Six Years Ago Today, Former Coach Here Was Let Go

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selmaborntidefan

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Mar 31, 2000
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November 27, 2006 - the day Alabama cut loose of its failed past (recent at that time anyway) and took ownership - and became a dynasty again.

Thanks Mal. RTR.
 

Vinny

Hall of Fame
Sep 27, 2001
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And the hectic weeks that followed until CMM brought CNS back with him on the plane.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9780 using Tapatalk
 

Im_on_dsp

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Oct 10, 2007
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I don't really think it shows good taste to celebrate the firing of someone, especially a loyal Bama alum and athlete. Let's celebrate the day CNS was hired instead. :frown:
 

BamaDMD

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Sep 10, 2007
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I don't really think it shows good taste to celebrate the firing of someone, especially a loyal Bama alum and athlete. Let's celebrate the day CNS was hired instead. :frown:
I may be wrong, but I think he was meaning the collection of failed experiments that finally led to a home run. When we hired Saban, we finally started thinking outside the box.
 

Displaced Bama Fan

Hall of Fame
Jun 5, 2000
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Mike Shula is a good man. He came back to his University when they needed someone and not many were willing to jump into the fire. For that, I'll always be grateful for his willingness to assume control of the reins and lead the team for several years. It was unfortunate that it didn't work out. I think we all wanted Mike to succeed at Alabama.
 

SavannahDare

Hall of Fame
Jul 23, 2004
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I was tired of wandering in the desert of college football. The month of December was filled with dread that we would once again not get our coaching hire right.

So happy with the way it all turned out. :)
 

TideMom2Boys

Hall of Fame
Nov 17, 2010
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Since my family moved to Alabama when I was a preteen, I didn't grow up watching Bama football. I watched Alabama sometimes during the Shula years, but I wasn't an avid fan.


So I don't remember the hiring process of Saban. I didn't become a big fan till 2007.
 

Jon

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Feb 22, 2002
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Mike Shula is a good man. He came back to his University when they needed someone and not many were willing to jump into the fire. For that, I'll always be grateful for his willingness to assume control of the reins and lead the team for several years. It was unfortunate that it didn't work out. I think we all wanted Mike to succeed at Alabama.
exactly. I still think Mike has the potential to be a good HC someday. He simply wasn't ready to be an HC at this level. He was 38 years old when he took the Alabama job. Not many 38 year olds can handle the pressure cooker that is Alabama football. Mike did his best, recruited pretty well and left a decent base for Saban to start with. I will always be a fan
 

bigjue24

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Dec 2, 2009
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I agree that I was glad Shula was gone, but I was sad that it didn't work out. He was not the right fit, but he came in and gave it his all. I too will always be grateful for that. He led the program through some hard and dark times, and alot of them were not of his doing. I want to say thank you to CMS for his love of the University of Alabama
 
I was tired of wandering in the desert of college football. The month of December was filled with dread that we would once again not get our coaching hire right.

So happy with the way it all turned out. :)
Agreed... I thought the same thing last night in that I'm glad we're not having to go through the insanity of coaching searches regularly.
 

theballguy

Hall of Fame
Nov 5, 2012
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Mike Shula did a very good job considering the circumstances. We almost earned a trip to Atlanta in 2005. That was the year that brought back my interest in earnest. Yeah we suffered mightily in 06 and honestly we did with CNS first year in 07. Always will be appreciative of Mike Shula's work. I'll also never forget the drive he rolled out on Georgia in 85 when I had first moved here. ROLL TIDE ROLL!!!
 

Quicksilver

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Mar 13, 2010
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It's easy to forget that at the time of Mike Shula's hiring, Alabama was - due mainly to impending NCAA sanctions - no longer a top-tier coaching destination. Mike Shula did his best in a job that was more than he could handle. I prefer to remember him as the quarterback who engineered one of the greatest drives in Tide history - 1985, "The Kick."
 

EscaTider

Hall of Fame
Oct 2, 2008
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As excited as we all were with the hiring of CNS, I don't think even the most optimistic fan could have envisioned what has transpired since his arrival. What a time to be a Bama fan.

As for Shula, he did the best that he could, given the hand that he was dealt. I'm grateful that he gave CNS a nice nucleus of talent that made a huge impact on that 2008 "turning point" team.
 

ALA2262

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Aug 4, 2007
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It's easy to forget that at the time of Mike Shula's hiring, Alabama was - due mainly to impending NCAA sanctions - no longer a top-tier coaching destination. Mike Shula did his best in a job that was more than he could handle. I prefer to remember him as the quarterback who engineered one of the greatest drives in Tide history - 1985, "The Kick."
Bama has had very few, if any, QBs that could have done what he did that night. Most recently, McCarron, as great as he has been for Bama, could not do it very late against the barn after McElroy went down in the 2010 game.

Mike Shula, laying flat of his back after being sacked on his own 12 yard line, called his final time out with 38 seconds left. Then, facing 2nd and 18 at the 12 with, as said, no time outs, picked himself up and went and won the football game. There is about a snowball's chance of any QB doing that under those circumstances. That too is the Mike Shula I remember. Just like it was yesterday!
 
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bamapuppy

1st Team
Mar 28, 2008
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I am thankful that we got Nick Saban, and not Ritch Rod :). I would have been happy with either hire at that time, but I am so glad that we got Coach Saban. I can even remember people thinking that Spurrier might come to BAMA at that time. Which, I still think that Spurrier would have been a good one :). But, I cannot think of a better match than Saban, and BAMA :).
I remeber a Garth Brooks country song " Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers" Well, I prayed once that Spurrier would come to BAMA, and I thank God for Coach Saban :).
As far as Shula goes. I would love to see Saban hire him as an Offensive Coordinator someday, and properly groom him to take over when he retires :). OK. I know that is not going to happen, but it sure would be cool :).
 

Stonewall1959

2nd Team
Oct 5, 2005
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Mike Shula is a good man. He came back to his University when they needed someone and not many were willing to jump into the fire. For that, I'll always be grateful for his willingness to assume control of the reins and lead the team for several years. It was unfortunate that it didn't work out. I think we all wanted Mike to succeed at Alabama.
Agree completely. Wish it had worked out for him, but he would have never had the success of Nick Saban.
 

CrimsonProf

Hall of Fame
Dec 30, 2006
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No, no, no, no, no....


Shula did not do the best he could with a bad situation.

EDIT: I won't belabor the point and Lord knows I"m glad we have CNS, but Shula did a mediocre job at best, even under the circumstances. Search the archives on this site for more information on that point.
 
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