Saban to Alabama

[Sonny]

2 years after leaving LSU for the NFL Dolphins and less then 2 weeks after saying he had NO interest in the Alabama job - Nick Saban is heading to Tuscaloosa. He is quickly developing a reputation as a job hopper....

Your thoughts?

[laxfan25]

Just talk to the folks at Michigan State that he left in the lurch before their bowl game - when he jumped to LSU.
The other night Mark May ran through all the reasons why the Dolphins job is better - no recruiting efforts year-round, not relying on 18/19 year olds for your job security, reporting to only one boss rather than the rabid alumni pack. Made a lot of sense to me!
I think until the clone of Bear Bryant is all grown up that 'Bama fans will not be satisfied - and probably not even then.
I guess Nick is football's version of Larry Brown.

[Beta]

He'll never coach in the NFL again after burning those bridges. But maybe he would prefer that.

Welcome to Tuscaloosa Mr Saban, your job requirements are as follows:
1) Beat Auburn.

That is all.

[Sonny]

He'll never coach in the NFL again after burning those bridges. But maybe he would prefer that.

Welcome to Tuscaloosa Mr Saban, your job requirements are as follows:
1) Beat Auburn.

That is all.

If it was only that simple in Alabama.

[StrykerFSU]

The Alabama job is much better, just ask Steve Spurrier if coaching in the SEC is easier than the NFL. In the NFL, any team can win but in college you are all but guaranteed 6-7 wins a year. Especially at a school like Alabama that plays a vast majority of their games at home. And you know what, let the boosters push that spineless school president into firing him after two or three years. I'd let them pay me $20-30 million dollars NOT to coach football.


Saban has already proven himself to be a greedy ship-jumper without a soul so why not grab that golden parachute while the getting is good.

[Sonny]

The Alabama job is much better, just ask Steve Spurrier if coaching in the SEC is easier than the NFL. In the NFL, any team can win but in college you are all but guaranteed 6-7 wins a year. Especially at a school like Alabama that plays a vast majority of their games at home. And you know what, let the boosters push that spineless school president into firing him after two or three years. I'd let them pay me $20-30 million dollars NOT to coach football.

I disagree somewhat. In the NFL, your success doesn't ride on getting 17 & 18 year old kids on campus (& remaining academically eligible) and you only report to one boss - not a bunch of boosters.

[laxfan25]

I forgot Mark May's biggest reason for staying with the Dolphins....
South Beach or Tuscaloosa???

[jessexy]

SHOW ME THE MONEY!!!!

[SLUDoubleDeuce]

Every coach at Alabama since Bryant has two things in common:

1.) Each has won 10 games or more at least once during their tenure
2.) Each has been fired by the University

Not sure why you'd want to leave South Beach for that. I can understand leaving the NFL to go back to college, but there has to be a better job than that one.

[DanGenck]

Seems like he might just be a better college coach, which happens sometimes.

Personally I don't know how anyone can live up to the Alabama expectations. Even if he does well with the Tide, it will always be an uphill battle with those fans and boosters.

[Zeuslax]

Man, this is something else. He has it great in Miami. The owner there lets him do what ever he wants without meddling at all. From discussions I heard Saban is a little bit of a "please tell me that you want me kind of guy".....a little bit of a whiner and needy.

The Alabama job is a great job. In my opinion it's one of the top 10 to 20 jobs in the country.

[StrykerFSU]

I don't know, a $32 million guaranteed contract would help me put up with a lot of redneck boosters.

[Beta]

How does this all affect the players' and their loyalty to 'Bama? Recruiting may be rather shaky considering the school's recent track record of going through coaches like paper napkins.

[Sonny]

A chronology of comments about Nick Saban taking the head coaching job at Alabama:

Nov. 27:
Saban: "When I was in college it was always about coming to the pros. This is the challenge I wanted. I had a good college job. Why would I have left that if I was going to be interested in other college jobs?

"I took this as a challenge. We certainly haven't seen this through and gotten where we want to go and finished the job here, so why would I be interested in something else?"

Dec. 5:
Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga (after giving Saban a vote of confidence): "I am completely sold on Nick Saban. I would admit we made a mistake if we did make a mistake, but I firmly believe in Nick Saban."

Dec. 7:
Saban: "I'm flattered that they may have been interested in me, but it never really progressed, because we just never let it progress."

Dec. 21:
Saban: "I guess I have to say it. I'm not going to be the Alabama coach. ... I don't control what people say. I don't control what people put on dot-com or anything else. So I'm just telling you there's no significance, in my opinion, about this, about me, about any interest that I have in anything other than being the coach here."

Dec. 27:
Saban: "I'm just making a rule to never comment on something like that again because every time you comment on it, it just makes for another story. So I'm not going to comment on it five years from now, and I'm not going to comment on it next week."

LINK to ESPN article:
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/stor ... NHeadlines

[KnoxVegas]

Sonny,
Did you really want him to stick around in south Florida? He had some decent players and still couldn't get it done. He also threw them under the bus on the regular.

Now, Wayne and the rest of the Dolphin front office can go out and get a good coach like Eric Mangini or Sean Payton. Saban is a clown and loyalty means nothing, as long as buy-out clauses are negotiated into contracts, stunts like Sabans will continue to happen. Also, it is funny how coaches are supposed loyal but plays often demand trades.

Note to Nick: Welcome back to the SEC! Heed the tale of Mike Price. Sign the deal before heading to Pensacola, ok? Also, watch who you invite back to your room. Happy room service!