Offseason Thread: When Saban Retires -- Who?

81usaf92

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I know that some will not stop saying "he deserves a call". He doesn't. I was anti-Karen pretty early on and a lot of people have come around, but there still seems to be a few that will not stop. I still think the people that want him at Bama are Kentucky, Vandy and Miss State fans.
Oh and what Alabama fan wants the idiot that gives the other team bulletin board material by ranking his opponent #11. But then again his defenders told you, me, and @crimsonaudio that it doesn’t factor in ballgames.
 

DawgAlum2054

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as an outsider, can someone explain to me why I am seeing so many list Sark. Sark do a good job at OC, yes, but that does not translate in my opinion to HC. Sark's first year at texas was not impressive, I understand this can change. Sark did not do anything impressive at Washington, Chris Petersen was better.
 
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81usaf92

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Apr 26, 2008
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as an outsider, can someone explain to me why I am seeing so many list Sark. Sark do a good job at OC, yes, but that does not translate in my opinion to HC. Sark's first year at texas was not impressive, I understand this can change. Sark did not do anything impressive at Washington, Chris Petersen was better.
Mostly because of the 2020 season and the fact that many dont want Kiffin as a HC
 
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81usaf92

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I think there would be risks with both, but sark especially has done nothing (yet) to prove he is head coach material in my opinion.
Personally neither would be in my top preferences but out of the two I think Kiffin has a better understanding of how to recruit in the SEC and how to build a team that is ready to overachieve. But Kiffin comes with a lot of risks too.

But there is a lot of hatred towards Kiffin in the Alabama fanbase. I would say most like him but not love him, few absolutely love him, but a significant amount hates him. Sark gets a pass by many on the basis that he commanded an unstoppable offense that went undefeated and didn’t cause the constant controversy that Kiffin caused here.
 

bamaga

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This is pretty hypothetical, given that when Saban retires is unknown, what current coaches situations will be then, etc., but I think a guy currently in their 40s would be the candidate - Napier, Kiffin, Aranda, Campbell, and whoever else I missed.
Napier is intriguing, I heard his name mentioned some before he took the Florida job.

also, the Kyle Shanahan/ Sean Mcvay coaching tree seems to be very fruitful. Perhaps one of their protégées want to make a go of it in college. 🤷🏻‍♂️ Although Nick’s former assistants running his system seem to be at the top of college football, I wouldn’t be against outside The box thinking . It worked great last time!
 

selmaborntidefan

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as an outsider, can someone explain to me why I am seeing so many list Sark. Sark do a good job at OC, yes, but that does not translate in my opinion to HC. Sark's first year at texas was not impressive, I understand this can change. Sark did not do anything impressive at Washington, Chris Petersen was better.
It's largely because:
a) Sark was the guy who replaced Kiffin for the 2016 title game with Clemson and despite not having a lot to work with, he damn near pulled it off. That fourth down do or die pass from Ardarius nearly became one of those "we'll be talking about it 50 years from now" plays
b) Sark is low profile, Kiffin was the guy who used throw his hands up with the ball in the air to Amari somewhat childishly
c) Sark appears to have grown up from his drinking issues
d) Sark was the guy who coached when Saban had Covid and beat Auburn with a pretty devastating game plan, so it's thought "this is the kind of guy who could come right in and take over"
e) Sark has more BIG TIME head coaching experience (UW, USC, Texas) than Kiffin does

I can't blame Sark for taking the Texas job simply for the money, but the reality is that nobody can coach at Texas for any length of time. Every gazillionaire donor in the state thinks that buys him access to call the plays for one game.

Sark may flop there, but who hasn't? Mack Brown did have a good overall record, but in all honesty, he was helped to that title by a bad call, too. Without that one win what is he?
 

selmaborntidefan

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I think there would be risks with both, but sark especially has done nothing (yet) to prove he is head coach material in my opinion.
I get this up to a point.

But I've long had a saying, too: "the SEC is too good top to bottom for any coach to come in and win in his first job." The talents that have won in the SEC ALMOST ALL had serious COLLEGE coaching experience as head coaches elsewhere BEFORE settling into the job that made them famous.

Bryant - Maryland, UK, Texas A/M
Dye - E Carolina, Wyoming
Spurrier - Duke
Majors - Iowa St, Pitt
Stallings - ATM
Tuberville - Ole Miss before he won a lot at Auburn
Meyer - Bowling Green, Utah
Saban - Toledo, Michigan St - THEN at LSU and THEN at Alabama
Miles - Okie St

The one school that seems to have exceptions is Georgia, but they've had a few duds going that route, too. I think Richt (whom I do think is a fairly good coach) benefited from the timing of his early career coinciding with that time period between Spurrier and Meyer else he's first 6 years before he actually was fired. And Kirby seems to be a good hire, too.

The exception to that whole thing, of course, is Vandy. You go to Vandy (a la Franklin) to make your mistakes and learn from them before you get the job that's going to make you jump into the upper echelon of coaches.

I think what commends Sark so long as he's dry is that he DID improve a ghastly Washington team.

And btw - for those who forgot - Sarkisian already replaced a fired Kiffin at USC back in 2013.
 

DawgAlum2054

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It's largely because:
a) Sark was the guy who replaced Kiffin for the 2016 title game with Clemson and despite not having a lot to work with, he damn near pulled it off. That fourth down do or die pass from Ardarius nearly became one of those "we'll be talking about it 50 years from now" plays
b) Sark is low profile, Kiffin was the guy who used throw his hands up with the ball in the air to Amari somewhat childishly
c) Sark appears to have grown up from his drinking issues
d) Sark was the guy who coached when Saban had Covid and beat Auburn with a pretty devastating game plan, so it's thought "this is the kind of guy who could come right in and take over"
e) Sark has more BIG TIME head coaching experience (UW, USC, Texas) than Kiffin does

I can't blame Sark for taking the Texas job simply for the money, but the reality is that nobody can coach at Texas for any length of time. Every gazillionaire donor in the state thinks that buys him access to call the plays for one game.

Sark may flop there, but who hasn't? Mack Brown did have a good overall record, but in all honesty, he was helped to that title by a bad call, too. Without that one win what is he?
7 full seasons as HC (wont count his last year at USC) and the best he has done is 8-4. 51-42 head coaching record.

Sark did inherit a very bad washington team though, i can admit that.
 

DawgAlum2054

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I get this up to a point.

But I've long had a saying, too: "the SEC is too good top to bottom for any coach to come in and win in his first job." The talents that have won in the SEC ALMOST ALL had serious COLLEGE coaching experience as head coaches elsewhere BEFORE settling into the job that made them famous.

Bryant - Maryland, UK, Texas A/M
Dye - E Carolina, Wyoming
Spurrier - Duke
Majors - Iowa St, Pitt
Stallings - ATM
Tuberville - Ole Miss before he won a lot at Auburn
Meyer - Bowling Green, Utah
Saban - Toledo, Michigan St - THEN at LSU and THEN at Alabama
Miles - Okie St

The one school that seems to have exceptions is Georgia, but they've had a few duds going that route, too. I think Richt (whom I do think is a fairly good coach) benefited from the timing of his early career coinciding with that time period between Spurrier and Meyer else he's first 6 years before he actually was fired. And Kirby seems to be a good hire, too.

The exception to that whole thing, of course, is Vandy. You go to Vandy (a la Franklin) to make your mistakes and learn from them before you get the job that's going to make you jump into the upper echelon of coaches.

I think what commends Sark so long as he's dry is that he DID improve a ghastly Washington team.

And btw - for those who forgot - Sarkisian already replaced a fired Kiffin at USC back in 2013.
I agree with most all of this, but I will add that there was a lot of flack thrown at Kirby Smart even though it was his first head coaching job. Flack that I feel like hasn't been thrown at coaches like Ryan Day and Lincoln Riley.
 
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deliveryman35

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as an outsider, can someone explain to me why I am seeing so many list Sark. Sark do a good job at OC, yes, but that does not translate in my opinion to HC. Sark's first year at texas was not impressive, I understand this can change. Sark did not do anything impressive at Washington, Chris Petersen was better.
I look at Sark as more of a candidate for a future OC opening than HC. I think he’ll be available in 3-4 yrs after he is fired at Texas. Unless he can get a couple of wins against OU and win at least 9 games each of the next two years, then I think his stay in Austin will be rather short.

I agree with thoughts expressed already that Kiffin wants the job. I would be ok with it but am not sure he would get the Saban endorsement.
 
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