Re: New Discussion Thread on Possible Coaching Changes...
Looking at the big picture there's no way Saban's THE ONLY way we succeed and win championships. You do realize he will ultimately leave? So does that mean we're doomed for football eternity? I hope not. There is and will be a lot of very good coaches who can win at Bama. The most recent example Saban leaving a program is Les Miles. As goofy as that joker is look what kind of winning % he's thrown down since being there. I would think we could find someone AT LEAST as good as Miles to take over once Saban left.
How Saban leaves will make all the difference in the world though, and I hope he's really taking that into account. When he went from MSU to LSU, he was stepping into a different world. He went from the north to the south, he went from a little brother school to a big brother school, and while that's arguably his messiest transition, the stakes were so much lower. When he left LSU, it was for the NFL, so it had a limiting impact on recruits, players, and so on. He has absolutely no incentive to try to gut that program on his way out, he had incentive to try and insure a smooth transition.
If he retires, or leaves for the NFL, he can and will try to insure a smooth transition. If he leaves for Texas though? It's in his interest to burn the bridges on the way out. He'll want a lot of the staff he currently has at Alabama to follow him, he'll want a lot of recruits to follow him. I think it's completely unrealistic to assume any sort of a smooth transition, because you can't just leave your wife and go move in with the neighbor and expect things to go smoothly, especially if you insist in carting all your stuff over to your neighbor's house at the same time. It's not about finding a good replacement, it's about the fact that Alabama couldn't keep a lot of what Saban put into place.
You think? FSU has been pretty big time too over the past 30 years. I guess the Big 12 is a step up over the ACC...maybe
My understanding is that FSU is not in a position for a bidding war. I remember reading something a couple years ago about their finances not being so great, so even if it was simply money, they're not as capable and might not be as willing anyway, to pay up. FSU wanted in the Big 12 due to financial arrangements in the ACC.
Ironically, despite his shortcomings, Jimbo could be the better investment anyway. He's a lot younger, so you invest in Saban and you're getting what 5-7 years tops? Jimbo assuming a similar length to his career could delivery 20.
