Why Did Ray Perkins Replace Bear Bryant?

Valley View

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Nov 7, 2016
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I'm late to the party, but it was my impression that Perkins was CPB's first choice. Again, there was no internet or social media back then so most info came from newspapers or radio. I agree with a previous poster who said no way Perkins got the job w/o CPB's stamp of approval.

I also liked Curry, but I always blamed he and Steve Sloan for the Iron Bowl being moved from Legion Field. What a great event that used to be! Tickets sales split 50/50, a short drive for most fans, and exciting action. To me the game is just not the same anymore.
 

selmaborntidefan

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I'm late to the party, but it was my impression that Perkins was CPB's first choice. Again, there was no internet or social media back then so most info came from newspapers or radio. I agree with a previous poster who said no way Perkins got the job w/o CPB's stamp of approval.

I also liked Curry, but I always blamed he and Steve Sloan for the Iron Bowl being moved from Legion Field. What a great event that used to be! Tickets sales split 50/50, a short drive for most fans, and exciting action. To me the game is just not the same anymore.
That's correct.

Later revisionism suggested Bryant wanted Stallings but as Earle pointed out - and as I've now established from the newspapers of the time - BRYANT endorsed Ray Perkins as the choice, plain and simple.

I had heard that back in 1984, but in 1990 it became fashionable to say Stallings was the "real choice" of Bryant. I don't believe it for a moment.
 

selmaborntidefan

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I'm late to the party, but it was my impression that Perkins was CPB's first choice. Again, there was no internet or social media back then so most info came from newspapers or radio. I agree with a previous poster who said no way Perkins got the job w/o CPB's stamp of approval.

I also liked Curry, but I always blamed he and Steve Sloan for the Iron Bowl being moved from Legion Field
. What a great event that used to be! Tickets sales split 50/50, a short drive for most fans, and exciting action. To me the game is just not the same anymore.
This is absurd - it was going to happen no matter who was there.

The Panama City News Herald of June 25, 1985 quotes Dye as saying - without dispute - that "the game will be played at Auburn's stadium because 'it's our home game and we have the right to play where we want to play.'"

Neither Bill Curry nor Steve Sloan was on staff at Alabama the day Dye began that push.

To blame them for the inevitable is ludicrous. Indeed, Auburn made a concession because of a handwritten note on Bryant's version of the contract - they were willing to play the 1991 game in Birmingham (which they did as the home team) to settle up.
 

Ole Man Dan

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Apr 21, 2008
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I think there is a lot of truth to what Earle said. The wishbone offense was on the way out and the only other top level team I recall that stayed with the wishbone was Barry Switzer's Oklahoma team. Perkins inherited a team recruited to run the wishbone and he had a pretty tough time getting his type players to run a more pro style offense. Also I have heard that due to Coach Bryant's health and knowing he was close to retiring the overall talent level was also on the decline.

The story of CGS being Coach Bryant's first choice has been taken as gospel since Coach Bryant's death. Being the coach to replace Coach Bryant was a no win situation at best.
Just as Ray Perkins will always be judged because he wasn't Coach Bryant...
Whoever eventually succeeds Coach Saban will face the same hurdle.
DIFFICULT TO REPLACE A LEGEND.
 

bama61

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Aug 24, 2004
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Just as Ray Perkins will always be judged because he wasn't Coach Bryant...
Whoever eventually succeeds Coach Saban will face the same hurdle.
DIFFICULT TO REPLACE A LEGEND.
Just my opinion mind you, but I've always felt in retrospect that Perkins was the perfect choice to follow Coach Bryant. I believe that of all those mentioned as possible contenders only Perkins was tough and stubborn enough to handle it. Of course I'll also add that I believe that he left at the perfect time as well, that too many more years of Perkins would have hurt the program.
 

Valley View

3rd Team
Nov 7, 2016
287
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Williamson County, TN
This is absurd - it was going to happen no matter who was there.

The Panama City News Herald of June 25, 1985 quotes Dye as saying - without dispute - that "the game will be played at Auburn's stadium because 'it's our home game and we have the right to play where we want to play.'"

Neither Bill Curry nor Steve Sloan was on staff at Alabama the day Dye began that push.

To blame them for the inevitable is ludicrous. Indeed, Auburn made a concession because of a handwritten note on Bryant's version of the contract - they were willing to play the 1991 game in Birmingham (which they did as the home team) to settle up.
I know when the game was moved, but the conversation started years earlier. The rumor back then was Auburn wanted to expand their stadium and one of the ways to raise money was to get the Iron Bowl moved. I lived in Montgomery back then and the whining and crying by the Auburn folks about moving the game was sad to watch.
 

BamaInBham

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There was absolutely nothing that Alabama could do about it. Unless stipulated otherwise, each program has the authority to play their home game wherever that choose. It was primarily about money. Also, AU is satisfied with winning 50% against Bama and felt that they had a better chance of reaching that goal by playing half of the games in their stadium with the crowd advantage. But it was primarily about money for the athletic admin. The Bama game would help ensure they could sell out their season ticket package in the year Bama came to town - they had trouble otherwise. I think they sometimes still do - I'm not sure. (Bama had no such need.) It gave AU leverage over their fans in other related ways.
 
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selmaborntidefan

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I know when the game was moved, but the conversation started years earlier. The rumor back then was Auburn wanted to expand their stadium and one of the ways to raise money was to get the Iron Bowl moved. I lived in Montgomery back then and the whining and crying by the Auburn folks about moving the game was sad to watch.
Yep, and then they pulled that nonsense about making anyone who wanted a ticket to the Iron Bowl - Alabama fans - had to buy an entire season's worth of tickets.
 

Go4Two1966

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Jan 14, 2018
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one other thing about Perkins, he was tough as nails; Stallings was too; hell they all were. But sometimes I think people forget how raw-bone tough Perkins was as a player back in the early 60s. He would have also played with a broken leg, like the greatest coach Alabama ever had did. (Yes, the greatest ever!) Anyway, good discussions guys. Really good points.
 

day-day

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The local folks seemed excited with Perkins. I was at at the Kentucky vs Alabama basketball game in a packed Memorial Coliseum when Perkins was first introduced to the crowd as the new football coach; the place was deafening for a while.

I was also at the basketball game when Coleman Coliseum was packed and Mike Price was introduced to the crowd as the new football coach; it was the "slow clap" as people looked at each other with much less enthusiasm.
 
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