How amazing is it that the discussion about who is the best college coach ever centers on two coaches - both of which coached at Alabama? Man, we have it good!
Link: Nick Saban might be the greatest college coach of all-time.
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Boy do we have it good. I have been around for 11 of our NC (was an infant when Coach Bryant won his 1st one). It is amazing we have won a NC every 5 years on average in the past 54 years.
I wasn't lucky enough to see the Bear coach so this one is hard for me. It is hard to dispute what Saban has done here. I like to think this is what it felt like to be a Bama fan back when the Bear was coaching.
Is there an actual example of this? By that, I mean an example of Bryant taking his 100+ undersized, no talent, team and beating a team of 100+ studs? I refuse to believe that Bryant was getting so out-recruited, that all those teams he coached were of inferior players and talent.
So is it a 'oh he took far less talent and was beating far superior talent', or more of a 'I bet he could.....' Of all the greats to come through our program, just seems crazy to think they were under talented
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FWIW, without the Bryant era in establishing Alabama as a/the major force in college football, there probably would not be a Saban era at Alabama.
I don't care what anyone says, in my mind he is THE BEST of all time period. Yes Coach Bryant was the best, but Coach Saban has since surpassed him. To win 4 in 7 years and 5 overall with the scholarship limits, etc. you have to put him over Coach Bryant. Good thing is he probably ain't going away any time soon either!
I've only been alive for 5 national titles here and it never gets old. To you youngsters, you better realize what you're seeing right now because it is not supposed to happen as much as it has here lately..
I've only been alive for 5 national titles here and it never gets old. To you youngsters, you better realize what you're seeing right now because it is not supposed to happen as much as it has here lately..
Since they were a generation apart, I won't try to make a comparison. Coach Bryant was the best coach of his time, and Coach Saban is the best coach now. We are blessed to have had them both.
Well I wasn't anywhere close to being alive when Bryant was coaching, but for me Coach Bryant IS Alabama football. Coach Saban is just carrying on the torch in stellar fashion.
Call me when Saban hangs it up with 25yrs at Alabama.
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Call me when Saban hangs it up with 25yrs at Alabama.
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First of all, nice graphic I appreciate that. It is hard to make a call on this one. Two things seem to jump out at me. First, Coach Bryant had 6 NC's in 25 years while Saban has coached his way to 5 in roughly half that time. However, Coach Bryant's winning percentage over the longevity of his career at Bama is amazing. More games means more opportunity to win, but it also more opportunities to lose. To have the success that Coach Bryant had over decades of game evolution, coaching changes, and the adversity that he, at times, faced is absolutely amazing. Like a previous poster, I feel blessed that we can have this conversation comparing two coaches that call the Capstone home. I think that CNS is this generation's Bear Bryant. That I have absolutely no doubt about.
The first game I ever listened to on radio was Bama vs the Barn in 1957. A nightmare 40 to 0! There was a JURDAN coaching that team, I mean Jordan. I think they called him Shug! Who in their right mind would name their child Shug?
Coach Bryant brought us back from the grave of College Football. There is a great fondness in my heart for him and his growling on Sundays at 4:00 p.m. bragging on his players' mommas and daddys and what a great job they did in raising those players. I had to listen intently while he was talking to completely understand what he was saying. I did know what "Bingo" meant!
So it may take a few more NC's to place him at the top of the Great Pyramid of Bama Head Coaches. But he is sure getting close!
Some people are pointing out that when the Bear was coaching he had no recruiting limits whereas Saban has to go against a more level playing field. However I'd like to point out that everyone the Bear went against had the same no recruiting limits he had so the field was just as level then as it is now.
Coach Stallings made a good point that most players came from Alabama, which could easily create a more hit or miss team as far as talent. I bet an overwhelming majority of the extra players were 1 and 2 star caliber athletes. Tweeners. This neutralizes the recruiting angle imo, but we do have #1 and #2 best coaches of all time, whomever you place first. As far as footprint on our program, you cannot take away the number of years Coach Bryant had us in position to win a NC, 2 decades.
The problem that you run into is that bear never beat Royal or ara. I believe the only legendary or elite coach of CNS's time that he didn't beat was Bowden. Plus you have a bigger mixture of possible teams that could potentially win the title and less controversial polling in CNS's years coaching than CPB's. I think there is a misinterpretation that CPB built Alabama, and CNS just awoke Alabama. I hate the 30 for 30 Roll Tide/War Eagle special for many reasons, mainly because it takes a more pro Auburn interpretation of history, but there is one truth to it. It is that Alabama progressed exponentially when the iron bowl hiatus happened and us and Tennessee became the perennial super powers of the south. Sure Shug won one but how quick was Alabama a power again and how fast? I think it is more of the same with CPB and CNS in them awaking a sleeping giant. The only real argument is Byrant was fully committed to Alabama in many people's eyes due to longevity and him playing at Bama.
I think skip Bayless made the best argument about the question. He stated that even with the pre bowl ncs that CPB had, you could easily swap them for times that he should've won them and he would've still had atleast 5 or 6, but he said he should've also had one at Kentucky as well when they beat Oklahoma in the orange bowl.
To be honest this argument could go both ways until cns wins another one. It is more right now a matter of age and interpretation on who someone says. I think the real controversy between bama fans is that CPB bled Alabama and CNS coaches at Alabama. But from a recruiting and competition standpoint it is hard not to say CNS's path to 5 was not harder. But it is really useless in comparing eras until CNS hangs it up
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