I'm glad CMS was man enough to "take us on"

[RamJam]

i'm so glad that Mike Shula was man enough to "take us on"...when he was approached about working here, he could have said the same thing that EVERY other coach (& I mean every single big-name you guys have mentioned over the past 5 or 6 years...ya'll saying things like "I dont know why Mal didn't hire "so & so" or why dont we get ole "so & so", as if you just know 'so & so' would accept...) well, ANYWAY - NOT ONE of those "so & so's" ya'll mention or have mentioned would even THINK of coming here to coach - and SADLY - VERY SADLY - their reasons were the same: they simply don't want to coach here or to put their families under the pressure of coaching here - because of the PRESSURE, STRESS & CONSTANT CRITICISM put on the coach here. Makes me SICK - but it is a fact - & whether or not we are that bad or not is not the point (nor WHY) - the point is that is the image we have & it has kept us from getting coaches in the past.

HOWEVER, I am happy - very happy - with MIke & I feel that given time & LEFT ALONE - he will do a FINE job. He, at least, WAS MAN ENOUGH to "take us on" & that's a LOT more than I can say for all that long long list of coaching "greats" who were skeeeeeeeeeeeered of us!!

Now let's just PRAY that we don't run Mike off!

ROLL TIDE ROLL!

 

[Redwood Forrest]

Yes. The Bama HC position was used to get raises, not to mention all the bad nationwide publicity that went on for years. Now soon winning again makes people forget.

 

[TommyMac]

I'm glad too RamJam. He knew he would be facing a struggle for a few years and there would be no shortage of unwarranted criticism, but he took on the challenge that so many proven coaches didn't have the cajones to take on.

 

[ua9899]

If Shula quit today, Mal Moore would have plenty of resumes to sort through. Much different than three years ago.

 

[Ldlane]

If Shula quit today, Mal Moore would have plenty of resumes to sort through. Much different than three years ago.

Because of Mike Shula. Good Job CMS! Keep us rolling!

 

[RamJam]

ua8988: If those resumes do exist (though I'm not so sure they're quite there yet...and that's according to good souces) - if they do exist - it is like IDLANE says - it's BECAUSE OF MIKE...

I just hope that fans will show Mike the support, LOYALTY, & motivational encouragement it takes to keep coaches happy with their environment & enough to off-balance the typical criticism they all get. He's a pretty resilient guy - but everybody hits that breaking point - I just don't ever want to think that we fans push him to that point! (That's ONE reason among MANY others why I always type that address repeatedly - begging fans to send those cards & notes to the team & to the coaches weekly to encourage, motivate & show our loyalty...EVERY little bit helps; besides, you get LOTS more results with PRASIE than with CRITICISM) I wish there would be a caller to call into Finebaum one day & tell Paul that Mike Shula has hit the all-time record for incoming PRASIE-fan-mail from Bama fans - thanking him for the season & showing him loyalty : I'd LOVE that to go on that all-points radio show--- & with THAT: let the recruiting begin...

****IDEA*********

Why don't we all send a CHRISTMAS card to the team/coaches & tell them thanks for a fun season & ROLL TIDE & GOOD LUCK with our upcoming bowl game - here's the address:

University of Alabama FOOTBALL TEAM & COACHES
c/o University of Alabama
Football Athletic Building
PO Box 870323
Tuscaloosa, AL 35487

Awwwww, you shoulda seen that comin'......

 

[ua9899]

Without a doubt it's because of Coach Shula that the stock of Bama football has risen. He took over the program when everyone had all but declared our program dead. We've lost over 30 scholarships in the last 10 years. In those ten years, we've been more successful than most programs are in fifty years. If you would have told me that we would be 9-2 and going to the Cotton Bowl with a chance to creep back into the top ten one year after coming off probation, I would have said no way. Mike deserves a big congratulations as well as his staff. How many teams can say they have 65 initial scholarship players and were ranked number 3 in the country and undefeated going into week ten? Bama is really one win away from being in the BCS. Pretty impressive.

 

[bamaslammer]

I don't think the stress and pressure here is much more than most major SEC schools, but 3 years ago the program was staring at years of problems, with no clear path to get out. Shula had a solid career going in the NFL, I was surprised he was interested in taking the job. I'm glad he did. him growing up a public figure and having been a Quarterback at Alabama uniquely prepared him for the media and the pressure. His intellegence and strong will serve him in the long hard 5 to 6 year road that will be needed to recover. The only thing we have left to answer is does he have the ability to coach championships.

Heck if people as dumb as Fulmer, Dubose, and Tubberville can do it, I think I know the answer to that question.

Once again however we get mad and call for assistants heads, me included, and once again Shula ignores it and asks for raises for his assistants. It will be interesting to see how this plays out over the next 2 seasons.

 

[bamabake]

With all due respect to CMS I would like to see him be man enough to take responsibility for anything on his coaches show. After particular bad plays or more importantly losses.

 

[RamJam]

I'm not so sure I think that the stress & pressure is any greater here than other big-names either - but for some (jealousy probably) reason - we have been singled out to be used as the example as the worst of the worst in that way -- it is used against us in recruting as well as atrracting coaches, etc etc - I hate it & I hate the image - I never said I agreed with it - I just pointed out the fact. That's probably ANOTHER reason I work so hard at trying to get fans to make that image look pretty false/silly by sending fan-mail, & by showing loyalty & support PUBLICALLY at any given opportunity!

 

[It is what it is]

What's wrong with you?

With all due respect to CMS I would like to see him be man enough to take responsibility for anything on his coaches show. After particular bad plays or more importantly losses.

What would you like for him to say... "It was all my fault we lost to Auburn. I should ot have called the plays I called expecting the players that I personally did not prepare properly for this game to excute plays that we have been practicing and working on for 15 weeks. It's all my fault. I hope that I will learn to read Tidefans prior to and following each game to better prepare my team week in and week out. There are so many more knowledgable coaches sitting at their computers willing to help me strategize against my opponents. I must be an idiot for not recoginzing Bamabake offensive ingenuity prior to planning my Auburn preparations."

Man you need to lighten up a little and understand that if players execute and perform, any play call is a good one. Some people have to be negative regardless.

 

[RamJam]

Well, as pointed out by NYBama on another thread - Mike certainly DID take responsibility for several mistakes he said he made - & he named them publically.

 

[CapstoneTider]

What does a quarterback coach in the NFL make?

Now I like Coach Shula as much as the next fan but I love the University more, and by saying that the head coaching job, even in it's worst of times, is beneath that of an NFL quarterback coach is being disrespectful to Alabama. It was especially a no brainer for a QB coach that happened to be an Alumni and had taken a step backwards the year before.

I bet if you had sent feelers out to every qb coach in the league(Bruce Arians included), more than 2/3 would have shown strong interest in the job at that time. Today the interest would also come from coordinators and some head coaches.

I love Shula but this notion that he left the riches of the NFL to bail us out is not accurate. It was rewarding for both sides. I will give credit were credit is due. He is perfroming admirable and I believe will succeed and continue to learn on the job. He is suited better for college ball in my opinion and he made a good decision accepting the Bama job.

 

[PDL]

Hey RamJam, good post. CMS deserves all the credit he gets and more. Sure he's not a GREAT coach yet, but that's ok. He's young (for a coach) and he'll mature more and become a better coach. He's already doing a heck of a job right now. I think a lot of the older generation of Bama fans, like my grandads, my dad and his friends, got spoiled with the Bear and measure every coach we get by that incredibly unfair yardstick. Bama will probably never have another Bear, just like Penn State will never have another JoPa, and FSU another Bowden. But that doesn't mean we won't still be great. It's ok to be critical, Bama fans, but let's also be fair and supportive.
RTR

 

[RamJam]

Thanks - & what a refreshing attitude & great way to put it all.

 

[GulfCoastTider]

This is what winners do. They go out there against improbable odds, with less than desirable resources, amid an intense scrutiny, and just get the job done or die trying.

Metaphorically speaking, Shula will "leave it all on the field" by the time he's done (which I hope is a long, long time from now).