Alabama football got closer to finding its next head coach on Thursday, according to multiple reports.
Washington’s Kalen DeBoer, Florida State’s Mike Norvell and Crimson Tide offensive coordinator Tommy Rees are the three candidates to monitor as athletic director Greg Byrne works closer to the biggest hire of his career.
“It could be considered a winnowing day,” ESPN analyst Pete Thamel said on SportsCenter. “Alabama had some aspirational candidates and they were going to make their calls to the Kirby Smarts of the world, essentially make people, force them to say no.”
DeBoer, who was a national runner-up to Michigan in the College Football Playoff, and Norvell, whose Seminoles were jumped by Alabama to reach the CFP, were among the first batch of candidates to emerge when Saban finally revealed his retirement to players in a team meeting yesterday after a back-and-forth decision.
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Oregon’s Dan Lanning, a supposed front-runner, announced he was staying with the Ducks via social media. Rees’ inclusion is new, but it could likely be because the first-year offensive coordinator is one of the few holdovers from the 2023 staff in a prominent role.
Both Thamel and Adam Rittenberg of ESPN identified DeBoer and Norvell as the more “prominent possibilities.” Both coaches are represented by superagent Jimmy Sexton, who also represents Saban. Sexton was spotted in Tuscaloosa entering UA’s football complex as Saban spent a final day clearing out his office.
“There will be plenty of rumors out there during this process. Next time I talk publicly will be to announce our new coach. If you don’t hear it from me, don’t believe it,” Byrne said in a statement released on Wednesday.
UA players were reportedly told that the administration wanted its new coach in place within “72 hours.” That was roughly 28 hours ago and the speculation is unlikely to stop until a successor is named.
Byrne, whose most prominent hire at UA has been Nate Oats and men’s basketball and Brad Bohannon with baseball, has been known to operate behind the scenes, trying to keep negotiations under wraps until they’re finalized. The University has yet to schedule a press conference for Saban, the head coach instead had a sit-down interview with Rece Davis of ESPN, the SEC’s broadcast partner starting next fall.
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Norvell was part of a breaking news story on Thursday night as the NCAA hit Florida State with two Level II NCAA Violations, the first-ever related to name, image and likeness. Among the punishments, which include a show-cause penalty for FSU offensive coordinator Alex Atkins, Norvell was notably omitted.
Why Mike Norvell makes sense as a candidate to replace Nick Saban at Alabama (and why he doesn’t)
Nick Saban plans on keeping an ‘Office in the stadium’ after retiring from Alabama football
Nick Saban retirement: A minute-by-minute look at how it happened
Nick Saban talks making retirement choice before team meeting, discussion with Miss Terry
What economic impact has Nick Saban had on Alabama? ‘He was worth more than $1 billion’
Nick Alvarez is a reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @nick_a_alvarez or email him at NAlvarez@al.com.
Alabama football is hosting an impressive group of 2027 recruits throughout this weekend. This is the first of several weekends the Tide will host top recruits for official visits.
So, will Alabama add a commit this weekend? This is very much possible, and there are a few prospects Touchdown Alabama has our eyes on.
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Justin Smith is the Managing Editor and Lead Writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine with over 10 years of writing experience & expertise. Smith has consistently delivered high quality, extensively researched information on the University of Alabama’s Crimson Tide football team that fans can trust. Smith is official credentialed media with the University of Alabama under Touchdown Alabama Magazine. He is also the Director of Recruiting for Touchdown Enterprises, specializing in scouting and analyzing high school recruits around the nation, specifically focusing on recruits within the state of Alabama.
OKLAHOMA CITY–– UCLA’s home run power made headlines all season, but it was Alabama’s super sluggers who stepped up in the biggest moments on the biggest stage during the Crimson Tide’s opening game of the Women’s College World Series.
No. 1 Alabama was trailing by two runs heading into the fifth inning of Thursday’s game before Alexis Pupillo tied it up with a two-run shot in the bottom of the frame.
The Tide had struggled with runners in scoring position all game, but when Alabama’s home run leader Brooke Wells stepped to the plate with two on in the sixth inning, she made sure that wasn’t going to happen again. In her first ever game at the WCWS, Wells hit one over the right field wall to give Alabama a three-run lead.
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That score would hold as No. 1 Alabama beat No. 8 UCLA 6-3 to move into the winners’ bracket at the WCWS.
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The moment meant a lot for Wells after she went without a hit during the super regional round against LSU. The team rallied around her, and head coach Patrick Murphy put a card in her locker at the beginning of the week.
“It was great to do it for these girls,” Wells said after the game. “These girls are so great. They had my back all last weekend, you know, how he said. It wasn’t the best weekend for me, but they never lost trust in me, they never lost faith in me. Murph gave me a card, the girls picked me up all weekend. I walked in here feeling as confident as ever. Didn’t really cross my mind anything that happened last weekend.”
This is the first trip to the World Series for both Wells and Pupillo as transfers into Alabama. Pupillo is in her final season and has now hit a home run in three straight postseason games and is up to 20 on the season.
“This is the moment that I’ve been waiting for since I was like eight years old,” Pupillo said. “I walked through the gates today, I kind of started tearing up for a second because it just felt surreal. I just remember watching Montana Fouts pitch in the World Series when she threw the perfect game. That moment of me when I was eight years old watching it on the TV, man, I really want to do that.”
Alabama junior ace Jocelyn Briski shut down the UCLA batting order the first time through, but the Bruins bats wouldn’t stay down for long. UCLA rallied for three runs on four hits, including two home runs, in the third inning to take a 3-1 lead.
She did not allow another run to the potent UCLA offense over the next four innings. Briski finished with nine strikeouts against a team that does not strike out much.
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“You could see they hit two home runs, we hit two home runs, but the ability to come up with those timely hits with runners on obviously makes a difference,” UCLA coach Kelly Inoyue-Perez said after the game.
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Coming into the matchup, Alabama knew UCLA would score. It just wanted to limit the damage, and Briski was able to do that.
Jena Young set the tone for the offense at the top of the lineup, reaching base four times with three hits. She scored in the first inning on an RBI-single from Alabama’s senior captain Marlie Giles, Pupillo’s home run and on the Wells’ home run in the sixth inning.
Alabama (55-7) will face the winner of Thursday night’s game between No. 4 Nebraska and No. 5 Arkansas on Saturday. Winning the first game sets the tone for the rest of the series and makes the path a lot smoother. Around 90 percent of previous college softball national champions win their opening game at the WCWS.
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Alabama plays UCLA on Thursday night in the third first-round game of the Women’s College World Series
The Alabama Crimson Tide battles the UCLA Bruins on Thursday night in a first-round game of the Women’s College World Series. The Crimson Tide comes into the World Series on a five-game winning streak after sweeping through the regionals and super regional. They fell short in the SEC Tournament, as they lost to Texas 7-1, but they have been great in the postseason. They have given up just one combined run in the five postseason games and have easily moved on to the World Series. They beat USC Upstate twice and Belmont once in the regional by a combined 20-0 score. They then swept rival LSU in the super regional by a combined 11-1 score. They now sit at 54-7 on the season and are one of the favorites to win the National Championship.
How to Watch Alabama vs UCLA College Softball Today:
Game Date: Thursday, May 28, 2026
Game Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
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The Bruins, though, are looking to knock off the Crimson Tide and pick up a huge first-round upset on Thursday night.
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The Bruins also swept through the regional and super regional and come into the World Series 52-8 on the season.
The Bruins also came up short in their conference tournament, as they lost to Nebraska, but, like the Crimson Tide, have been good in the postseason. They got tested by Cal Baptist in the first game of the regional, but since that game, they have outscored their opponents 55-8.
What Time Is Alabama vs UCLA College Softball Game?
Game 3: Alabama vs UCLA will take place on Thursday, May 28, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. ET. Tune in and catch some great College Softball action.
What Channel Is Alabama vs UCLA College Softball Game?
Looking to watch this game? Fans can tune into ESPN2 to see the action. Make sure you subscribe to Fubo now to watch this matchup, as well as numerous other sports leagues.
Live stream Alabama vs UCLA College Softball on Fubo:Start watching now!
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