News Article: Nick Saban Better than Coach Bryant with win?

The top three coaches in the history of college football are (not in any certain order) Bear Bryant, Knute Rockne and Nick Saban. Different eras for all three with different accomplishments. BAMA has two of the three! Glad A&M had Bear even for a short time.
I'm beginning to warm up to the idea of A&M being in the SEC. Kinda glad Manziel won the Heisman, now. I haven't seen a bad post from aTm so far, though I'm sure there has been. If aTm is ok with the Bear, then it's alright with me too I guess. Just beat Oklahoma! You all have a league standard to uphold.
 

GrayTide

Hall of Fame
Nov 15, 2005
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I think the one element that sets them apart is history. Consider the fact that Coach Bryant's career spanned WWII, the civil rights era, Vietnam which all affected monumental changes in the American socioeconomic environment. Coach Saban has not had to deal with these issues, just coach football.

CPB coached hardened WWII veterans, he had to deal with the upheaval during the civil rights and Vietnam era. He did this mostly without the benefit of the black athlete. In his final years, his teams were still predominantly white, whereas CNS has had the advantage of having black athletes his entire career and his current teams have been predominantly black. My point is that it is easy to say CPB enjoyed unlimited scholarships and that alone makes CNS the better coach
with today's limitations. When you understand the history surrounding CPB's career and what he accomplished you realize that he set the table for the CNS era.
 

OLDTIDE

Scout Team
Oct 20, 1999
135
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Orange Park Fla USA
Both coaches Bryant and Saban have similar styles in the process and recruiting and the belief that you win NC'S with great defense. I am very familiar with Coach Bryant and his time but because there are so many differences in the era, comparing the two is not like Apples to Apples. Suffice it to just say,all things considered,I think Coach Saban's place in Alabama coaching history will equal Coach Bryant's but you can never say which is greater,you can only pick your favorite.
 

CapstoneTider

Suspended
Dec 6, 2000
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I am assuming the intent of the poster was for us to proclaim coach Saban the best, but this is a bad time to ask if you really want an accurate answer. To much emotional momentum towards Coach Saban. Travel back in time to the end of the 79 Sugar Bowl when Coach Bryant was being carried off the field with a NC and SEC in his 20th season and it would be hard to imagine ever asking that question about another coach.
 

JPT4Bama

Hall of Fame
Aug 21, 2006
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Bad question and the answer will always be subjective. I don't like comparisons of coaches or teams/players from eras separated by multiple decades. Everything is relative to the time in which it occurred. :BigA:
 

Minedweller

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Dec 16, 2012
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Bryant and Saban (No Logical Comparison)

The phenomenal success Nick Saban has achieved as a head coach, particularly at Alabama, has brought about the inevitable comparisons with Paul "Bear" Bryant, especially among those who weren't around during the Bryant era. This is completely understandable. Saban's record speaks for itself. He is on the brink of accomplishing something Bryant never did, all in one game. An Alabama win over Notre Dame would be something Bryant never achieved, despite four attempts to so. Additionally, it would earn Saban three national titles over a four year span, a feat that the "Bear" was not able to accomplish. Saban represents the modern day Bryant to legions of younger Alabama fans. Ultimately, these comparisons are an exercise in futility. Both men coached in different eras. Bryant led Alabama at a time when scholarship limitations did not exist, a luxury Saban does not enjoy. Under Bryant Alabama played a ten or eleven game regular schedule and did not have to navigate a possible SEC title game. But Bryant's career as a head coach spanned almost forty years, twenty-five of which were spent at Alabama, where he won six national titles. His imprint on the game, both schematically and philosophically, remain to this day. All comparisons of the two men can only be made in subjective terms. One thing they have in common, leading Alabama to unparalleled heights, cannot be debated. Of that I am certain.
 

TIDE-HSV

Senior Administrator
Staff member
Oct 13, 1999
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Re: Bryant and Saban (No Logical Comparison)

The phenomenal success Nick Saban has achieved as a head coach, particularly at Alabama, has brought about the inevitable comparisons with Paul "Bear" Bryant, especially among those who weren't around during the Bryant era. This is completely understandable. Saban's record speaks for itself. He is on the brink of accomplishing something Bryant never did, all in one game. An Alabama win over Notre Dame would be something Bryant never achieved, despite four attempts to so. Additionally, it would earn Saban three national titles over a four year span, a feat that the "Bear" was not able to accomplish. Saban represents the modern day Bryant to legions of younger Alabama fans. Ultimately, these comparisons are an exercise in futility. Both men coached in different eras. Bryant led Alabama at a time when scholarship limitations did not exist, a luxury Saban does not enjoy. Under Bryant Alabama played a ten or eleven game regular schedule and did not have to navigate a possible SEC title game. But Bryant's career as a head coach spanned almost forty years, twenty-five of which were spent at Alabama, where he won six national titles. His imprint on the game, both schematically and philosophically, remain to this day. All comparisons of the two men can only be made in subjective terms. One thing they have in common, leading Alabama to unparalleled heights, cannot be debated. Of that I am certain.
One quibble - all of our opponents had that same "luxury" - and took full advantage of it...
 

buzzincuzzin

All-American
Jan 8, 2006
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Re: Bryant and Saban (No Logical Comparison)

Perfect screen name for a new thread starter with the only obvious conclusion on a thread that's ongoing for pages and days on end. :rolleye2:
 

CapstoneTider

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Dec 6, 2000
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Re: Bryant and Saban (No Logical Comparison)

Coach Bryant had two periods of dominance with a lull in the middle, each period lasting nearly a decade. It's probably more accurate to ask if Coach Saban matched one of those periods, but not both.

I realize that recruiting takes more out of you now, but what makes Coach Bryant unique is that he built, maintained, had top of the mountain fatigue, mentally broke through and dominated another 10 years. That's incredible.

It would be about equal to our preset offense waning the next couple of season's with CNS hanging on, radically changing the offense and dominating all over again until 2021 with 3 more NC's and 2 or 3 SEC's.
 

athlete37

Scout Team
Dec 13, 2012
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Re: Bryant and Saban (No Logical Comparison)

To Bryant's credit, this year's ND team is not of the caliber that the 70's ND teams were. To Saban's credit, what he has done in the SEC gauntlet and in a college football age that is more full of parity across the board is unreal. Hard to compare the two coaches, but I'd say Bowden is the only one who would have an argument of being in the same league as Saban since Osbourne left Nebraska.
 

Alasippi

Suspended
Aug 31, 2007
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Re: Bryant and Saban (No Logical Comparison)

There's absolutely no way to compare. Coach Bryant accomplished incredible feats during his career.

Many younger members may not realize it but he won Kentucky's only SEC Championship and is still the winningest head coach in Kentucky history.

Coach Saban has done incredible things as well and there is no better Coach in college football.

The one thing that may slightly differentiate the two in my opinion is that Coach Saban wins to a great degree because he is an incredible recruiter and has better players than most any team he faces. Coach Bryant in many many cases took a team without a lot of talent and won championship games against teams that were much bigger and faster. He was able to accomplish this because he was such a damn good coach and the most incredible motivator in college football history.

I'll just say this...in their hey day..there was no better Coach than Coach Bryant and there is no better Coach that Coach Saban.

sip
 

Gr8hope

All-American
Nov 10, 2010
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Re: Bryant and Saban (No Logical Comparison)

We were discussing this here yesterday and came to the same conclusion, there are too many variables to compare the two. We are lucky to have lived in the years that allowed us to enjoy both coaches' accomplishments and grateful for the fun and joy they gave us as fans. No need to diminish either man's career or lift one above the other.
 
Bryant and Saban (No Logical Comparison)

The scholarship limitations are huge in my opinion. I've heard Coach Bryant used to offer so other teams wouldn't get that player. I know it's here say but that's what I heard. One thing Coach Bryant never had to endure is the media monster. It is such beast with the internet and how it is used today. That contributes greatly on how it effects the game. Not saying either is better, but I think they are on a level plain.
 

Alasippi

Suspended
Aug 31, 2007
12,875
2
57
Ocean Springs, MS
Both coaches Bryant and Saban have similar styles in the process and recruiting and the belief that you win NC'S with great defense. I am very familiar with Coach Bryant and his time but because there are so many differences in the era, comparing the two is not like Apples to Apples. Suffice it to just say,all things considered,I think Coach Saban's place in Alabama coaching history will equal Coach Bryant's but you can never say which is greater,you can only pick your favorite.
Pretty much sums it up. I posted in another similar thread that the one thing that may give Bryant a slight nod is that he could take a way less talented team and motivate and inspire them to beat a far more talented opponent. He did so many many times.
I think Coach Saban's "process" requires that he recruit players that are more talented than the teams he'll face.
Until he gets those players he has struggled initially wherever he's been.
But it's still moot. They are both very similar and are easily the best of their respective era's.
Personally my favorite is Saban but my heart's with Coach Bryant.
 

Crimson1967

Hall of Fame
Nov 22, 2011
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Re: Bryant and Saban (No Logical Comparison)

Bryant won in both the two platoon and limited substitution era. A little detail the comparators tend to overlook.
Also the only coach to win a title with an all white team and an integrated team.
 

bamabelle1991

All-American
Jan 1, 2009
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What I love is that I experienced Coach Bryant as a child and it made being a "kid" Bama fan a phenomenal experience. My children are experiencing the same emotions but with Coach Saban instead. Of course, I kind of love experiencing greatness again, too. :biggrin2: I am a Blessed Fan! Roll Tide!
 

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