I smell what you're cooking.Can we add another option to this poll, one that allows me to decline to vote on the grounds that the very question is absurd?
but I agree here, if Coach Saban wins out and gets us this title, why is it so farfetched that he starts looking to prepare for his departure and retirement?Probably won't happen but why do you say "absurd"? I think that's a little harsh.
Who would your first choice be? (Not being smart, just curious)I don't know that I would NOT want Kirby, but he wouldn't be my first choice.
If we get technical, we're all DAY TO DAY, aren't we?I don't understand why you keep saying CNS is year to year. He is no more year to year than any other coach is. He says he's going to retire here, and I respect him enough to believe him. He hasn't indicated that he is ready to retire, so I think he's going to be here a while longer.
Now, when he gets ready to retire, I have no problem with giving Kirby a shot. CNS has said himself the is a fan of the Head Coach in waiting, and I believe Kirby is being groomed for the job. People will argue that he has no HC experience and that the Alabama job is too big for a 1st time HC, but its just as much of risk hiring an outside guy that can come in and change how everything is done. CNS' has said that his "Process" is not a very difficult concept. It is the willingness to implement it and control and moniter all aspects of the program. Whether Kirby would or can succeed at CNS' level is a huge question mark, but that's also a huge question mark with any other coach. Kirby is at least learning from the best.
While I would love to hire Coach Shaw from Stanford..I have no problem if we hire Coach Smart to carry on "The Process" that's in place, because everything is in place for him to carry on what Coach Saban has built at Bama & become a successful HC at Bama..He knows our football program as well as any one coach, he knows the pressures, and he knows the expectation, it wouldn't be a culture shock even a season HC would experience, when walks into the Bama HC'ing job, and there will be a culture shock for sure..With all that said..I'll support no matter who we hire after Coach Saban retires..Especially if it's Coach Smart..TiderGreg, this is a very relevant and needed question to ask. Coach Saban could or could not be our head coach next season; that's a fact of nature and existence. The odds of it being so FAR outweigh the probability that he won't. However, the very question involves the concept of progressivism, and it's a much greater thing than "La-la-la-ing" your way through life ignoring all possible negative outcomes until it's too late to make a plan to combat them. THAT's absurd.
To answer your question (as I've thought about it myself), yes, I believe Coach Smart is ready, and I would want him to take the reigns and try to keep the coaching staff as intact as possible in the interest of player relations and recruiting. He wouldn't be as successful as Coach Saban, but he would be strong and at least match if not surpass the maintenance job Leslie has done the last nine years. To bring in anyone else, even including most current NFL coaches (just hypothetically), would be a foolish change of direction.
Yup..Wellborn beat a pretty solid Red Bay tonight, I'm proud of The Panthers, our Boys have steaily gotten better each game this year, they're playing as good as I ever remember Wellborn Football..I'm sure glad Coach Smith came home "When mama Called", he's brought some much needed stability we haven't had, since Coach Battles was our HC..I hope we win State this year, I wanna see it happen in my lifetime, that would be so awesome..If we can beat Fyffe this next game..I honestly think we will win it all this time..Right on, TideMan. I seriously doubt he would fall flat on his face the way some other first-time head coaches have. He's got Andrew Luck potential, as in I respect the heck out of the way the Colts were proactive about going after their next QB. They didn't put all hope and desperation in Peyton's neck (who knew then he would still be passing for a billion yards in half a season), and they've got a solid future because of it rather than an aging present. Getting off topic, but it's the same concept here... Regarding us, I just think it's better to plan now for all possibilities and hope there's no need to.
And in unrelated matters, I have a friend from high school who still keeps up with everything on facebook, and it appears Walter Wellborn went through their first-round opponent by three scores!
so was Jimbo FisherI went with no just because of the way Muschamp is doing. I am not trying to put Kirby down, I think he is the very best at what he does but Muschamp was the “Kirby Smart” a few years ago. I would absolutely back any coach they go with when the time comes but I will have my fingers crossed if they go with someone with no HC experience. I think if the university decides to promote from within Saban will have a lot to do with the decision and I fully believe the person he endorses will be ready.
Disagree, only if a brand new staff with new assistants came in. Example if coach Saban retired, everyone moves up a spot on the pecking order and the day to day operations stay. The culture stays. Not scary, but you do make a case for why a CNS outsider would find it difficult.If you hire an unproved HC to replace Saban and you lose even 3 games in his first season, that coach gets roasted. I really like Smart's future in coaching, but AlabamaAS (after-Saban) is going to be a scary place to coach. That is a lot to ask of someone without head coaching experience.
You are making 2 assumptions:Disagree, only if a brand new staff with new assistants came in. Example if coach Saban retired, everyone moves up a spot on the pecking order and the day to day operations stay. The culture stays. Not scary, but you do make a case for why a CNS outsider would find it difficult.
Those are both probabilities that I believe most would assume without second thought. That's what usually happens, and are you familiar with our coaches salaries? That's a good old curve ball.You are making 2 assumptions:
* That Smart would want to keep everyone currently on the Saban staff
* That all of those coaches would stay, even if Smart wanted them