If Brandon Kamerman is right, Alabama wasted no time interviewing a potential replacement for retiring coach Nick Saban.
Who is Brandon Kamerman, you ask? He’s the evening news anchor and former sports anchor at KVAL in Eugene, Oregon. He’s perhaps an unlikely source to break news on an Alabama head coaching hire, but Kamerman reported late Wednesday night that Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning was already in Tuscaloosa, presumably for an interview as a possible successor to Saban.
“I previously worked in Alabama, in Tuscaloosa,” Kamerman said. “I do have some sources there, who did confirm that Lanning is in Tuscaloosa …”
KVAL (Eugene) news anchor Brandon Kamerman says Oregon HC Dan Lanning is currently in Tuscaloosa, just hours after Nick Saban retired.
"I previously worked in Alabama, in Tuscaloosa… I do have some sources there, who did confirm that Lanning is in Tuscaloosa…" 🏈📺 pic.twitter.com/3HU4SSpKQn
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 11, 2024
Tony Tsoukalis, managing editor of Tide Illustrated, confirmed the report. But Kamerman had it first.
ESPN stunned the sports world Wednesday with a report that Saban is retiring. Lanning, 37, has a 22-5 mark in two seasons at Oregon and has appeal beyond just his coaching skills. He had a turn in the spotlight Monday night, serving as an analyst for ESPN’s coverage of the CFP National Championship.
Kamerman undoubtedly has some good sources in the Alabama athletic department. Before moving to Eugene, he served as assistant sports director at WVUA 23 in Tuscaloosa. He even co-hosted Alabama’s victory parade after a national championship.
However, it didn’t take long before skeptics in the media surfaced on X/Twitter, questioning Kamerman’s report.
Do you actually believe Nick Saban worked here 17 years, walked into @Greg_Byrne offices, said “I quit” & they started flying dudes in immediately? Come on…. https://t.co/VinoALPwgE
— Pat Trammell (@pbtide) January 11, 2024
The mass hysteria coaching rumors create on this app are hilariously yet painfully incredible. Dan Lanning is not in Tuscaloosa tonight. Come on, people.
— Matt Prehm (@MattPrehm) January 11, 2024
I'm told Oregon head coach Dan Lanning was in Eugene as of late this afternoon.
"if he's in Tuscaloosa, the Concorde was involved," per source.
— Richard🇬🇾Johnson (human) (@RJ_cfb) January 11, 2024
Of course, there’s a simple explanation for how Lanning got to Tuscaloosa so quickly: Saban made his intentions clear to the powers at Alabama days (or even weeks) ago.
As wise sages have noted, these scoops from local news sources outside the inner circle of national insiders are always viewed with skepticism, until they turn out to be true. Lanning himself was involved in a situation like that when the Ducks hired him. An Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter broke the news that the Georgia Bulldogs’ defensive coordinator was headed to Eugene, though a reporter with The Oregonian initially disputed that report.
Only time will tell if Lanning, in fact, steps in to replace Saban. But for now, Kamerman appears to have a huge scoop, thanks to some old friends in Alabama.
[KVAL; Photo Credit: KVAL]
