Nick Saban didn't exactly leave the NFL on good terms. After repeatedly saying he wouldn't be going to Alabama to become the school's new head coach, he left Miami and joined Alabama.
Still, Nick Saban is a great college coach, and he knows how to run a great college defense. In college, that also means stopping the read-option.
Saban told ESPN that NFL coaches were coming to him to brainstorm how they might stop read-option teams such as the 49ers. "Several NFL coaches have come to visit this year to say, ‘How do you stop these guys?’ Because they’re not accustomed to seeing that," Saban said.
It's no surprise that coaches are talking to college level coaches, trying to find a way to stop read-option offenses. While I don't see the read-option catching on in a full scale way, teams that play in the division of such teams, such as teams in the NFC West, have to be able to stop divisional opponents.
While the success Colin Kaepernick and Russell Wilson experienced last season is unquestionable, there aren't many quarterbacks that have the athletic skill set to run a read-option offense at the speed of the NFL. Geno Smith may be able to run such an offense, but there's no guarantee his future coaches will want him running the ball on a regular basis.
Coaches in the NFL also don't want their quarterbacks taking unnecessary hits, especially if their quarterback is an effective passer. With so much going against the read-option at the NFL level, it's implementation will likely remain on a very limited scale.
