Makes sense. I can certainly see the connection, always had, and at that point he was a hot name for leading a program I'm sure, given the success he had before and around that. But now at 62 he'd just be caretaking for, basically, the time that they're under sanction and a year or two after that.
I don't see hiring "outsiders" as a problem. While they might not have an undying honorage toward the old Alabama ways, I don't think that hiring a guy just because he's an alum is necessarily smart. Shula, for instance, doesn't strike me as a great head coach. He'd have to have an excellent OC under him just because he shouldn't be running an offense - Tampa showed that. Croom would be a better fit, and those two are probably the two it'll come down to.