Possible Candidates to Become Alabama's Next OC

The new offensive coordinator search is officially on for Nick Saban now that Bill O'Brien is headed back to the NFL for a second stint with the New England Patriots.

With Alabama’s offensive play-caller position now open for business, here are some of the available candidates that Alabama could consider to replace him:

Former Arizona Cardinals Coach Kliff Kingsbury: Yes, he was just fired from the Cardinals this past month and is declining other NFL offers, but if he were to change his mind, this could be an intriguing option for Alabama as Kingsbury played a key factor in Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes' development during his time at Texas Tech. If Saban wants to adopt the spread offense that turned Mahomes into the most dynamic quarterback currently in the NFL, Kingsbury could be the perfect man for the job.

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Oklahoma offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby: Lebby is in his first year with the Sooners as their offensive coordinator and he has experience with coaching under Lane Kiffin, who runs a very high powered offense for Ole Miss. Kiffin runs an offense similar to Saban, so it would come as no surprise if Saban were to go this route to fill his vacant offensive coordinator role.

New York Giants quarterbacks coach Shea Tierney: Tierney coached under Brian Daboll this season, who was Alabama's offensive coordinator during the 2017 season. Daboll and Tierney both coached the Giants into the playoffs this season, exceeding all expectations. Tierney also played a big role in Bills quarterback Josh Allen's development when he was with Daboll in 2018. With lots of experience coaching with a well-established coach in Daboll under his belt, Tierney might have what it takes to succeed as the offensive coordinator for one of college football's top if not best football teams and head coach in the country, Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide.