How Nick Saban’s retirement created a coast-to-coast ripple effect in college football’s coaching carousel

The college football coaching carousel appeared to have reached a halt for the 2023-24 cycle back in December, but that all changed in a heartbeat on Jan. 10 when Nick Saban announced his retirement after 17 seasons as the coach at Alabama. The seven-time national champion’s bombshell decision gave way to a ripple effect across the entire sport, leading to five additional coaching searches beyond the epicenter in Tuscaloosa. 

The impact wasn’t limited to a single region or conference; at least one school in each time zone within the contiguous United States was forced to make a sudden change in leadership as one vacancy led to another, significantly altering their trajectories. Alabama alone was directly responsible for the departures of three sitting Football Bowl Subdivision coaches, headlined by Kalen DeBoer’s arrival from Washington as Saban’s successor. 

Rosters were also impacted by these moves since players have a 30-day widow to enter the transfer portal when a coaching change occurs at their school. Alabama has already seen several notable starters depart, including two rising stars in defensive back Caleb Downs and offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor. For now, though, we focus on the coaching chaos that was sparked by the close of Saban’s legendary run. 

Here’s a timeline of how it went down, starting with the single announcement that rocked college football circles. 

Nick Saban retires as Alabama coach 

Wednesday, Jan. 10: The sports world was sent into a frenzy when reports flooded in during an otherwise calm Wednesday afternoon that Saban’s unparalleled run in the college game had reached its end. Alabama made the news official shortly after. Between stops at Toledo, Michigan State, LSU and Alabama, Saban’s career ended with a record seven national championships — one with the Tigers and six with the Crimson Tide — and an overall mark of 297-71-1. Less than 48 hours passed before Alabama finalized his replacement, putting even more programs on edge. 

Alabama names Washington’s Kalen DeBoer as coach

Friday, Jan. 12: Just four days after Washington fell to Michigan in the College Football Playoff National Championship, the Huskies took another blow when Alabama hired away DeBoer as Saban’s successor. Boasting a 104-12 career coaching record that included a 25-3 mark in two seasons at Washington, DeBoer’s name rapidly gained steam in the Crimson Tide’s search as…