Is Coach Saban the Most Disliked Man in College Athletics?

gtowntide

All-American
Mar 1, 2011
4,288
1,092
187
Memphis,TN.
Success breeds resentment and envy and Coach Saban has had a bucketload of success. Resentment and envy are probably what is meant when the word "dislike" is used. There is not a coach in this country who would not wish the success Coach Saban has had. So it all comes down to resentment and envy.
I think the resentment and envy comes from those that know coach Saban out works all of them. It's easy to criticize when you know you're not willing to work at his level. With all the media now plus the ability to hide behind the internet, he becomes Satan and is an easy target. Can you imagine how Coach Bryant would be scrutinized had they had the internet and today's media? [/QUOTE]
 

Bruce014

1st Team
Aug 29, 2012
752
82
52
Alabama
I do not think the other coaches hate him. Like others have said I think they envy and perhaps resent him.

The other fan bases, on the other hand, do seem to hate him. And that is ironic considering how much they would be willing to pay for him to come coach there.
 

GreatMarch

All-SEC
Dec 10, 2010
1,432
0
0
Birmingham, AL
It seems that a lot of coaches are taking some cheap shots at CNS lately with this HUNH defensive substitution rule with the most recent comments coming from Spurrier and now the kid at Texas Tech. Granted they are all offensive coaches. None of these coaches had issues with Saban and the no bump recruiting rule a couple of years back. I guess that rule cut back on CNS hard work in recruiting getting to know kids' backgrounds better and saved all of the coaches the headache of working hard. They also did not complain when coaches' salaries went up after Saban came to Bama either.
 

BigBama76

Suspended
Oct 26, 2011
1,002
0
0
Atlanta, GA
I think he's resented, disliked, hated, envied, respected, liked and loved depending on who you are.

I think there is definitely some animosity by some in the coaching community because he makes them work harder to keep up in recruiting, coaching and running a program. Some media folks harbor animosity because he makes them work harder and calls them out when they are lazy and dumb.

When you think of what he's accomplished and what's been accomplished using his methods it's understandable that some wannabe's feel the way they do. With 4 national titles, another one with his players and system and Fisher at FSU using his system to win the latest, that's 6 NC titles directly or indirectly in his last 10 years of coaching.
 

alwayshavebeen

All-SEC
Sep 22, 2013
1,213
110
82
North Carolina
Did other fan bases dislike Coach Bryant, Coach Wooden, Coach Knight, Coach Lombardi? I think so. The media...their mission is to build up someone, anyone, and at their pleasure take them down rightfully or wrongly (see Coach Knight)). I live in NC and half dislike Roy Williams and the other half Coach K. Funny how this all works, but I think the thing that matters is do people respect them. I think that everyone mentioned above had the respect of their players which matters most, and then their peers which means a lot. Sure many dislike Coach Saban, but it pales to those that respect him.
 

4Q Basket Case

FB|BB Moderator
Staff member
Nov 8, 2004
9,569
12,865
237
Tuscaloosa
Did other fan bases dislike Coach Bryant, Coach Wooden, Coach Knight, Coach Lombardi? I think so. The media...their mission is to build up someone, anyone, and at their pleasure take them down rightfully or wrongly (see Coach Knight)). I live in NC and half dislike Roy Williams and the other half Coach K. Funny how this all works, but I think the thing that matters is do people respect them. I think that everyone mentioned above had the respect of their players which matters most, and then their peers which means a lot. Sure many dislike Coach Saban, but it pales to those that respect him.
I've heard plenty of bad things about all those guys except Wooden. Never heard a single derogatory comment about the man from anybody. He was human, so he had to have flaws, but I've never heard any of them mentioned.
 

Special K

All-American
Feb 8, 2008
2,803
1,297
187
I've heard plenty of bad things about all those guys except Wooden. Never heard a single derogatory comment about the man from anybody. He was human, so he had to have flaws, but I've never heard any of them mentioned.
Google "Papa Sam" Gilbert sometime. Maybe Coach Wooden really didn't know, who can say?
 

Ole Man Dan

Hall of Fame
Apr 21, 2008
8,982
3,421
187
Gadsden, Al.
Coach Saban pretty much predicted that we would be very unpopular with other teams.
That no one would want to play us.

Coach Saban has a 'Prickly Nature' when he deals with the press. (BIG DEAL)
Lots of us have a reputation of 'Not Suffering fools gladly'. Afraid I fall into this category too.


However he turns on a different persona when he talks with Recruits and their Parents.


We didn't hire Coach Saban to be the good ole boy that the press loves.
We hired him because he was a Disciplinarian, Teacher, WINNER...

Let me borrow a phrase used when we hired Coach Saban.
'Make their ... quit...' We hired an attitude.
And I'm grateful...
 
Last edited:

scrodz

1st Team
Jan 29, 2008
430
60
52
Baltimore, MD
He's a media target. On any slow news day, the media just asks whoever they're interviewing a leading Saban question, just to get a quote. The thing is, this started with an interview of the Texas Tech coach, but Klingsberry isn't the story anymore. He did a half hour interview, and the only thing anyone remembers is what he said about Saban.
 

Bruce014

1st Team
Aug 29, 2012
752
82
52
Alabama
Did other fan bases dislike Coach Bryant, Coach Wooden, Coach Knight, Coach Lombardi? I think so. The media...their mission is to build up someone, anyone, and at their pleasure take them down rightfully or wrongly (see Coach Knight)). I live in NC and half dislike Roy Williams and the other half Coach K. Funny how this all works, but I think the thing that matters is do people respect them. I think that everyone mentioned above had the respect of their players which matters most, and then their peers which means a lot. Sure many dislike Coach Saban, but it pales to those that respect him.
Bobby Knight was not very well received outside UI.
I don't remember any disparaging remarks about Lombardi, but I wasn't a Bears fan growing up. I doubt there was any love lost between him and Chicago.
Coach Bryant mellowed a lot in the 1970s and with that mellowing came a certain level of respect around the country. He and Keith Jackson were very good friends.
I've never heard a bad word about Wooden.
 

Alasippi

Suspended
Aug 31, 2007
12,875
2
57
Ocean Springs, MS
Coach Saban is envied, but he can come across as very arrogant at times. If you're not a Bama fan that would be easy to dislike. Personally I think a great guy.
 

New Posts

Latest threads

TideFans.shop : 2024 Madness!

TideFans.shop - Get YOUR Bama Gear HERE!”></a>
<br />

<!--/ END TideFans.shop & item link \-->
<p style= Purchases made through our TideFans.shop and Amazon.com links may result in a commission being paid to TideFans.