Not so long ago, the college football community was on its heels when Nick Saban suddenly announced his retirement, nearly throwing three major programs into chaos. Head coach Mike Norvell was said to be Saban’s likely successor in the coming hours as per ESPN’s Chris Low.

In the end, Mike Norvell chose to remain at FSU, signing an eight-year deal to continue his work with the Seminoles. This twist put Alabama on the back foot to the point where they hired a new coach from Washington; Washington on the other hand hired former Arizona coach Jedd Fisch.

The chaos of a potential Alabama-Norvell switch

But imagine if Norvell had made the jump to Alabama? Fans are now dragging Norvell through the mud, especially after Florida State’s disastrous 0-2 start to the season. Kalen DeBoer has set his team to a good start; they have scored more in two quarters than Norvell with Florida State Seminoles scored in two full games, 34 points. It is quite a weird state of affairs and people love speculating on the what-if scenarios. Fans commented, “Imagine having Mike Norvell coaching “ and “Greg Byrne hiring Kalen DeBoer over Mike Norvell automatically makes him the best Athletic director in the country! “

As Saban decided to retire from coaching, Alabama was in a scram for who would replace him. With DeBoer stepping into the role just two days after Saban’s exit, it was clear the environment was nothing short of chaotic. “You respect the place. You respect the position,” Norvell commented about Alabama. “At the end of the day, it still comes down to the right fit.” 

Will Alabama regret not going after Norvell?

Even as FSU lurched through their early season matchups, social media called for the firing of Norvell. The fans are cracking jokes over the scenario. One fan tweeted as a joke, “FSU fans tried to wish Alabama into hiring Mike Norvell over Kalen DeBoer lmfaoooooooooooooooooooooooo” Others are already regretting the non-existent chance mentioning, “Think of the alternate universe where Alabama hires Mike Norvell instead of Kalen DeBoer. Norvell would do more damage to Tuscaloosa than Mrs. O’Leary’s cow in Chicago.”

In the given circumstances, one could frown at Alabama’s decision to settle for DeBoer rather than doing more for Norvell. Washington was not well-known until DeBoer joined the team, and one could say that DeBoer surpassed expectations coaching the team. Norvell, who guided Florida State to a perfect regular season in 2023, could have offered a completely different change to Alabama. It will be important to observe whether DeBoer will perform the task and meet the expectations left by Saban, or whether Alabama will repent the decision.