Paul Finebaum: 'the only person who can replace Nick Saban is Dabo Swinney'

CLEMSON -- Until something happens, the chatter of Dabo Swinney racing home to Alabama once Nick Saban decides to leave is only inevitable.

So it was only fitting that once Swinney crossed over the Alabama border to get inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday, a team of Clemson administrators followed behind. At the ceremony, Swinney was his usual self: all smiles with a couple of jokes.

“I’m also here because that’s just how good Alabama is these days,” Swinney said. “If you beat ‘em, they put your butt right in the Hall of Fame.” 

Swinney looked comfortable and at home when he was at the podium. SEC Network’s Paul Finebaum, the host of the evening, was one of the first to take notice. Finebaum recalled the time he shared with Swinney over the weekend on WJOX’s The RoundTable Monday morning.

Before, Swinney to Alabama felt like more of a pipedream to Finebaum. But after watching him interact with people who are affiliated with the program and tearing up talking about his days spent in Alabama, Finebaum saw a glimpse of reality there.

“It’s no longer off the board. It was off the board, but I just saw it. I felt it. You know?” Finebaum said on the radio show.

“His wife grew up in Alabama. His family is from Alabama. That will be a fascinating gravitational pull when Alabama calls and says, ‘OK, Dabo. It’s time to come home.’ I don’t know if (a no) would be as absolute as I thought it would have been a couple of months ago.”

Finebaum also mentioned that he believes it’s going to be a two-horse race - Alabama trying to pull Swinney away while Clemson desperately trying to hang on. When it boils down to it, the decision will be in Swinney’s hands and it’ll be where he wants to be in the long term.

To replace Saban, a coach who has brought his school five national titles in nine years, it’s going to take someone special. It’s no surprise that at the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame ceremony, people were already trying to win over the head coach who has made his mark in the foothills of South Carolina.

“Before anyone says it’s impossible to replace Nick Saban, I think the only person who can replace Nick Saban is Dabo Swinney,” Finebaum stated.

Between now and whenever Saban decides to hang up the headset, it’s all a guessing game. But the conversations that will unfold at some point in the near future are as inevitable as us talking about it.

We’re reminded of a quote from Paul William “Bear” Bryant, the famous head coach who won six titles at Alabama over a 25-year span. He built the tradition of Alabama football into what it is today.

Before taking the job at Alabama, Bryant spent three seasons at Texas A&M as the head football coach and Director of Athletics. After he finished with a 25–14–2 record and had the Aggies in championship contention, Alabama came knocking on his door in 1958.

"Momma called,” Bryant said when he was asked why he took the job.

“And when Momma calls, you just have to come runnin'."