▁Steve ▁Sp ur rier ▁of ▁South ▁Carolina ▁and ▁S aban ▁of ▁the ▁Miami ▁Dol ph ins ▁thought ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁preferred ▁candidates . ▁On ▁November ▁ 2 7 , ▁S aban ▁public ly ▁stated ▁he ▁had ▁not ▁been ▁contact ed ▁by ▁Alabama ▁and ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁no ▁interest ▁in ▁leaving ▁the ▁Dol ph ins ▁to ▁become ▁the ▁head ▁coach ▁of ▁the ▁C rim son ▁T ide . ▁ ▁In ▁early ▁December , ▁Moore ▁made ▁a ▁pre lim inary ▁offer ▁to ▁S aban ' s ▁agent ▁Jimmy ▁Se xt on ▁to ▁coach ▁at ▁Alabama ▁for ▁$ 5 ▁million ▁per ▁season ▁for ▁seven ▁years ▁with ▁a ▁$ 7 ▁million ▁signing ▁bonus . ▁At ▁that ▁time ▁S aban ▁also ▁stated ▁he ▁had ▁not ▁personally ▁interview ed ▁at ▁Alabama ▁and ▁told ▁his ▁players ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁not ▁leaving . ▁After ▁West ▁Virginia ▁head ▁coach ▁Rich ▁Rod rig uez ▁turned ▁down ▁an ▁offer ▁to ▁coach ▁the ▁C rim son ▁T ide , ▁spec ulation ▁again ▁focused ▁on ▁S aban . ▁As ▁the ▁rum ors ▁pers isted ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁prepared ▁to ▁take ▁the ▁Alabama ▁job , ▁on ▁December ▁ 2 1 ▁S aban ▁stated ▁" I ▁guess ▁I ▁have ▁to ▁say ▁it , ▁I ' m ▁not ▁going ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁Alabama ▁coach " ▁in ▁an ▁effort ▁to ▁stop ▁the ▁Alabama ▁rum ors . ▁After ▁the ▁Dol ph ins ▁season ▁ended , ▁it ▁was ▁spec ulated ▁again ▁that ▁Alabama ▁was ▁to ▁offer ▁their ▁head ▁co aching ▁position ▁to ▁S aban . ▁On ▁January ▁ 3 , ▁ 2