Link: Mike Shula has been promoted to USCe Offensive Coordinator

[CrimsonTitles]

I actually think Shula should have gotten a chance to be a head coach at a smaller program. All things considered, he didn't do horrible at Bama. It wasn't up to our standards, but given the situation he walked into, I don't think he was a complete failure as a head coach. He might've done well at a smaller program with lower expectations.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

That's not necessarily true.

Maybe it's my fault as I probably should have put the response in blue font.

I'm probably as well-known on this site for my opinion of Mike Shula (which nobody "really" knows as I'm quite nuanced) as my memory, so this one is on me. People joke at almost every mention of Shula that "oh Lord, don't get Selma started" or something like that.

The comment about the job nobody wanted is in reference to the historical revisionism that casts Shula sitting in his house in Boca (or wherever) when Mike Price's extracurricular habits get him sent packing, and because nobody wants to come to Alabama to coach the football team, Shula channels his inner Matthew McConaughey in "We Are Marshall", up against the odds of a bad probation, a future Senator turning Auburn into a decent team (when they're not flying into Louisville to try to get Petrino), and staying faithful to the cause, chin out and dignified, Jesus Himself waiting to be led to the cross.

While the coaching hiring in May 2003 was far from ideal, Shula wasn't doing anyone a favor, he wasn't coaching for free, and it has been established here there were some contacts by other coaches who shall go to their graves nameless.

THAT was what I meant in regards to "took a job nobody wanted," but it was sarcasm on MY part, too, but I just assumed everyone knew that.

Look, I'll just post it here for public consumption so maybe I won't ever have to explain both sides of a nuance again.

THE GOOD
- Shula did, so far as we know, run a generally clean program, certainly better than the Wild West of Mike Dubious. Even the Textbook Scandal is overblown

- so far as we know, he didn't have the zipper issues of some "other" coaches
- he is still an Alabama player who, in 1985, led 3 of the best comeback drives you'll ever see and kept us in the two games with lost with a "never say die" attitude
- he did attempt through Tuscaloosa "burning" to keep a positive attitude w/the players
- he was NOT a bad recruiter (Ray Perkins was an outstanding recruiter - and lousy)

THE BAD
- he was in so far over his head, it was only a matter of time
- he played favorites as has been established here
- he simply wasn't a very good head coach and was awful at adjustments
- this last was the final straw that got him fired
- honestly, nothing in his resume set him apart as the coach we needed

I'm sure there's more, but does it even matter now?

IF I MET MIKE SHULA, SAY AT THE AUTOGRAPH TENT....
I would choose to say, "Sir, I just wanted to let you know that you gave me one of the greatest seasons of my life as an Alabama fan in 1985, and that was one helluva block you threw to free up Al Bell on the fourth down do-or-die in the Iron Bowl."

I wouldn't even mention he was a coach or what I thought or put in the qualifier "that didn't end in a national championship."


And so, while I don't want him to beat us, I have nothing at all against the guy. A LOT of people are not great (or even good) head coaches, but most of the really good ones love the game and can excel at one particular skill level (like, say, QB development or OC).

 

[bamaga]

Mike did a great job when he was at Carolina with Cam years ago. He has turned out to be a solid football coach and with his pedigree I can't say it is surprising. I wish him well.

He has always been a solid football coach, he has been a failure as a head coach and mediocre OC. he had 17 years after Alabama to forge a new path, there is a reason he has had few opportunities as an OC or HC.

 

[rolltide_21]

Remember the picture of a young Bear Bryant compared to Shula at the podium. Some bama fans thought he was the chosen one based on the picture. During the 2005 season, I had one friend print that out and told me “now we know we have the right guy!” Hahahaha

 

[UAH]

I revere his "never say die" attitude as Alabama's QB. We all know he quarter backed some of Alabama's greatest comebacks in the post Bryant era. He was very very young to be in the role of HC but he held it together until the GOAT arrived. I would suggest we look back on our attitudes based on the post CNS era results over the next five years or so.

 

[Evil Crimson Dragon]

I may be wrong, but I don't think there's a single Alabama fan who hates Mike Shula.
Seriously.

What so many of us hate is the benevolent charity work narrative of revisionism that turns his disastrous tenure as a head coach into volunteering at the Goodwill while curing cancer and feeding a mass of 70,000 fans in a Bryant-Denny snowstorm with only five loaves and two fishes.

Dad tried to throw Bama under the bus as well

 

[Evil Crimson Dragon]

Maybe it's my fault as I probably should have put the response in blue font.

I'm probably as well-known on this site for my opinion of Mike Shula (which nobody "really" knows as I'm quite nuanced) as my memory, so this one is on me. People joke at almost every mention of Shula that "oh Lord, don't get Selma started" or something like that.

The comment about the job nobody wanted is in reference to the historical revisionism that casts Shula sitting in his house in Boca (or wherever) when Mike Price's extracurricular habits get him sent packing, and because nobody wants to come to Alabama to coach the football team, Shula channels his inner Matthew McConaughey in "We Are Marshall", up against the odds of a bad probation, a future Senator turning Auburn into a decent team (when they're not flying into Louisville to try to get Petrino), and staying faithful to the cause, chin out and dignified, Jesus Himself waiting to be led to the cross.

While the coaching hiring in May 2003 was far from ideal, Shula wasn't doing anyone a favor, he wasn't coaching for free, and it has been established here there were some contacts by other coaches who shall go to their graves nameless.

THAT was what I meant in regards to "took a job nobody wanted," but it was sarcasm on MY part, too, but I just assumed everyone knew that.

Look, I'll just post it here for public consumption so maybe I won't ever have to explain both sides of a nuance again.

THE GOOD
- Shula did, so far as we know, run a generally clean program, certainly better than the Wild West of Mike Dubious. Even the Textbook Scandal is overblown

- so far as we know, he didn't have the zipper issues of some "other" coaches
- he is still an Alabama player who, in 1985, led 3 of the best comeback drives you'll ever see and kept us in the two games with lost with a "never say die" attitude
- he did attempt through Tuscaloosa "burning" to keep a positive attitude w/the players
- he was NOT a bad recruiter (Ray Perkins was an outstanding recruiter - and lousy)

THE BAD
- he was in so far over his head, it was only a matter of time
- he played favorites as has been established here
- he simply wasn't a very good head coach and was awful at adjustments
- this last was the final straw that got him fired
- honestly, nothing in his resume set him apart as the coach we needed

I'm sure there's more, but does it even matter now?

IF I MET MIKE SHULA, SAY AT THE AUTOGRAPH TENT....
I would choose to say, "Sir, I just wanted to let you know that you gave me one of the greatest seasons of my life as an Alabama fan in 1985, and that was one helluva block you threw to free up Al Bell on the fourth down do-or-die in the Iron Bowl."

I wouldn't even mention he was a coach or what I thought or put in the qualifier "that didn't end in a national championship."


And so, while I don't want him to beat us, I have nothing at all against the guy. A LOT of people are not great (or even good) head coaches, but most of the really good ones love the game and can excel at one particular skill level (like, say, QB development or OC).

His comeback against UGA throwing to Al Bell was a thing of beauty

 

[selmaborntidefan]

Dad tried to throw Bama under the bus as well

Meh, he was an angry father whose son got fired.

Most of us would probably have that emotion, too.

Plus, he had may have felt personally betrayed because he'd had a GREAT relationship with Coach Bryant, witness all the draftees Shula got from us (Baumhower, Stephenson, McNeal, Nathan, Ray Perkins).

So I "get" that one.

I thought Sly Croom's tactics of anger over not getting the Bama job were worse.

 

[64 Grad]

Shula was in over his head as a head coach. He was not smart enough to be as hard headed as he was. If he had listened to Mal Moore about getting some good assistants he would have lasted longer. Him wasting time recruiting Tebow told me all I needed to know. Everybody knew Tebow was going to Florida. I always resented Tebow playing him like a fiddle costing Alabama recruiting effort and time. Tebow even made a comment later wondering if he had gone to Alabama would Shula still be coaching there. What a jerk. Enjoyed watching him cry.

 

[Evil Crimson Dragon]

Shula was in over his head as a head coach. He was not smart enough to be as hard headed as he was. If he had listened to Mal Moore about getting some good assistants he would have lasted longer. Him wasting time recruiting Tebow told me all I needed to know. Everybody knew Tebow was going to Florida. I always resented Tebow playing him like a fiddle costing Alabama recruiting effort and time. Tebow even made a comment later wondering if he had gone to Alabama would Shula still be coaching there. What a jerk. Enjoyed watching him cry.

At the time, Tebow was full of Tebow............

 

[TideMan09]

I'm happy for Coach Shula & wish him success unless he's playing Bama..

Some coaches are just meant too be an assistant coach instead of being a HC..

 

[4Q Basket Case]

I'm happy for Coach Shula & wish him success unless he's playing Bama..

Some coaches are just meant too be an assistant coach instead of being a HC..

Same here, TideMan.

Mike Shula is a good to excellent QB coach. His track record as an OC is spotty. He's not a head coach. He also got some REALLY bad advice from someone who should have been a rock, but was in fact a stubborn jerk -- his dad.

No shame in not being a HC. The best OC we ever had (Homer Smith) failed at least twice as a HC.

 

[Krymsonman]

I'm sure Mike Shula has learned a lot about coaching since he left BAMA. I just know one thing. We better be ready to play when we show up at SC next year. I remember a day about 14 years ago when we were over there and a certain QB lit us up. I hope we all remember that "Stephen Garcia" moment.

 

[ga tide man #9]

I wish CMS the very best except when we play the roosters. He was one of my favorite players at Bama. The best thing about his tenure at the Capstone was the stability he achieved during the probation years

 

[SkullDuckery]

I don’t think he stabilized the ship as the narrative has gone. Plenty of mid coaches could have gotten those results and probably better with some kind of discipline and better offensive scheme. We were a weak team that didn’t mandate workouts and were the butt of most SEC schools jokes about how soft we were. Fortunately we had Joe Kines to run the defense and keep things at least close at times. And Prothro, poor Tyrone single handedly kept us in a few games and beat Florida.

 

[Cruiser]

I'm sure Mike Shula has learned a lot about coaching since he left BAMA. I just know one thing. We better be ready to play when we show up at SC next year. I remember a day about 14 years ago when we were over there and a certain QB lit us up. I hope we all remember that "Stephen Garcia" moment.

People forget he was an offensive coordinator in the NFL at the age of 31

 

[BamaFan6462]

Shula was in over his head as a head coach. He was not smart enough to be as hard headed as he was. If he had listened to Mal Moore about getting some good assistants he would have lasted longer. Him wasting time recruiting Tebow told me all I needed to know. Everybody knew Tebow was going to Florida. I always resented Tebow playing him like a fiddle costing Alabama recruiting effort and time. Tebow even made a comment later wondering if he had gone to Alabama would Shula still be coaching there. What a jerk. Enjoyed watching him cry.

He also got burned more times than he should have being played by a four star saying he would commit if his two star friend also got a scholarship. Two star we did’t need got a full ride and the four star signed with another team. We were already limited on scholarships and that put us in even worse shape.

 

[theballguy]

I always appreciate the fact that Shula came in and stabilized the ship. We were very much adrift before he got there. His tenure as our coach produced average results and average recruiting. His unwillingness to change or fire coordinators did him in. The payout probably was worth it for him. He's kind of like a working actor. He has stayed in the mix for the last 20 years and worked at several places and keeps getting shots.

Well said.