Let me FOCUS on this question for a moment...While Curry had HC experience, what on earth possessed Joab Thomas and Steve Sloan to hire that fool? For one thing, what had he ever done at Georgia Tech that was so impressive?
Let me FOCUS on this question for a moment...While Curry had HC experience, what on earth possessed Joab Thomas and Steve Sloan to hire that fool? For one thing, what had he ever done at Georgia Tech that was so impressive?
Yep....there were high points for sure..but the way it ended was as you say. A trainwreck.Only with the benefit of 25 years of hindsight, I think the Dubose era was sad for everyone involved.
He was a really good DL coach, somewhat overmatched as a DC, and thrust into an historically Top 5 HC position for which he would never be ready….largely on the wave of a fan-initiated fax campaign.
Again, with the benefit of 25 years of hindsight, it’s clear that Dubose would never have been ready for such a job. He simply didn’t have either the organizational skills or the comfort in his own skin.
I’ll never forget Gene Stallings’ comments on radio about the 1997 team, during that season. Talk about damning with faint praise.
So Mike Dubose, the country boy from Opp, under-sized and over-achieving DE during Bryant’s second heyday, was making more money in a more prestigious job than he ever dreamed he would have. Sexual perks were easy to obtain, and he took advantage.
Previously-recruited talent obscured his own weaknesses, and things were looking up. The 1999 season included beating a Spurrier-coached Florida team twice, and winning the SEC Championship.
Then Chris Samuels, and most critically Shaun Alexander, went to the NFL. Dubose’s myriad personal flaws and professional shortcomings were laid bare in 2000.
It’s easy to see now, but wasn’t so easy in December of 1996. Mike Dubose was asked to fill a position he would never be capable of handling. He compounded his own limitations with a healthy dose of well-founded insecurity. A lot of it was because fans wanted, “one of Bear’s boys” and they made a lot of noise in that direction.
Sad for Dubose because we all have limitations, but most of us don’t have them exposed to the world on a public stage.
Sad for the fanbase because the 1997 - 2006 walk in the wilderness was no fun. And the nagging knowledge that if the fax campaign hadn’t happened, we’d probably have been better off.
Sad for the players because they deserved better from their coaches, their athletic and University administration, and yes, their fans.
What a train wreck.
I remember when Bama lost to Memphis State in '87....on Monday I was with another Bama fan who is a Grad of UA. We ran into a friend of his who is a Georgia Tech grad. He looked at us and said.."Well boys...how do ya like Georgia Tech Football?" From then on...I was never sure which team would come out to play.Curry, Dubose, and Shula were all 3 miserably unsuited to be HC at Bama. Dubose and Shula had ZERO experience. While Curry had HC experience, what on earth possessed Joab Thomas and Steve Sloan to hire that fool? For one thing, what had he ever done at Georgia Tech that was so impressive? Oh, and he was WINLESS against auburn. Now, I've heard the argument made that had he stayed at Bama, he would have eventually beaten them. I could see that. But, he would have NEVER had the upper hand against them. I will say this. He gets unfairly credited with agreeing to play the Iron Bowl at Jordan Hare every other season. But, that was set in place before his time. That was on Perkins. The problem with that whole scenario was, it took WAY too long to work out our end of the home and home. We had to go to the barn's campus every other season, but when we "hosted" them, it was in Birmingham, up until 2000. It just felt like that gave them an edge, getting us on their campus, but they didn't have to come to ours for a LONG time. We should have been hosting them in Tuscaloosa as soon as they made us go to opelika.
All the coaches (post Bryant) outside of Stallings and Saban were duds. Fran was not a good fit, obviously Price wasn't. Perkins actually said that Bama fans would need to get used to 9-3 kind of seasons. He should have been fired on the spot for that. Mike Shula could not recruit. He was weak on discipline. He was weak on conditioning. Off season work outs were optional.If he had coached at Alabama 100 years he would not have won an NC. He turned the success of 2005 into the mediocrity of 2006 and 2007. It is truly a wonder that Saban got a 7-6 season out of that 2007 squad. Shula got more time than he should have because he is one of our own, but he was miserbly unsuited to be a head coach.
Note: Sloan was NOT the AD when Curry was hired, he was hired at the same time to assuage the "Old Guard" big mouths whining "bu' Curra nevah play-eed fuh Co-atch Bryant!" Perkins was both AD and head coach when he quit.Curry, Dubose, and Shula were all 3 miserably unsuited to be HC at Bama. Dubose and Shula had ZERO experience. While Curry had HC experience, what on earth possessed Joab Thomas and Steve Sloan to hire that fool? For one thing, what had he ever done at Georgia Tech that was so impressive?
When he was hired this was hardly a fair criticism as he was at Tech.Oh, and he was WINLESS against auburn.
That was actually on Bryant but whatever.Now, I've heard the argument made that had he stayed at Bama, he would have eventually beaten them. I could see that. But, he would have NEVER had the upper hand against them. I will say this. He gets unfairly credited with agreeing to play the Iron Bowl at Jordan Hare every other season.
But, that was set in place before his time. That was on Perkins.
1988-1997 SEATING CAPACTIYThe problem with that whole scenario was, it took WAY too long to work out our end of the home and home. We had to go to the barn's campus every other season, but when we "hosted" them, it was in Birmingham, up until 2000. It just felt like that gave them an edge, getting us on their campus, but they didn't have to come to ours for a LONG time. We should have been hosting them in Tuscaloosa as soon as they made us go to opelika.
Fran was an Auburn "we got turned down by A/B/C/D/E" hire that was the best we could have made at that particular point among those under consideration, especially given the Means scandal broke just days after our 2000 season ended and made things even worse.All the coaches (post Bryant) outside of Stallings and Saban were duds. Fran was not a good fit, obviously Price wasn't. Perkins actually said that Bama fans would need to get used to 9-3 kind of seasons. He should have been fired on the spot for that.
Pretty hard to recruit when any player he's pursuing knows "you can't go to a bowl game my first two years there," not that you're wrong because you're not.Mike Shula could not recruit.
The success of 2005 was an obvious illusion at the time. Yeah, we had a good defense, but you'll see more scoring in a convent.He was weak on discipline. He was weak on conditioning. Off season work outs were optional.If he had coached at Alabama 100 years he would not have won an NC. He turned the success of 2005 into the mediocrity of 2006 and 2007.
I think Shula was given a fair shake. He got to stay through what would be one recruiting class of his own players.It is truly a wonder that Saban got a 7-6 season out of that 2007 squad. Shula got more time than he should have because he is one of our own, but he was miserbly unsuited to be a head coach.
Focus first on the fact that Sloan had nothing to do with Curry getting hired because he wasn't the AD.Let me FOCUS on this question for a moment...
This reminds me of something.I remember when Bama lost to Memphis State in '87....on Monday I was with another Bama fan who is a Grad of UA. We ran into a friend of his who is a Georgia Tech grad. He looked at us and said.."Well boys...how do ya like Georgia Tech Football?" From then on...I was never sure which team would come out to play.
Yeah I remember that but I could not recall if the Tenn game at Legion Field was the following week or not. I watched that ballgame and Bama overwhelmed UT in the 1st half as I recall. We had a UT grad in the office who was sullen the entire next week. Nobody even gave him H***. One of those vols whom couldn't be talked to. I refuse to counsel people that act in such ways over something so small. Don't know where he is today..but I sure hope he has learned that UT' failure or success is not a reflection upon his manhood. I have seen quite a few UT fans like him...but I have friends who are vols, and they are respectful. The ones who aren't remind me of the hardcore LSU fans. Even BEFORE the Bama fan peed on the LSU fan who had passed out on top of his grease sammich.This reminds me of something.
I had a friend in the music department who was a Vols fan from Savannah, TN. As I'm sure you recall, we rolled the Vols the following week. I saw him the Monday after the game (he had mocked me over the Memphis loss a week earlier) and said, "So how 'bout them Vols?" And he was like, "Well, yeah, because they got so mad at losing to MEMPHIS!!"
One year of school together he was a calm guy and that was the only time I ever saw him get upset.
He couldn't believe it.
That's a good history lesson, but I never claimed he did (just for reference).Focus first on the fact that Sloan had nothing to do with Curry getting hired because he wasn't the AD.
I was joshing with you though because of the focus part.That's a good history lesson, but I never claimed he did (just for reference).
Bowden told them he wouldn’t interview. He would’ve taken it…and who knows?When you break it down to its most simple form, Curry got the job because he won the “interview process” that was set up by Joab Thomas instead of by a competent AD which we did not have at the time.
Did anyone on Tidefans purchase a Bama sweater so they could be like Bill Curry?Didn't Joab Thomas say something about changing Alabama's reputation as a "football school?". Bill Curry was supposed to put more emphasis on academics.
It's been well-established that he would have taken it. From what I recall being in Tuscaloosa myself at the time, feelers were definitely sent out from the Bowden camp through back channels to gauge interest and when none was shown by Joab and his little 'committee' of interviewers then Bowden went back to Tallahassee and the rest as they say is history.Bowden told them he wouldn’t interview. He would’ve taken it…and who knows?
The story above says Bowden took his name out of consideration.It's been well-established that he would have taken it. From what I recall being in Tuscaloosa myself at the time, feelers were definitely sent out from the Bowden camp through back channels to gauge interest and when none was shown by Joab and his little 'committee' of interviewers then Bowden went back to Tallahassee and the rest as they say is history.
That is the canonical version -- I heard it from a member of that committee...and also from one of BB's sons. He did not want to anger the president of FSU by interviewing...he immediately flew back to Tallahassee and made up with the president. As far as the committee, Curry was the smoothest talker they had ever met...he had them in the palm of his hand before they knew it.The story above says Bowden took his name out of consideration.
What I've heard for years is that Bowden had told Joab that he'd take it but he didn't want to interview for it, went up for what he thought was a formality, and opened the door to a room full of folks there to interview him. He apparently muddled his way through it, unhappy to say the least, and wasn't going to take the job because he felt they'd misled him.
I'm not going to argue that's the canonical version of what actually happened, but I've heard that from several folks who were at least around the program at the time. In other words, YES, Bowden would have taken it and Joab took the liberty of ticking him off.
My high school guidance counselor at the time was an Alabama grad, and she and I often used our counseling sessions to talk Alabama football (ha ha). The day after this all unfolded (us hiring Curry), I saw her in the hallway and was shaking my head a bit and she said, "When I see Joab, I'm gonna have to ask him what in the world he's thinking." Never knew her connection with him but she said she knew him.
As far as DuBose (back to the thread), I'm so young I don't even remember him playing. I'd barely heard his name when he was hired.
Curry's tenure was during my last 3 years of undergrad at Bama. The controversy around his hire left him little to no margin for error. He made a lot of the right noises (Bryant tower, John Forney, etc) but needed to beat Auburn to gain any sort of traction.That is the canonical version -- I heard it from a member of that committee...and also from one of BB's sons. He did not want to anger the president of FSU by interviewing...he immediately flew back to Tallahassee and made up with the president. As far as the committee, Curry was the smoothest talker they had ever met...he had them in the palm of his hand before they knew it.
Less documented is that his failure was not due to not being a. "Bama" man, but to his lack of in-depth knowledge of football. He was known as a good figure head who had to hire people to do the more complicated football planning.
I supported him until he left -- as I have done with all our coaches...including CMD. That position will either make or break you...
barely heard? ... there was campaign by fanbase to hire DuboseThe story above says Bowden took his name out of consideration.
What I've heard for years is that Bowden had told Joab that he'd take it but he didn't want to interview for it, went up for what he thought was a formality, and opened the door to a room full of folks there to interview him. He apparently muddled his way through it, unhappy to say the least, and wasn't going to take the job because he felt they'd misled him.
I'm not going to argue that's the canonical version of what actually happened, but I've heard that from several folks who were at least around the program at the time. In other words, YES, Bowden would have taken it and Joab took the liberty of ticking him off.
My high school guidance counselor at the time was an Alabama grad, and she and I often used our counseling sessions to talk Alabama football (ha ha). The day after this all unfolded (us hiring Curry), I saw her in the hallway and was shaking my head a bit and she said, "When I see Joab, I'm gonna have to ask him what in the world he's thinking." Never knew her connection with him but she said she knew him.
As far as DuBose (back to the thread), I'm so young I don't even remember him playing. I'd barely heard his name when he was hired.
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