Nick Saban retiring

[cycloneman003]

He could be very successful there for a long time.

Own the West Coast... compete for Big Ten titles... easy path to the 12-team playoff.

And it's not like UW and the Big Ten TV money isn't there to be competitive with SEC schools.

It’s the 3rd best job on the west coast in the Big 10 though and probably 6th best job in the conference (Michigan, Ohio State, USC, Oregon, Penn State).

He could be very successful there for a long time certainly, but it’d be because of him. Not because UW is the top dog (or even top couple dogs) there.

 

[enisthemenace]

This one kinda surprises me.

I thought he'd be the guy to move. The massive revenue gap between the SEC and FSU is going to be felt more and more each year. Plus, the committee has already shown that FSU is going to be treated as an outcast. Norvell is already in the SEC footprint, so it should be a smoother move culturally for him than someone like DeBoer.

Looks like the big name options at the top of everyone's list are dwindling down fast.

Bingo! I think cultural fit (or lack there of) would be a big, big hurdle for a guy like DeBoer.

 

[ClubCy]

Hey…I could be wrong. It’s why I include words like “I think”. I’m not using absolutes, ya know?

My guess is based on fairly simple things. I haven’t done a deep dive or anything. All I know…he is from South Dakota and has never played or coached south of the Mason-Dixon Line. We are one country, but things are still very, very different depending on what part of the country you’re in or which you have expertise/experience.

I could be completely wrong myself! I also wonder how that cultural fit would go.

Just by looking at where he’s from (small town Milbank SD) and where he’s coached (SF, Indiana, Fresno st) maybe it wouldn’t be a huge cultural difference? Fresno is basically a Midwest city cultural wise but just located in the middle of CA. Obviously I don’t know the guy or his personality but I would think Seattle would have been more of a culture change than Tuscaloosa.

I will say one thing: I wouldn’t want to be the guy following Saben.

 

[ClubCy]

Not to mention if he has success he could turn Washington into a national power similar to USC.

It’s one of 3 schools on the west coast that cares about football, wealthy donors, hot bed of talent, more desirable location, in a P2 conference, doesn’t really have to compete with its in-state brother anymore, etc. With the right guy there’s nothing stopping them from being an annual contender in the same vein as Alabama.

Also it’s been highly reported that Alabama does not have the NIL war chest that people would assume they have. It’s not crazy to think they are 1 mediocre hire away from falling back into hard times.

Interesting decision coming up.

 

[AlaCyclone]

This one kinda surprises me.

I thought he'd be the guy to move. The massive revenue gap between the SEC and FSU is going to be felt more and more each year. Plus, the committee has already shown that FSU is going to be treated as an outcast. Norvell is already in the SEC footprint, so it should be a smoother move culturally for him than someone like DeBoer.

Looks like the big name options at the top of everyone's list are dwindling down fast.

Alabama probably wanted nothing to do with a HC of a Program that was just hit with an NCAA Penalty RE: NIL. Just a guess. I know it would have been a concern if I was on the search committee.

 

[jsb]

I bet it’s going to be Tommy Reese.

 

[ZRF]

What school is putting more players in the NFL than Alabama year after year. It's not Michigan for sure, no kid picks a school to attend because it's close to an NFL city, if that was the case, Rutgers would be a national powerhouse. Kids pick schools because they want to play for championships and because they can use that to get to the next level. They are not spending the rest of their life living there, only 3 to 5 years, and then they move on. No, it is not easier to recruit southern kids to the north, even with NIL, when they could be getting that same money from a school in the South.

You have come up with reason after reason to why Alabama will fail after Saban gone, none of which is true, the bar is very high, but they have plenty of money in their athletic funds and are one of a handful of universities that can grab 4/5 star recruits all across the country. Make a good hire, they drop down some, but only back to the level that LSU, Michigan and Ohio State are currently at, before it was Clemson and Alabama, then it was Georgia and Alabama, now it's just Georgia at the top for a while, but that will end also. Michigan will lose their coach this week to the NFL, and if not, they will be losing a ton off their roster, so they will not be in any better shape than many, as of today, its Georgia's championship next season.

WTF are you talking about? Bama puts more players in the NFL because of Saban than anything else and if Saban was at 20 other schools the numbers would be similar. He built a juggernaut but is so much more because of him than Alabama.

As for the NFL city stuff it's not about proximity, genius. It's about a fairly large number of NFL cities and stadiums being outside in cold weather cities. Green Bay, Chicago, KC, Philly, Pitt, NE, Baltimore, both NY teams, Buffalo, DC, Denver...this kids are going to need to be able to learn to play in and adapt to cold weather, especially in the POs, where you will likely have to play during your career.

I also never said Alabama would "fail", I just don't see it as a better job than those schools that I listed. What's ironic about your post is that you don't even realize you are bolstering my argument. Bama puts the most players in the NFL? You don't say? No **** Sherlock, and that's because of Nick Saban, Not some magic pixie dust that's sprinkled over Tuscaloosa.

 

[AlaCyclone]

I hope for his sake that is what’s happening. I hope for my sake he is informing the Washington AD he’s taking the Alabama job, because I think he would be an absolute disaster there.

I don’t mean any ill will to the guy, but I would love to see Alabama go back to post-Gene Stallings era, or worse. For that to happen, someone needs to be the guy to take them there, and I think DeBoer could be that guy.

I think DeBoer would be fine @ Alabama if he has thick skin. If not, he can win, but he will be miserable like Bill Curry (1987-9)

As for the post-Stallings - pre-Saban hires, Mike DuBose (1997-2000) and Mike Shula (2003-6) had never been Head Coaches before, and it showed. Oddly, they both each had one good 10 Win Season: DuBose in 1999 (10-3, SEC Champions lost in Orange Bowl to Michigan) and Mike Shula in 2005 (10-2 Cotton Bowl Champion over Texas Tech) mixed in with their bad years.

Francione (2001-2) was a good coach, but he had thin skin and bolted.

We will never know about Mike Price, as it was never his "Destiny" to coach a game.

While as a CFB Fan, I think DeBoer would be a fool to leave Washington, it has nothing to do with the Alabama end. I just wish coaches who are in nice places and had a good thing going appreciated it more and didn't always think the grass was greener elsewhere.

As a part-time Alabama fan, I would be happy with the hire from a football coach point of view (He's an excellent coach), as long as he has thin skin. If he is tough minded, there will be a pedastal waiting for a statue of him.

 

[AlaCyclone]

I bet it’s going to be Tommy Reese.

If it is, he will be eaten alive. I like the kid, but Alabama is the wrong place for OJT as the Head Football Coach.

 

[Jeremy]

This one kinda surprises me.

I thought he'd be the guy to move. The massive revenue gap between the SEC and FSU is going to be felt more and more each year. Plus, the committee has already shown that FSU is going to be treated as an outcast. Norvell is already in the SEC footprint, so it should be a smoother move culturally for him than someone like DeBoer.

Looks like the big name options at the top of everyone's list are dwindling down fast.

He's got a much easier path to the playoffs where he's at, they're on the way up when Florida is stuck in mediocrity, and they're top dogs in their conference with Clemson slipping. Doesn't surprise me at all.

 

[SEIOWA CLONE]

WTF are you talking about? Bama puts more players in the NFL because of Saban than anything else and if Saban was at 20 other schools the numbers would be similar. He built a juggernaut but is so much more because of him than Alabama.

As for the NFL city stuff it's not about proximity, genius. It's about a fairly large number of NFL cities and stadiums being outside in cold weather cities. Green Bay, Chicago, KC, Philly, Pitt, NE, Baltimore, both NY teams, Buffalo, DC, Denver...this kids are going to need to be able to learn to play in and adapt to cold weather, especially in the POs, where you will likely have to play during your career.

I also never said Alabama would "fail", I just don't see it as a better job than those schools that I listed. What's ironic about your post is that you don't even realize you are bolstering my argument. Bama puts the most players in the NFL? You don't say? No **** Sherlock, and that's because of Nick Saban, Not some magic pixie dust that's sprinkled over Tuscaloosa.

So according to you, without Saban, Alabama will become just another team? You are blowing about colleges close to NFL cities, when it does not matter a bit. No GM ever thought, man we better not draft that kid from the South because he may not play up here because of the cold.
I suppose Miami might as well not come up to KC tomorrow and just forfeit because they play games in warm weather and have no clue how to play in cold, when though they go to Buffalo and NE every season.

Bottom line, Alabama will be fine, not as dominate without Saban, but not Arkansas or some school like that.

 

[AlaCyclone]

Also it’s been highly reported that Alabama does not have the NIL war chest that people would assume they have. It’s not crazy to think they are 1 mediocre hire away from falling back into hard times.

Interesting decision coming up.

The bad news is that if Alabama goofs this hire, they could fall fast like post-Pete Carroll USC or post-Urban Meyer Florida and just stuck in up and down mediocrity for a bit. I would not be worried with DeBoer, but Tommy Rees would be very risky.

The good news is that they would a GREAT coach away from fixing it in 4 years (Bryant) who inherited the worst Alabama mess ever (1955-57), 3 years (Stallings) who inherited a good program from a thin-skinned coach and 3 years (Saban) who inherited the DuBose to Shula Probation Era mess before they had Undefeated, Untied National Championship teams.

Alabama has been a National Power since 1925 for a reason and is not going to just fade away into nowheresville forever due to a bad hire.

 

[jsb]

The bad news is that if Alabama goofs this hire, they could fall fast like post-Pete Carroll USC or post-Urban Meyer Florida and just stuck in up and down mediocrity for a bit. I would not be worried with DeBoer, but Tommy Rees would be very risky.

The good news is that they would a GREAT coach away from fixing it in 4 years (Bryant) who inherited the worst Alabama mess ever (1955-57), 3 years (Stallings) who inherited a good program from a thin-skinned coach and 3 years (Saban) who inherited the DuBose to Shula Probation Era mess before they had Undefeated, Untied National Championship teams.

Alabama has been a National Power since 1925 for a reason and is not going to just fade away into nowheresville forever due to a bad hire.

Ehhh....times have changed since Bear Bryant for goodness sake. I wouldn't assume that just because he turned it around that it will be as easy to turn it around the next time. One only needs to look at Nebraska to realize that things are very different. I don't think Alabama will fall to Nebraska levels. But I do think it's very possible that this is the end of them as a dynasty and they fall to a Mississippi or A&M or Tennessee type of level.

 

[JP4CY]

I bet it’s going to be Tommy Reese.

I just listened to Audible podcast.

He was brought up as a guy Saban likes.
Saban was going to announce day before he did but Bama couldn't get all the players back in time before it was going to leak.
So Bama gets then all back next day.
Saban is interviewing new assistant hire.
15 min later goes in and tells the team.
AD asks team to not enter portal for 72 hrs as he thinks they'll have their guy by then.
Saban will have input on replacement.
Asst hire prospect apparently finds out from phone notification Saban is retiring.

 

[c.y.c.l.o.n.e.s]

Also it’s been highly reported that Alabama does not have the NIL war chest that people would assume they have. It’s not crazy to think they are 1 mediocre hire away from falling back into hard times.

Interesting decision coming up.

I have a hard time believing that there isn't huge money backing Alabama. A hundred year history of success. Can't build a stadium big enough to fit all of their fans. Play in the SEC where bags of money are handed out like candy but yet they still have a top recruiting class year after year.

I think the money is there but maybe they are just a little slower at converting the under the table money to NIL donations. This NIL stuff all happened really fast.

 

[AlaCyclone]

Ehhh....times have changed since Bear Bryant for goodness sake. I wouldn't assume that just because he turned it around that it will be as easy to turn it around the next time. One only needs to look at Nebraska to realize that things are very different. I don't think Alabama will fall to Nebraska levels. But I do think it's very possible that this is the end of them as a dynasty and they fall to a Mississippi or A&M or Tennessee type of level.

Now, I'm offically worried, as Ole Miss has not won an SEC Championship since 1963! Even Katy Perry cannot get the Rebels over that hump.

 

[Die4Cy]

I have a hard time believing that there isn't huge money backing Alabama. A hundred year history of success. Can't build a stadium big enough to fit all of their fans. Play in the SEC where bags of money are handed out like candy but yet they still have a top recruiting class year after year.

I think the money is there but maybe they are just a little slower at converting the under the table money to NIL donations. This NIL stuff all happened really fast.

1. The current NIL and transfer situation by all accounts, is likely temporary.
2. No one has really said Bama has NIL funding issues. Just that others have much more. Most people are probably just making inferences based on the size of the school's endowment fund, which is pretty average. But no one really knows anything about any school's real support of NIL.
3. They have plenty of resources to fund NIL in any host of ways under their new TV deal.
4. Coaches don't really have a problem with NIL, but the unlimited free transfers being paired with it. Schools like Bama have always enjoyed stockpiling talent, and now they have to recruit the entire team, including backups, every year.

 

[CydeofFries]

The pockets are just as deep at these other schools, and Washington, for example, just made the championship game. He's established there. He can make just as much at Washington as Bama. Hell he'll probably have a longer leash at Washington too.

Alabama is finding out just being Bama isn't good enough anymore. No coach they want (SEC/B1G coach and successful) gains anything by leaving. The biggest fish they could land would be Dabo now and that's because the ACC is collapsing. Outside of that it they would have to stoop so low as to look at the Big12, even worse G5

 

[DSMCy]

ESPN reporting Deboer is "negotiating" with Alabama.
Wow

Same info now via McMurphy
This likely doesn't leak out unless it's basically a done deal

 

[Drew0311]

ESPN reporting Deboer is "negotiating" with Alabama.
Wow

Figured he would get the job after Lanning turned it down.