Clemson Football: Odds on Dabo Swinney being the next Alabama coach surge overnight

Clemson Football has known Dabo Swinney might have an interest in the head coaching job at his alma mater Alabama should Nick Saban ever retire.

Saban finally called it a career on Wednesday, but the initial indications were that the Crimson Tide would be focusing on other candidates.

When Dan Lanning announced that he would be staying at Oregon, Kalen DeBoer and Mike Norvell became the favorites to be hired at Alabama.

Overnight, the odds shifted heavily towards Dabo Swinney.

DeBoer and Norvell are still towards the top of this list, but Norvell’s momentum might have been slowed by the news that Florida State will soon be sanctioned by the NCAA for NIL-related rules violations.

Swinney was a walk-on wide receiver at Alabama in 1989. He earned a scholarship and was a part of the Tide’s 1992 national championship under head coach Gene Stallings.

Swinney began his coaching career at Alabama. He came to Clemson in 2003 and became the Tigers’ interim head coach in 2008. He was promoted to the full-time position in 2009.

The pull of the Alabama job could be tempting for Swinney, but he has made Clemson his home for over twenty years. If the Tide is interested in him, it may be a tough choice for Swinney.

The odds have shifted heavily over the past 48 hours, and one must question exactly what information the oddsmakers have that influences them. It could simply be speculation.

Most observers have believed Alabama will move quickly with their search. Expectations have been that they would announce a replacement for Saban within 72 hours of his retirement, which would suggest a coach could be in place by this weekend.

How Swinney might be received by the Crimson Tide fanbase is in question. A small group of fans chanted ‘Anyone but Swinney!’ following Saban’s retirement, though it is unknown how widespread such sentiment is.