JessN: DeBoer is building something: What it is, is the question

[cdub55]

My money is on the possibility that, in the wake of a disappointing season including inexplicable losses to Vandy and Oklahoma, the team as a whole realized that he wasn't the guy to follow. At least, not if you want on-field success and the opportunities that go along with it.

Follow the lead of Milroe whose draft status was an afterthought or follow the lead of Bryce Young (#1 overall), Mac Jones (#15 overall), or Tua Tagovailoa (#5 overall) who all put winning and the team first. What's good for Bama is also good for the pocketbook. Not a hard decision if you have any sense about you!

 

[cdub55]

One thing is many of the current players were either recruited by DeBoer, or he brought them in as transfers. I think players like CKD a lot. They like playing for him. They also like the assistants. Then there is Courtney Morgan, who maintains great relationships with players. So I'm not sure if it's culture or people. If it's culture, I hope it's a winning culture.

Culture is people. People is culture. Too many people think culture is what you say. It is simply what you do and how you do it...EVERYDAY.

Semantics maybe but the coach in me couldn't help myself.

 

[4Q Basket Case]

Follow the lead of Milroe whose draft status was an afterthought or follow the lead of Bryce Young (#1 overall), Mac Jones (#15 overall), or Tua Tagovailoa (#5 overall) who all put winning and the team first. What's good for Bama is also good for the pocketbook. Not a hard decision if you have any sense about you!

Your last sentence is the key. A lot of these guys don't have any sense of either where they fall in the world of NFL athletes or how to handle money.

All of them have a frontal cortex that's still maturing, so the linkage of actions and consequences is inconsistent at best. A corollary is the concept of enhancing your future (in this case 1-3 years out) with today's actions.

Additionally, not many of them have trustworthy counsel available. Even fewer have any concept of how to handle $1K, let alone $1M.

IOW, for reasons often not their fault, they don't have any sense about them, and don't have anybody who can (or will) help them work through that.

Culture is people. People is culture. Too many people think culture is what you say. It is simply what you do and how you do it...EVERYDAY.

Semantics maybe but the coach in me couldn't help myself.

Can't remember where I first heard it, but it's a great quote on management in general extending far beyond sports, "Your culture is the heroes you create."

In business, look to see who gets the in-house awards. Salesperson Of The Year, Branch Manager Of The Year, This That or the Other Thing Of The Year. Did the winners achieve ethically or did they find a way to game the system?

Then look to see what the awards are. If they're all the same (or at least comparable), that's a strong indication of a balanced organizational culture. If the Best X gets two weeks in Switzerland and the Best Y gets a plaque -- something I saw with my own eyes -- that's a strong indicator that the organization prefers Xs to Ys.

Then see if you can find out relative comp for a given level on the org chart. I'd bet a bunch of money that Xs get higher comp than Ys at the same level.

Obviously, the X skill set is way more highly valued than Y skill set.

If you're an X, that's great. If you're a Y, you either accept your place in the culture or go in search of another organization where the culture values Ys.

The last few years, Alabama football culture clearly favored a given on-field and off-field skill set. We'll see what the new one values. I'm optimistic but will need to see it to be convinced

 

[cdub55]

Your last sentence is the key. A lot of these guys don't have any sense of either where they fall in the world of NFL athletes or how to handle money.

All of them have a frontal cortex that's still maturing, so the linkage of actions and consequences is inconsistent at best. A corollary is the concept of enhancing your future (in this case 1-3 years out) with today's actions.

Additionally, not many of them have trustworthy counsel available. Even fewer have any concept of how to handle $1K, let alone $1M.

IOW, for reasons often not their fault, they don't have any sense about them, and don't have anybody who can (or will) help them work through that.



Can't remember where I first heard it, but it's a great quote on management in general extending far beyond sports, "Your culture is the heroes you create."

In business, look to see who gets the in-house awards. Salesperson Of The Year, Branch Manager Of The Year, This That or the Other Thing Of The Year. Did the winners achieve ethically or did they find a way to game the system?

Then look to see what the awards are. If they're all the same (or at least comparable), that's a strong indication of a balanced organizational culture. If the Best X gets two weeks in Switzerland and the Best Y gets a plaque -- something I saw with my own eyes -- that's a strong indicator that the organization prefers Xs to Ys.

Then see if you can find out relative comp for a given level on the org chart. I'd bet a bunch of money that Xs get higher comp than Ys at the same level.

Obviously, the X skill set is way more highly valued than Y skill set.

If you're an X, that's great. If you're a Y, you either accept your place in the culture or go in search of another organization where the culture values Ys.

The last few years, Alabama football culture clearly favored a given on-field and off-field skill set. We'll see what the new one values. I'm optimistic but will need to see it to be convinced

The late great Mike Leach had a sign he hung in his office at every coaching stop he had. It simply read, "You're either coaching it or allowing it." People will forget/ignore what you say but they will remember what you enforce. In today's world of CFB it is getting harder and harder to enforce the things that these young men need to be successful not only in the game of football, but more importantly in the game of life.

 

[JustNeedMe81]

That may or may not be the case going forward but it’s wait and see.

None of that was the case in 2024.

Multiple players should have faced suspensions and didn’t.

Accountability

An entire position group approached the HC with concerns and they were told to beat it and work out amongst themselves

Communication

One Captain threw a hissy fit vs Vandy and Another One gave 0 effort on a turnover vs OU

Leadership

I’m not saying things won’t get better but there is no evidence so far about those three areas being improved… yet.

I think you misunderstood what I'm saying. If you listen to what he was saying, he corrected the issues in the off-season and that's why you saw some of the players transferring out and most of them were WRs and other positions. Things are going well in off season and Josh Pate just spoke about this today. I'll post a link.

 

[JustNeedMe81]

I think you misunderstood what I'm saying. If you listen to what he was saying, he corrected the issues in the off-season and that's why you saw some of the players transferring out and most of them were WRs and other positions. Things are going well in off season and Josh Pate just spoke about this today. I'll post a link.

Here's the link:

He provided deep detailed information on coaches and players.

 

[cdub55]

There is no doubt Deboer has proven he can build a winning and successful program and culture. Whether or not he can replicate it at the highest level and at Alabama is now the challenge he is facing. Add to that we are now dealing with a new landscape that no one has experience navigating and it gets even more interesting for him. One thing that great coaches know is infallible truths will never change but every place is different. The exact blue print at Washington won't win at Alabama and the exact blue print at Alabama won't win at Washington. Many things will be one and the same but learning and navigating the new terrain is what separates the good coaches from the great ones.

 

[CoolBreeze]

Just got to say that we are a very lucky group to have such a quality coach following CNS. Nick took over a tattered program and built it into a crown jewel of college football. He was a true program builder. Coach DeBoer is different, way different, but his record speaks for itself. He is a solid, solid football coach, the players love him and I think he is exactly what we need. I get the feeling we are in for a very special season this year at the Capstone.

 

[NoNC4Tubs]

I am truly excited for who we got to replace CNS and how the transition went. There is absolutely no way that it could have gone any smoother...

Sure, there were some hiccups, but man...it could have gone worse in so many ways. No matter who we had gotten, there would have been hiccups.

I am truly excited for the future of our football team!

 

[BamaNation]

Just got to say that we are a very lucky group to have such a quality coach following CNS. Nick took over a tattered program and built it into a crown jewel of college football. He was a true program builder. Coach DeBoer is different, way different, but his record speaks for itself. He is a solid, solid football coach, the players love him and I think he is exactly what we need. I get the feeling we are in for a very special season this year at the Capstone.

One sure thing is that this all gets viewed in the open come August / September!

Unlike many professions, coaching at Alabama, one can't hide. Winning / on-field performance / off-field culture will be clear for all to see. Coach Bryant had this classic response when questioned about why he was getting the salary he got at TAMU and it applies in spades to CKD this season:

"How many people watch you give a final exam? [About fifty was the reply.]
Well, I have 50,000 watch me give mine - every Saturday!"
To English Professor Tommy Mayo (at Texas A&M) when questioned about his emphasis on winning and his salary.

 

[4Q Basket Case]

One sure thing is that this all gets viewed in the open come August / September!

Unlike many professions, coaching at Alabama, one can't hide. Winning / on-field performance / off-field culture will be clear for all to see. Coach Bryant had this classic response when questioned about why he was getting the salary he got at TAMU and it applies in spades to CKD this season:

"How many people watch you give a final exam? [About fifty was the reply.]
Well, I have 50,000 watch me give mine - every Saturday!"
To English Professor Tommy Mayo (at Texas A&M) when questioned about his emphasis on winning and his salary.

I don't know why it is, but so many academics view sports programs as competition -- as if it's a zero-sum game and if sports are successful, it's bad for them.

That's why I think Dr. Witt with Nick Saban was the best partnership in the history of the University. Witt recognized the value of the sports programs to his ultimate goal -- increasing both the numbers and the academic qualifications of the student body-- and embraced what the Business School would call a "distinctive competence."

 

[mlh]

I don't know why it is, but so many academics view sports programs as competition -- as if it's a zero-sum game and if sports are successful, it's bad for them.

That's why I think Dr. Witt with Nick Saban was the best partnership in the history of the University. Witt recognized the value of the sports programs to his ultimate goal -- increasing both the numbers and the academic qualifications of the student body-- and embraced what the Business School would call a "distinctive competence."

They don't like the disparity in salary. Why should some dumb football coach make millions while I scrape by?

Those professors who consider the revenue generated by athletics (namely football) understand.

 

[CoolBreeze]

One sure thing is that this all gets viewed in the open come August / September!

Unlike many professions, coaching at Alabama, one can't hide. Winning / on-field performance / off-field culture will be clear for all to see. Coach Bryant had this classic response when questioned about why he was getting the salary he got at TAMU and it applies in spades to CKD this season:

"How many people watch you give a final exam? [About fifty was the reply.]
Well, I have 50,000 watch me give mine - every Saturday!"
To English Professor Tommy Mayo (at Texas A&M) when questioned about his emphasis on winning and his salary.

Right on Brother. Before this hire, I always predicted a slow, steady decline into mediocrity once Nick retired. You don't just reload legendary coaches. We may very well be on that trajectory and the upcoming season will tell the tale.

 

[cdub55]

It is obvious that CKD will change Alabama but I think it is just as interesting to see how Alabama will change CKD. I hope he doesn't lose himself during this journey but I do hope to see this job bring out the best in him from a competitor standpoint. Like it or not, our fans have an expectation of passion and fire that we like to see from our head coach. In the past I think CKD was able to get away with being more of a CEO and being more pragmatic. Saban left a huge void in that area and I don't expect CKD to completely fill it, but it would be nice to see him start coloring within the lines in that area some in the coming years.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

It is obvious that CKD will change Alabama but I think it is just as interesting to see how Alabama will change CKD. I hope he doesn't lose himself during this journey but I do hope to see this job bring out the best in him from a competitor standpoint. Like it or not, our fans have an expectation of passion and fire that we like to see from our head coach. In the past I think CKD was able to get away with being more of a CEO and being more pragmatic. Saban left a huge void in that area and I don't expect CKD to completely fill it, but it would be nice to see him start coloring within the lines in that area some in the coming years.

Any coach or person worth their salt changes as they go through life's different experiences. Coach Saban alludes to how he changed the longer he was a head coach, culminating in the GOAT he turned out to be. His experiences at different spots forced him to change if he wanted to get better and succeed and I think Alabama will do the same for CDK, if he truly wants to succeed. What it takes to win at Alabama is much, much different than any place he's ever been. This conference isn't for the faint of heart, this program isn't for the weak-minded coach either. So for him to have acceptable success at Alabama, I can guarantee you he will change. But of course, there are things about him that won't ever change, which applies to all of us. But the point remains, he'll have to change in some areas to succeed here.

 

[cdub55]

Any coach or person worth their salt changes as they go through life's different experiences. Coach Saban alludes to how he changed the longer he was a head coach, culminating in the GOAT he turned out to be. His experiences at different spots forced him to change if he wanted to get better and succeed and I think Alabama will do the same for CDK, if he truly wants to succeed. What it takes to win at Alabama is much, much different than any place he's ever been. This conference isn't for the faint of heart, this program isn't for the weak-minded coach either. So for him to have acceptable success at Alabama, I can guarantee you he will change. But of course, there are things about him that won't ever change, which applies to all of us. But the point remains, he'll have to change in some areas to succeed here.

I remember Saban saying once during a clinic I was at that he used to enjoy having a beer with his steak from time to time. He continued to do that when he came to Alabama until they lost a game and he heard someone say, "You know the reason they lost was the coach is out drinking instead of getting the kids ready to play." He said after that happened he quit drinking all together because he didn't want to give anyone any ammunition against him. Perception is reality, especially when you hold a high profile job and Saban understood this.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

I remember Saban saying once during a clinic I was at that he used to enjoy having a beer with his steak from time to time. He continued to do that when he came to Alabama until they lost a game and he heard someone say, "You know the reason they lost was the coach is out drinking instead of getting the kids ready to play." He said after that happened he quit drinking all together because he didn't want to give anyone any ammunition against him. Perception is reality, especially when you hold a high profile job and Saban understood this.

That's why you learn how to grill your steak at home to the point that it's better than any restaurant steak, and you never have to leave the house. Drink all the beer you want with your steak.

 

[cdub55]

That's why you learn how to grill your steak at home to the point that it's better than any restaurant steak, and you never have to leave the house. Drink all the beer you want with your steak.

One big difference between me and Saban is he liked to have a beer with his steak, I prefer to have a steak with my beer.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

One big difference between me and Saban is he liked to have a beer with his steak, I prefer to have a steak with my beer.

Yeah, I'm with ya. I'm glad I know how to cook a steak at home exactly how I like it. That way, I don't have to bother going to a restaurant and putting up with the prices, crowd, or the wait.

 

[BamaNation]

I don't know why it is, but so many academics view sports programs as competition -- as if it's a zero-sum game and if sports are successful, it's bad for them.

That's why I think Dr. Witt with Nick Saban was the best partnership in the history of the University. Witt recognized the value of the sports programs to his ultimate goal -- increasing both the numbers and the academic qualifications of the student body-- and embraced what the Business School would call a "distinctive competence."

Living and working in this world everyday, there's salary "disparity" across and within disciplines in every higher ed institution. At many schools, business profs are the highest paid. You know why? Because a large number could leave and double/quadruple their salaries in a related industry job. Liberal arts tend to be the lowest (and maybe even lower than HS teachers at many places). Why? Because most would have fewer options. That's not judging them, them's just facts. Those who want "equity" want these to all be paid the same "because we're all professors." It's a ridiculous concept. What you should want (in any job) is to be paid fairly.

Within a business school you also may have HUGE differences. Superstar prof who teaches in the MBA / EMBA / doctoral program and brings in HUGE grants and is THE reason MBA students shell out $100K+ for their degree makes $500K+ (one of my PHD profs was that guy). Asst Prof who is barely keeping his head above water might make $75K. The same is very true in FB. The number of guys who can win + handle the pressure + be THE FACE of the U, + recruit at elite level ... is not many.

I will say at my institution, the athletes I have (we don't have football but have elite / champion level NAIA baseball/softball/tennis/soccer and soon to be hoops. At least in my classes, the athletes are usually the best students. The athletic director has a PhD and is serious about the athletes performing well, being accountable and respectful. The ones I've had definitely are. I would probably take a class full of our athletes over the general student population (who aren't bad but the athletes are just that much better, usually). It is all about how it is handled from the top down.

4Q, your observation of Dr. Witt & CNS partnership is spot on. Dr. Witt stated his goal early on to increase out of state enrollment and elevate the FB / Athletic program as something that attracts elite academic OOS students. Some are turned off by that, UA has shown how to do it right, IMHO.

Those who can't understand how this works are just navel gazing.

I am hoping that CKD and whoever follows Dr Bell in July also figure out how to do it right.