South Carolina Football: Alabama, who is on the Gamecocks' 2024 schedule, appears to have Nick Saban's replacement

South Carolina football fans long had the distinction as being fans of the last SEC East team to knock off Alabama. When the Gamecocks beat the Crimson Tide back in 2010, no one would have suspected that it would take over a decade for Nick Saban's team to lose to another SEC East program, but that's exactly what happened.

Georgia snapped the streak in 2021 in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game and then Tennessee won in 2022 to end the regular season streak.

Fast forward just a couple of years, and Gamecock fans have watched Saban (the inarguable GOAT of college football coaching) hang up the headset. On Wednesday, he retired, and he and Mrs. Terry all of a sudden have a lot more time on their hands.

It took all of two days for the 'Tide to find Saban's replacement.

On Friday afternoon, joint reports from Chris Low and Mark Schlabach revealed that Alabama and Washington Huskies head coach Kalen DeBoer were in advanced contract negotiations about the 49-year old coach taking over the reins in Tuscaloosa.

Washington, understandably, is trying their darnedest to keep their, but the decision will be up to DeBoer. According to ESPN, it seems that decision is almost made.

DeBoer had a very successful stint 2-year run at Washington. He went 25-3 with the Huskies, including making the 2023-2024 College Football Playoff National Championship. His overall head coaching record is a ridiculous 104-12. 67 of those wins came at NAIA school Sioux Falls, and 12 came at Fresno State.

If DeBoer is, indeed, the man for the job for the Crimson Tide, he will have a difficult job ahead of him. South Carolina football coaching legend Steve Spurrier said on Thursday that he would "hate to recommend" the Alabama job to anyone because "you can't do as well as the coach before you."

Alabama fans sure do hope the Head Ball Coach is wrong and that Kalen DeBoer can keep the train rolling in Tuscaloosa.

The Gamecocks and Crimson Tide will play next season in Bryant-Denny Stadium on October 12th.