(On November 28, 1981 - thirty years ago this coming Monday - Paul William "Bear" Bryant surpassed Amos Alonzo Stagg to become the winningest coach in NCAA Division-I history. This post is a look back through the final phase of Bryant's pursuit of the record along with some thoughts from an adolescent of 30 years ago viewed through adult eyes).
It hadn't seemed possible just a few years earlier. But the countdown began on October 4, 1980, when Paul "Bear" Bryant became just the third coach in NCAA Division I-A history to win his 300th game with a 45-0 pasting of Kentucky. The Tide was in the midst of its greatest ever run, a decade-long dynasty that netted the Tide three national championships (and losing a fourth on a disputed vote), five straight 11-1 seasons, nine SEC titles, and an overall record (1971-81) of 117-14-1 for an unheard of winning percentage of .886. The win against Kentucky put Bryant within striking distance of the all-time record of NCAA wins held by Amos Alonzo Stagg, who coached for 65 years and won 314 games. Looking over the horizon, the Bama faithful began to count down the wins until Bryant would be the winningest coach in college football history.
A brief look at the schedule for the rest of 1980 was promising. Alabama was dominating every game they played behind a defense that only gave up 8.6 points per game. The one suspected bump in the road was a November 15, 1980 contest against Notre Dame. So
Tide fans figured that even with a loss there, Bryant would probably surpass Stagg in the 1981 LSU game expected to be played on November 7, 1981. But the best laid plans often go awry. Riding a 28-game winning streak into the MSU game, the Tide was shut down
by a defense every bit as talented as its own. The streak was over with a 6-3 loss, and it became clear there would be no three-peat for the Tide. A shutout loss to Notre Dame followed, but Bama ended the 1980 season with a 30-2 rout of Baylor in the Cotton Bowl. Looking ahead to 1981, the Tide was on schedule to still break the record in the LSU game. But a number of interventions caused a delay.
[READ MORE HERE]
It hadn't seemed possible just a few years earlier. But the countdown began on October 4, 1980, when Paul "Bear" Bryant became just the third coach in NCAA Division I-A history to win his 300th game with a 45-0 pasting of Kentucky. The Tide was in the midst of its greatest ever run, a decade-long dynasty that netted the Tide three national championships (and losing a fourth on a disputed vote), five straight 11-1 seasons, nine SEC titles, and an overall record (1971-81) of 117-14-1 for an unheard of winning percentage of .886. The win against Kentucky put Bryant within striking distance of the all-time record of NCAA wins held by Amos Alonzo Stagg, who coached for 65 years and won 314 games. Looking over the horizon, the Bama faithful began to count down the wins until Bryant would be the winningest coach in college football history.
A brief look at the schedule for the rest of 1980 was promising. Alabama was dominating every game they played behind a defense that only gave up 8.6 points per game. The one suspected bump in the road was a November 15, 1980 contest against Notre Dame. So
Tide fans figured that even with a loss there, Bryant would probably surpass Stagg in the 1981 LSU game expected to be played on November 7, 1981. But the best laid plans often go awry. Riding a 28-game winning streak into the MSU game, the Tide was shut down
by a defense every bit as talented as its own. The streak was over with a 6-3 loss, and it became clear there would be no three-peat for the Tide. A shutout loss to Notre Dame followed, but Bama ended the 1980 season with a 30-2 rout of Baylor in the Cotton Bowl. Looking ahead to 1981, the Tide was on schedule to still break the record in the LSU game. But a number of interventions caused a delay.
[READ MORE HERE]
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