The question has been lingering for years now – who will replace Nick Saban as the next head football coach at the University of Alabama?
Some of the main names you’ll hear are Lane Kiffin (Ole Miss head coach), Steve Sarkisian (Texas head coach) and Dabo Swinney (Clemson head coach).
One name you don’t hear mentioned much is current Georgia Bulldogs defensive coordinator, Glenn Schumann. Schumann graduated from the University of Alabama in 2011 and coached under Nick Saban from 2008-2014 as a student assistant, graduate assistant and then promoted to Director of Player Development in 2014.
Schumann then took what he learned under Saban and followed current Georgia head coach, Kirby Smart, to Athens when Smart took the job in 2017 after spending eight years under Saban himself in Tuscaloosa.
Under Saban and Smart combined, Schumann has been a part of five national championship teams as an assistant coach.
Most recently, Schumann was promoted to co-defensive coordinator under Smart alongside already defensive coordinator, Will Muschamp.
Could Glenn Schumann potentially be Alabama’s next head football coach?
So the question is with Schumann never being a head coach – why would Alabama take such a risk and make his first head coaching position one of the most pressure-packed in the country? The Kirby Smart blueprint is the answer here.
Don’t be surprised if Alabama looks at Kirby Smart’s path and tries to replicate the same with Schumann. As mentioned, Smart spent several years as an assistant under Saban learning his craft. While other coordinators were quick to jump ship relative to Smart, he stayed under Saban longer than any coordinator by far. And it’s set him up for great success since.
The next closest that one may deem as successful would be Lane Kiffin that stayed as a coordinator under Saban for at least two years.
So again, the blueprint seems to be there. And this time around, Schumann has had the advantage of working under two of the greatest college head coaches of all time, not just one. Smart took all he learned under Saban and was able to make an instant impact at Georgia, while not feeling overwhelmed. One can only think that the reason he was so successful is because he didn’t rush out the door in Tuscaloosa when his first head coaching gig became available. Smart was patient, learned under Saban and its payed massive dividends.
So far, Schumann looks to be doing the same, so expect the Crimson Tide to make a strong push for him when Saban decides to retire.
University of Georgia fans may argue that he wouldn’t leave, as rumor was that Alabama tried to recruit him back to Tuscaloosa this season as their defensive coordinator. The job ended up going to Kevin Steele and Schumann decided to stay put in Athens under Smart.
Schumann and Smart even have a lot of similarities other than both coaching under Saban at the same time. They’re both from south Georgia and have fathers that were head football coaches.
While these are commonalities that are strong and can bond, being a defensive coordinator at Alabama, which would’ve been a lateral move for Schumann, is a lot different than if he were offered the head coaching job. And like Smart at Georgia, Alabama is Schumann’s alma mater. Is he ready if Alabama ends up hiring him? Time will tell, but to stay atop the SEC long-term with Georgia, don’t be surprised if it’s a risk the Crimson Tide are willing to take.