Alabama coach Nick Saban retiring; Oregon's Dan Lanning expected top choice for replacement, report says

PORTLAND, Ore. — Nick Saban, who led Alabama to six national championships, is retiring, according to multiple reports. The news was first reported Wednesday by ESPN . Brett McMurphy of Action Network reported that according to a source, "Oregon's Dan Lanning is expected to be [the] top target to replace Saban." ESPN College Football Senior Writer Pete Thamel included Lanning on a list of projected targets for Alabama, along with Washington's Kalen DeBoer, Clemson's Dabo Swinney, Penn State's James Franklin, Florida State's Mike Norvell and Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman.

"All come with complications and big buyouts, as it's difficult to move entrenched coaches," Thamel wrote . Alabama’s Nick Saban is retiring, sources told @ActionNetworkHQ . 1st reported by@ClowESPN. Oregon’s Dan Lanning expected to be top target to replace Saban, source told @ActionNetworkHQ Lanning, who joined Oregon in 2021 after four seasons at Georgia, including three seasons as defensive coordinator, got a contract extension through 2028 from Oregon last summer.

As part of the extension, his buyout to leave Oregon increased to $20 million . At the time, Lanning referred to coaching at Oregon as a "dream." "In coaching, you dream to be at a place where you can both raise your family and win at a high level," Lanning said in a news release from the school.

"Oregon has more than exceeded those expectations for my wife, Sauphia, and our three boys, and this will ensure our boys can all graduate from the same school as we continue to grow roots in the community. I am thrilled to be a part of a program that has a shared vision for how to stay on the cutting edge and achieve great success moving forward." RELATED: Oregon makes Dan Lanning the second highest paid football coach in Pac 12 with contract extension In November, Lanning shot down speculation that he'd ever leave Oregon when his name popped up in rumors as a potential head coach candidate at Texas A&M.

"I think I've been really, really clear here since Day 1, everything I want exists right here. I'm not going anywhere. There's zero chance that I would be coaching somewhere else," Lanning said, as reported by The Oregonian . "I've got unfinished business here; there's a lot that I want to accomplish here at Oregon.

My No. 1 priority is being elite here at Oregon and we have the resources, the tools — anybody that can't understand why you would want to be here at this place does not understand exactly what exists here. ... It's outside noise — it didn't matter before; it doesn't matter now.

I'll continue to say it until I'm blue in the face: I'm going to be here at Oregon. That hasn't changed. That won't change." RELATED: Nix closes career with 5 TD passes, No. 8 Oregon rolls over Liberty 45 6 in Fiesta Bowl In two seasons as the head coach at Oregon, Lanning has a record of 22 5, with postseason wins in the Holiday Bowl and Fiesta Bowl.

He's also recruited well, with the 2023 class ranked ninth and the 2024 class ranked sixth by 247Sports . Saban won seven national titles — six at Alabama and one at LSU — more than any other major college coach. He led the Tide to nine Southeastern Conference (SEC) championships and won national championships in 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017 and 2020.

He finishes his college head coaching career with a record of 297 71 1. The Associated Press contributed to this report. VIDEO: Meet Ducks football coach Dan Lanning (December 2021).