Why Did Ray Perkins Replace Bear Bryant?
- Thread starter selmaborntidefan
- Start date
I do believe you are right on that, Earle. If I recall correctly, he came to Birmingham and stayed with Terry at least the night before with the intention of interviewing,
but supposedly word leaked out after the Curry interview that a decision had already been made--and it wasn't in Bowden's favor.
I beleive Bowden refused the interview, he might have even said he didn't do interviews which came across as a bit arrogant.
Perkins was given 10% of the Buc's franchise as part of his package with Culverhouse.
Perkins was given 10% of the Buc's franchise as part of his package with Culverhouse.
Was speaking with a former player (70s) about Gaylon McCollough's book. Seems Gaylon maybe not remember things as well as he should about Bowden and as well as about Coach Bryant. Some people who know him seems to think this book might be a way he's trying to justify him having a big influence on the hiring of Bill Curry. He's trying to say that Coach Bryant thought Curry would be a great fit for Alabama and trying to say that Bowden knew what he was getting into and wasn't as sharp as Curry was.
His advice to me was not to believe everything about this book.
-kc
His advice to me was not to believe everything about this book.
-kc
According to McCullough, Curry, Bowden, and Jim Fuller were interviewed (seems like it was in the Medical Towers building in Bham). All 3 were asked the same questions and asked what their plans were for academics and athletics. He stated that Bowden did miserably in the interview (I read it that he had no plan). Also, stated that Bowden came with TaterTot and (if I recall correctly)
son Jeff.
Noting kcmusic's post above, I have no idea if what Dr. McCullough has written is truthful. However, I do believe Bobby Bowden "interviewed" for the job regardless of what Diddy says
:BigA:
My recollection is that Coach Bryant stayed on as AD and I think he intended to stay for a year or so. Joey Jones wrote in his book that Perkins at first said the AD and HC combination was too much for one person, but changed his mind, obviously, after Coach Bryant's death.
In the book "Coach" by Keith Dunnavant it says that Coach Bryant's official invlovement in the hiring of his sucessor was limited to a list of names that he submitted to then President Joab Thomas. Some say that Stallings was his top choice and Stallings later stated "There aint no question what Coach Bryant wanted".
There was a 5 member committee formed by Thomas and it said that they rejected Stallings. It then mentions that Coach Brayant wanted to name Mal Moore his successor and that Mal believed he was going to get the job. However the committe was moving independently of Coach Bryant.
According to Jack Rutledge, Coach Bryant had called him and said that Mal was going to be the guy and to come over for a meeting. Jack says that when he got over to Coach Bryant's office for the meeting, he was told that it had been changed and Mal was not going to be the coach and said that the search committee took the decision away from Coach Bryant. Jack said that Coach Bryant was hurt that they did not listen to him or go by his wishes.
Also it says that Pat Dye was thought to be a possible successor to Bryant in the years leading up to Coach Bryant's retirement. However when Dye took the Auburn job, that possiblity did not exist anymore.
It is a very good read and can be found in chapter 15 in the book.
There was a 5 member committee formed by Thomas and it said that they rejected Stallings. It then mentions that Coach Brayant wanted to name Mal Moore his successor and that Mal believed he was going to get the job. However the committe was moving independently of Coach Bryant.
According to Jack Rutledge, Coach Bryant had called him and said that Mal was going to be the guy and to come over for a meeting. Jack says that when he got over to Coach Bryant's office for the meeting, he was told that it had been changed and Mal was not going to be the coach and said that the search committee took the decision away from Coach Bryant. Jack said that Coach Bryant was hurt that they did not listen to him or go by his wishes.
Also it says that Pat Dye was thought to be a possible successor to Bryant in the years leading up to Coach Bryant's retirement. However when Dye took the Auburn job, that possiblity did not exist anymore.
It is a very good read and can be found in chapter 15 in the book.
Last edited:
Back about 2001 or 02, Coach Bowden came to our church (Whitesburg Baptist, Hsv.) to give his Christian testimony. Of coarse he also talked football. I remember him speaking about the Alabama job after Coach Perkins departure. He said he would have loved to coach at Alabama, that it was his dream to coach there. Of the interview, he said he was called by the University and told them he was interested in the job. There were other questions and conversation and he felt good about the phone call. A few days later the University called and told him they would like him to come up for an interview. He declined. The reason he gave was that he thought they already knew his qualifications and his record spoke for itself. The way he said it, I thought he took it as an insult.
As for the hiring of Coach Curry, I heard Dr.Thomas was very impressed with his interview concerning academics. Dr.Thomas did not want the U of A known as a football mill, but a great place to get a quality education. He thought Coach Curry would better represent Alabama in that regard.
As for the hiring of Coach Curry, I heard Dr.Thomas was very impressed with his interview concerning academics. Dr.Thomas did not want the U of A known as a football mill, but a great place to get a quality education. He thought Coach Curry would better represent Alabama in that regard.
I believe this to be the truth and Stallings statement adds credence to the theory. Then you have Paul Jr.'s saying the same thing is icing on the cake for me.
I would think Coach would care more about character of the man and who could carry on his "system", more than his x's and o's. Stallings fit the bill, Dye didn't. Perkins obviously didn't because he bolted for money.
I won't go into my angering the Football Gods spill, but if we decided to ignore the best judge of character in the country and in effect hurt his feelings a bit, as the book above hints at, I could see the Gods shaking their collective heads.
In Perkins' defense, it was - at the time - an astronomical amount of money, plus part ownership in the team.
And to top it all, Culverhouse also made a massive donation to the business school--which is why it is the Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration
Well, I realize you're probably not here all these years later posting but.....that book has so many factual errors of things I can check that I might well not give it much credence.
Just a few examples:
1. On page 6, Dr. McCollough wrote the Bear Bryant played under another "Alabama coaching legend (Coach Wallace Wade)". Wallace Wade was Alabama's first great coach and set the standard for excellence for Crimson Tide football. However, Bryant played for Alabama's second great coach, Frank Thomas.
2. On page 61, Dr. McCollough wrote that the Bear's first bowl appearance was the 1960 Liberty Bowl against Joe Paterno's Penn State. Wrong and wrong. The first bowl appearance was the 1959 Liberty Bowl and, more importantly, Joe Paterno did not become head coach until 1966.
3. On page 75, Dr. McCollough is describing the interview process for finding Bear Bryant's successor. He writes the following about Gene Stallings: "Within a few years, Stallings was fired as the Texas A&M coach and joined the college ranks with the Dallas Cowboys organization of the National Football League." Huh? The Cowboys organization may have been accused of many things but being part of the "college ranks" is not one of them.
4. On page 142, Dr. McCollough is describing the infamous Saturday Evening Post story about when the Georgia Athletic Director and former football coach, Wally Butts, allegedly was sharing "current Georgia coach's (Vince Dooley) game plan "secrets" to Coach Bryant". The game in question was the 1962 game between Georgia and Alabama that the Tide won 35 - 0. The Georgia coach was somebody named Johnny Griffith. Vince Dooley did not take over until later that decade.
Earle correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think Coach Bryant would have wanted anyone with ties to Ga. Tech running our program.
Wow, what happened here? Did somebody just tell you their child was born on November 22, 2008, and you were like, "Oh yeah. I was about to reply to DennyChimes76. Guess I'll finish that reply now."
(Not altogether sure this should be in blue)
Last edited:
The real story is that Selma has a horrible memory and is just a really good liar. His bluff skills are so strong no one has thought to question his posts.
Uhm, dude......................the answer lies in another post in another current thread.
So, yes, blue is the correct color.
So, yes, blue is the correct color.
I was in college when Coach Perkins took over, and I was never anywhere near any insiders or those "in the know" about the whole transition. I do recall, Coach Perkins stating, in an interview, not to me personally, that Coach Bryant had sort of warned him, prior to his being named as the new coach, that there were several changes that needed to be made on several fronts with regard to the football program and that some were going to be rather unpopular. So whoever took over would have to tolerate the complaints when these changes were made, as in they would have to be rather thick-skinned. Coach Perkins apparently told Coach Bryant that this wouldn't be a problem to him. Coach Perkins pretty much made in clear (I suppose to UA administration) that he would run the program his way.
This probably doesn't answer many questions put forth earlier in this thread, but I thought that it might give a bit of background info.
This probably doesn't answer many questions put forth earlier in this thread, but I thought that it might give a bit of background info.
I won't speak for Earle, but I don't know that Bryant would have looked at it that way. I know he was saddened when they left the conference, and he later noted that it had hurt their program badly. The thing is - someone else said this last fall in another thread, and I call "nonsense." Not because of the Georgia Tech connection but simple common sense:
Bill Curry Coaching Record
1980: 1-9-1
1981: 1-10
1982: 6-5
Three years as a head coach and a record of 8-24-1...and blown out by us in 1982....
I can see him going for the other three guys we've named.
I cannot see him choosing Curry in 1982.
Good one.
No, here's what happened: the other thread about Pat Dye was going in that direction. I did a Google on several subjects, including Dooley turning down Auburn (which I lived through, although I thought it was later as in AFTER UGA won the title (hey, I was 11 folks). And it kicked up the Dye link from a couple of years back. A few links down up came the 2008 Tide fans post which - yes, I DID recall the discussion (it as on the off day Saturday we had the week before we blasted them, 36-0). And Earle has added a few details in other posts since then, so I pretty much know his take on it (plus he has trusted me offline with a confidence or two that has changed my views on some things - stuff that cannot be told here).
I had surely put it in the back burner. Of course fwiw - that day was the 45th anniversary of the JFK killing.
I do remember that Bryant stayed on as AD, and there could be a bunch of different reasons for that.
He died so soon afterward, though, that it's kind of a moot point.
I did think that was a terribly unfortunate thing for Perkins. Perkins wasn't the most personable guy, and that hurt him in the transition. Seemed like every move he made, the fans and media were comparing it to something Bryant did or to their own speculation of what he would have done in similar circumstances.
Anyone would have chafed at that, but the combination of Perkins' ego and porcupine personality made it one PR disaster after another.
I always thought that if Bryant had lived for even a year or so, he could have smoothed over the rough spots, and Perkins' tenure would have been far less contentious.
He died so soon afterward, though, that it's kind of a moot point.
I did think that was a terribly unfortunate thing for Perkins. Perkins wasn't the most personable guy, and that hurt him in the transition. Seemed like every move he made, the fans and media were comparing it to something Bryant did or to their own speculation of what he would have done in similar circumstances.
Anyone would have chafed at that, but the combination of Perkins' ego and porcupine personality made it one PR disaster after another.
I always thought that if Bryant had lived for even a year or so, he could have smoothed over the rough spots, and Perkins' tenure would have been far less contentious.
Latest threads
-
A huge win today at my doctor's office...- Started by uafan4life
- Replies: 1
-
-
Question: Chris Youngblood did he commit over the weekend?
- Started by mlingerfelt31
- Replies: 5
-
-
-
