Alabama loses an opportunity for a revenge game before it can even happen after surprise retirement from longtime coaching rival
So much for one more run at a longtime thorn in the side of the Crimson Tide.
Flashback to Week 1 of the 2025 season. It’s a Saturday afternoon in Tallahassee, Florida and the Alabama Crimson Tide falls to the Florida State Seminoles embarrassingly. Now, go way back to the 78th Iron Bowl back in 2013 (bad memories, I know). Alabama loses the game on the infamous Kick 6, as Auburn returns a missed field goal for a game-winner.
The two things in common during those games: Gus Malzahn. The Tide were hoping for one more run at the former national champion as he coordinated the Seminoles offense in September in Bryant Denny, but that will no longer be the case.
Gus Malzahn retires from coaching
Malzahn coached for the Auburn Tigers for over seven years, leading the Tigers to a national championship before departing for UCF in 2021. Malzahn coached the Knights for four seasons before joining the Florida State Seminoles as their OC in 2025.
The most notable win of FSU’s season would come in Week 1 after their massive upset over the Crimson Tide. Tommy Castellanos looked like the second coming of Kyler Murray, and Alabama couldn’t slow him down, thanks in large part to Malzahn.
After that, Alabama went on a midseason run that would propel it to the SEC Championship and College Football Playoff, while Florida State went on to win only four more games all season, finishing near the bottom of the ACC and raising questions about the future of Mike Norvell.
Alabama and Kalen DeBoer are facing a huge year three of this era, and the Crimson Tide’s first real test of the season will occur when Alabama takes on Florida State in Bryant-Denny Stadium on September 16. Only this time, there will be no Malzahn on the other sideline.
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