To me Arky had nothing to do with it & they were by far the lesser cheater in the old SWC. Heck Lou Holtz had great respect for Alabama.
To me it was when Coach Bryant died, no one would have tried all the crap they did on him. Perkins tried to wipe him from the memory of the fans, Curry was over his head but being undermind by old players to a degree. Stallings has a spineless Hootie Ingram to put up with.
dubose was just bad for the university in every way. Shula's was a great recruiter, judge of talent but like Curry way over his head.
Perkins was not trying to make people forget Coach Bryant, He was trying to do things his own way-and that was his prerogative as the Head Coach-with Coach Bryant's blessings at that, and probably the only one with big enough attitude to do things his own way, following such a legend. He loved Coach Bryant as much as anyone.
Curry could not close on the top recruits or sign a QB to save his life. Curry was too worried about and too focused on "the Clutter" as Coach Saban puts it, to be a successful Head Coach.
I can say a lot of things about Hootie Ingram, but spineless is not one of them. Hootie had too much spine (attitude) if anything, and that cost Bama in the end. Now if you meant Bockrath, that guy was weak as wet paper, and that cost Bama Coach Stallings, and really what led to the years of program horror. If Bockrath had been run off instead of Coach Stallings, things would have been different those cluttered years.
Dubose was just a crappy leader, but he was good for the university early on as a player and assistant coach--so I don't completely dislike the guy. But way over his head as a leader, and hurt the University as Head Coach.
Shula as a great recruiter? Now that is a new one--as he was not a great recruiter. I can say he had a decent eye for some offensive talent, chasing Tebow, having to "settle" for McElroy...but didn't he also sign Jimmy Barnes? Shula is still Bama family and a good guy, he just wasn't ready for being the Bama HC, or anyone's HC for that matter.
Franchione was actually right where he should be in your post....Nowhere. LOL.... Sorry I brought him up!
But all of that is the past that got us to where we are today....RTR