When Did Saban Become Such a Great Coach to Bama Fans?

[LSUFan21]

This is a serious question. I lived in Alabama throughout Saban's entire tenure at LSU (still do) and I never heard Bama fans say that much about him. The 2001 team was not respected while winning SEC with a 5-3 league record. Bama destroyed LSU 31-0 at home in 2002 and people laughed, especially after the incident with Franchione. The 2003 season, LSU was underrated all year long and never had respect until the last minute and that team was criticized, even though it won the BCS Championship. Then, everyone laughed in 2004 when LSU lost to Auburn and got blown out by Georgia 45-16. Not one time during his tenure at LSU did Bama fans give Saban the kind of respect that we all give the likes of Steve Spurrier, even though he was thought to be a pretty good coach. Then, he went to the pros and did not fare very well.

So, seriously, when did the Bama Nation come to revere Saban as one of the best coaches in America? It surely was not when he was at LSU, or it didn't seem that way because respect was certainly lacking. And, I only ask that because the more I listen to Bama fans it is clear that they believe that Saban will lead Bama to multiple NC's. That might happen, but is it just because of the combination of Saban and Bama? Do you believe that if he won a NC at LSU that he will win multiple NC's at Bama because Bama is so far superior to LSU?

No smack here - I am just trying to understand the thinking.

 

[Bama Reb]

This is a serious question. I lived in Alabama throughout Saban's entire tenure at LSU (still do) and I never heard Bama fans say that much about him. The 2001 team was not respected while winning SEC with a 5-3 league record. Bama destroyed LSU 31-0 at home in 2002 and people laughed, especially after the incident with Franchione. The 2003 season, LSU was underrated all year long and never had respect until the last minute and that team was criticized, even though it won the BCS Championship. Then, everyone laughed in 2004 when LSU lost to Auburn and got blown out by Georgia 45-16. Not one time during his tenure at LSU did Bama fans give Saban the kind of respect that we all give the likes of Steve Spurrier, even though he was thought to be a pretty good coach. Then, he went to the pros and did not fare very well.

So, seriously, when did the Bama Nation come to revere Saban as one of the best coaches in America? It surely was not when he was at LSU, or it didn't seem that way because respect was certainly lacking. And, I only ask that because the more I listen to Bama fans it is clear that they believe that Saban will lead Bama to multiple NC's. That might happen, but is it just because of the combination of Saban and Bama? Do you believe that if he won a NC at LSU that he will win multiple NC's at Bama because Bama is so far superior to LSU?

No smack here - I am just trying to understand the thinking.

When he stepped off the plane at the Tuscaloosa airport!!

 

[Probius]

I remember in 2003 I saw OU in person and thought they were the THE team to win the NC. Then I saw LSU come into Bryant-Denny and was amazed. I walked out of the stadium that night believing in my heart of hearts that LSU had the best team in the country. Just before the OU-LSU game I told everyone in the house that night that LSU would walk away with the game. That was when I started to think of Nick Saban as a top tier coach.

 

[Big tide fan forever]

When he signed the dotted line...:BigA:

 

[LSUFan21]

When he stepped off the plane at the Tuscaloosa airport!!

:biggrin:

Good answer!

I just didn't know if he was so highly revered while at LSU, because I surely did not pick up on the kind of respect that I am seeing now. But, I do understand that once someone puts on your school colors you see them in a different light. Hey, we even love Les Miles right now!

 

[RkyMtnTide]

IMO it has to do with what he has accomplished with the schools that he has taken over. He took a Michigan St. squad that was historically a lower tier Big 10 and made them Upper tier and contenders with the big boys of the conference. He then took over a floundering LSU program under Dinardo that had not only losing conference records, but a losing decade (90's 54-58) and in 2 years were conference championship quality and NC worthy in 3.

The man has proven he can take mediocre and make them contend, while we of the Bama nation view ourselves (biased of course) as certainly better than mediocre, but not quite cream of the crop yet, so we expect an even higher quality and quantity of results- kind of a "if he can win a NC with that caliber of program, he should certainly win 5 with ours" if you will.

It is all based upon the fact that the Man's track record builds winners, so at Bama he should build dynasties!

 

[PDL]

I've always respected him as a great coach. I'm not sure what Bama fans you were talking to in 2003, but I remember being amazed by that LSU team (especially the D) the entire year.

To me, a better question would be when did Saban become such an overrated coach to LSU fans?

 

[bayoutider]

First of all I was at the '02 Bama / LSU game and the midfield exchange between Saban and fRan was nothing like what the media clips showed. It was still something that did not make me proud of fRan that day even though he beat Saban like a rented mule and it's a shame more LSU fans didn't stick around to see the second half.

What Bama fans see in Saban is the hope that discipline and stability will return to the capstone. For what it's worth, Miles had his name in the hat when we hired fRan and we passed on him. We have also passed on Beamer and Bowden so we may not always be smart.

It has been a decade (1997-2007) since Coach Gene Stallings walked our sidelines and Bama fans felt some sense of security. Ten long years of turmoil, coaching changes, probation, listening to cheap shots from our rivals and the media have left many fans fed up with being run over. Not many here said Saban couldn't coach after he won the MNC at LSU in fact many of us saw reason for concern after the '01 season Nick had at LSU. While at LSU we saw how Nick ran things, took care of his program and handed out discipline. We see Nick Saban as a change for the better after ten long years of living out of our comfort zone.

 

[Proxigean Tide]

I was living in Louisiana when Saban arrived at LSU and immediately recognized his ability based upon what he had done at MSU. When he quickly put a fence around the state and started mining all the Louisiana HS talent, I knew he was going to make LSU better in a hurry.

As a gameday coach, I was always impressed with his defenses. Innovative, technically sound, incredibly athletic and very aggressive. His offenses always struck me as strong, competent, but hardly ever dominating.

To answer your question, (to Bama fans) Saban became a great coach the minute he accepted the offer at Alabama. This is because we knew the only thing keeping the Tide from greatness was lack of a driven, aggressive and talented coach who specialized in motivating kids and executing detailed plans.

While Saban was building a winning tradition at LSU, he simply has to reawaken a long established winning tradition at Bama. In short, at LSU Saban was very, very good...at Bama he will be great.

 

[RVTIDER]

Great coach? I dont know yet. But he is the best we have had in a long time so leave us alone.

 

[crimsonaudio]

For me it was the 2003 Bama-LSU game - that was the sickest defensive performance I had seen in a long, long time. As a guy who loves great defense, I watched the game with my jaw on the floor.

That was when I knew Saban was the real deal with respect to defensive coaching.

 

[Bodhisattva]

I was living in Louisiana when Saban arrived at LSU and immediately recognized his ability based upon what he had done at MSU. When he quickly put a fence around the state and started mining all the Louisiana HS talent, I knew he was going to make LSU better in a hurry.

As a gameday coach, I was always impressed with his defenses. Innovative, technically sound, incredibly athletic and very aggressive.

Agreed.

 

[Bodhisattva]

For me it was the 2003 Bama-LSU game - that was the sickest defensive performance I had seen in a long, long time. As a guy who loves great defense, I watched the game with my jaw on the floor.

That was when I knew Saban was the real deal with respect to defensive coaching.

Yep. I was reluctantly jealous of that defense.

 

[stallingsstyle]

I can't wait till nick wins a nc at bama so he don't have to refer back his nc at lsu. I guess you can compare to having wife that talks about an exhusband.

For me it was the sec championship game with UTK! The matt mauck show.

 

[yellowhammer13]

What Bama fans see in Saban is the hope that discipline and stability will return to the capstone. For what it's worth, Miles had his name in the hat when we hired fRan and we passed on him. We have also passed on Beamer and Bowden so we may not always be smart.

It has been a decade (1997-2007) since Coach Gene Stallings walked our sidelines and Bama fans felt some sense of security. Ten long years of turmoil, coaching changes, probation, listening to cheap shots from our rivals and the media have left many fans fed up with being run over. Not many here said Saban couldn't coach after he won the MNC at LSU in fact many of us saw reason for concern after the '01 season Nick had at LSU. While at LSU we saw how Nick ran things, took care of his program and handed out discipline. We see Nick Saban as a change for the better after ten long years of living out of our comfort zone.

Pretty much sums it up for me. We not only "Hope for discipline and stability" and I'll add "respect" too, but the BamaNation as a whole craves it and the program so desperately needs it. We have been though some of our darkest times the last 10 years and our fans are just hungry for any little spark of positive and improvement in the morale at the Capstone. We're tired of being trashed all the time and when we get this thing back on track in the next few years.... folks better look out around the country. The BamaNation is like a powder keg right now, waiting to explode. It's going to be "hell to pay" when "The crimson giant awakes from its 10 year slumber"!!! Mark it!!!

 

[Anchovy]

When did Saban become such a bad coach to LSU fans?


How many LSU fans were raving about Les Miles at OSU?

 

[CornBiscuit]

About the same time LSU fans started paying attention to Alabama and their football forums.

 

[gerry dorsey]

i'll be 100% honest with you. i'm from lsu country and 90% of my friends either went to lsu and/or are huge lsu fans. when saban was there i constantly told them that i thought he was a stud and that i feared him....mainly b/c i hate lsu and i could see what he was doing there. i also always told them that i thought he was not a nice person (although almost always in more colorful language though). i stand by everything i said.....if only lsu fans would do the same. :biggrin2:

 

[BamaInBham]

I have been following Bama football from a little boy in the late 50s. The only 2 coaches that I ever feared in the SEC were Steve Spurrier at UF and Nick Saban at LSU - not Vaught, Dooley, Dietzel, McClendon, Jordan or anyone else (almost Dickey at UT and Arnsparger at LSU). I was familiar with Saban in the NFL and knew how highly respected he was; followed him at MSU and knew what kind of job he did there and loved watching his teams; thought he might be a monster at LSU. (LSU has always been a favorite of mine since they beat Ark in the '65 season Cotton Bowl to help give Bama the NC that year, and they were the only SEC team to consistently play well against big time OOC opponents in the 60s and 70s and early 80s, besides Bama. Of course WWL helped too.)

Everyone talks about the 3 losses in '04, but 2 were essentially flukes - 1 to the greatest AU team in their history at their place.

From 2003 forward, LSU has had incredibly physically impressive teams that play hard - the last 3 years not that fortunate nor the last 2 very smart. The last 2 years you have looked like an NFL team - almost all Saban recruits. Glenn Gilbeaux (sp?) said that LSU was 'Bama lite' and that if Bama hired Saban it would be "LSU's greatest nightmare". Of course Bama fans agree with that assessment, making us think that Saban/Bama will be more powerful than Saban/LSU, as good as LSU has been historically. It will take a couple of years but it will be shocking if the greatness does not reappear. IMO, though Spurrier is a better gameday coach, Saban is overall the best coach in college football. His organizational and recrutiing prowess are EXACTLY what Bama needs.

It's funny before the 2006 season I wished that Miami and Bama would have rough years so there would be a chance Saban might be interested in Bama. When I heard in Oct there was a chance that he might take the job, I felt it was legit. It's like a dream come true.

 

[CrimsonGlory]

Well, in 2001, Saban brought LSU into Tuscaloosa w/ Rohan Davey and Josh Reed and lit up the scoreboard like no other team I'd ever seen in Bryant Denny. Then, in 2003, he brought LSU into BD in National Championship shape at the end of the season with the most dominating defensive performance I've seen in BD. Those are sure signs of good coaching that were duly noted ---improvement from the beginning to to end of the season and being able to use available talent to win in different ways.

Most importantly, he took LSU and made them a contender - through recruiting and discipline. Don't get me wrong, LSU had always been pretty solid, but I never worried about them much until he got there. He made an impact...and is still making an impact at LSU. Recruiting and discipline. Exactly what we needed at Alabama when he took over.