hindsight the rankings (that are semi-realistic options) would have been:
1. Lanning
2. Dabo
3. Cignetti
4. Deboer
5. One of Bielman, Key, Schiano
Ultimately I think Deboer still has a higher ceiling/odds of winning a championship at Bama than anyone I listed at 5....But the guys I listed at 5 IMO would probably have Bama treading water at 10 wins I think, and they'd just FIT better.