What will happen to Bama after Saban?

AlexanderFan said:

EVERY head coach at Alabama has won ten games at least once, right?

This inevitable coaching search will be much different I believe. I think there will be a few people interested in driving the tank Saban has built after he decides to retire.


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Unlike other coaching searches, there are a number of coaches who would give their left ARM To be Alabama's head coach.
Top notch program, players who are the cream of the crop, an assortment of the very best assistants in the business, and a big salary.
I know the Alabama job comes with a lot of pressure to win, but whoever eventually follows Coach Saban, should have a great chance to win 10 games or more for a few years.

Somewhere out there, a young coach may be just as driven to win, he may eventually have enough game savy to run a program like Alabama's. Here's hoping when that time arrives we will be patient enough and persistent enough to go get him.

Most fans of opposing teams bring this up at one time or another. While maybe not from the OP, I assume the basis of the question is those fans' longing for Bama to stop being so dominant.

I grew up with Coach Bryant's 1960's and 1970's team. When he retired in 1982 I was absolutely positive that college football would never see another coach dominate the sport like he did. Well, I was wrong.

While nobody realistically expects to maintain the same level of dominance immediately after Coach Saban's retirement, don't be so sure that Bama doesn't dominate the sport more than any other school going forward.

For sure, Chris Petersen is a West coast guy. He was born and raised in northern California and his coaching jobs (BSU and UW) have been out west. His younger son recovered and is done with high school. I share your skepticism that he would take an SEC job but he's got to know this: if he stays at UW he will probably never win a national title. Petersen is 54. I think he is the best current college football head coach not named Saban. Almost everyone would agree that he is the top 5 with guys like Jimbo and Dabo also in the mix. The guy loved it in Boise so he is clearly not a bright lights, city guy. He turned down UCLA and USC in the past. He has worked with Tosh Lupoi (Alabama DC) at UW. CP is a perfectionist and has "a system"--you play by his rules or you're gone. Hopefully Saban stays a few more years but if and when CNS decides to hand off the keys I can think of no one better to get behind the wheel of this race car and take Alabama to a few more national titles.

jthomas666 said:

Yeah but at least he scored.

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It was his destiny...[emoji23]

To that I say: "Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology. We have the capability to make the world's first bionic coach. Nick Saban will be that man. Better than he was before. Better...stronger...faster."

1) Whoever is hired will be on a large pct of fan’s doo doo list from the moment he’s announced. That group will cherry pick his stats to make him look like the second coming of Ears DuBose.

2) We will most likely blow it. We were 1 for 7 on hires post-Bryant until Saban.

3) Dabo’s name will be high on the list. He very likely gets first consideration regardless.

4) The first coach may be able to parlay the talent left behind into a national title a la Coker, Chizik, Dennis Erickson, or Les Miles.

This will only complicate things.

I’d actually be open to bringing in an established coordinator and removing HC experience as a required prerequisite. Whoever it is I’d prefer we go the youth route and hire someone in the age range of 36-50 range and that can stay a while. Oklahoma hit the lottery two times in a row with a very young Bob Stoops and Lincoln Riley, neither who previously had HC experience.

I'm not sure such a coach exists currently who can sustain what CNS has done here. It will be not unlike the situation when CPB stepped down. It took over 20 years for the the stars align perfectly that brought CNS and Bama together. I don't think I'll be around when the next one comes along, at any rate.

Immediately post Saban is hard to predict. As others a have speculated, it wouldn't be a stretch to assume good enough infrastructure left in place to carry us forward for a while, depending on who we hire next. So not a complete collapse of the program, as many are hoping for. But man, has CNS spoiled us!

RTR!

CrimsonForce said:

He's pretty well inundated in the West Coast. At one point he had a special needs son who had to receive medical treatment from a facility / physician located on the West Coast which is why he never left Boise for some of the bigger jobs. Not sure if the situation with his son is still the same but I'd be really surprised if he'd even entertain an offer to come to any school in the south..

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The REC will get the doctor a position at UAB Hospital.


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deliveryman35 said:

I’d actually be open to bringing in an established coordinator and removing HC experience as a required prerequisite. Whoever it is I’d prefer we go the youth route and hire someone in the age range of 36-50 range and that can stay a while. Oklahoma hit the lottery two times in a row with a very young Bob Stoops and Lincoln Riley, neither who previously had HC experience.

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To soon to say they hit the lottery with Lincoln Riley. He's off to a great start, no doubt, but I want to see what his team looks like without a Heisman winning QB..

deliveryman35 said:

I’d actually be open to bringing in an established coordinator and removing HC experience as a required prerequisite. Whoever it is I’d prefer we go the youth route and hire someone in the age range of 36-50 range and that can stay a while. Oklahoma hit the lottery two times in a row with a very young Bob Stoops and Lincoln Riley, neither who previously had HC experience.

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Our worst two coaches since Bryant both were rookie head coaches.


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AlexanderFan said:

EVERY head coach at Alabama has won ten games at least once, right?

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Prior to 1920, Alabama only had two seasons with as many as 10 games. Since our first 10 win season in 1920, every Alabama coach but one that has had an opportunity for a 10 win season has done so at least once.
Xen Scott
Wallace Wade
Frank Thomas
Red Drew
Paul Bryant
Ray Perkins
Bill Curry
Gene Stallings
Mike Dubose
Dennis Franchione
Mike Shula
Nick Saban

Ears Whitworth is the only Alabama coach since 1920 with a chance for a 10 win season that failed to get one.
Joe Kines coached a bowl game; Mike Price coached an A-day. They didn't have a shot at a 10 win season.

Alabama after Saban would be Oklahoma

formersoldier71 said:

Ears Whitworth is the only Alabama coach since 1920 with a chance for a 10 win season that failed to get one.

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Yeah, but he got 10 losses in one season. That is probably harder to do at Alabama. :biggrin:

In response to the Thread Title question?: Hire that guy named Lincoln Riley; then get a good DEFENSIVE Coordinator as well as outstanding Defensive assistants. He can start a Lincoln Continental Dealership in B'ham to supplement his salary.

Just thinking aloud! Hmmmmm.

Have no idea who will take over, or when it will happen, but Alabama will be loaded. As long as the next head coach has a pulse, you will compete for championships for 2-3 years. Anything past that depends on the guy selected.

jthomas666 said:

Yeah but at least he scored.

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Well he did score while Rolling with the Tide, but that did not last long. The Tide did NOT score while he was Rolling.

Did he score while in Pullman?

Texas_tide said:

Dabo.

Take that to the bank. Won’t skip a beat.

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I would take Bill Clark...