Fact or fiction, this is a good read. http://www.chatsports.com/texas-lon...s-Was-So-Sure-Theyd-Get-Nick-Saban-10-136-666
The more I look at this, the more I believe it. I think the situation was pretty close to this and this whole thing was closer than I thought. What leads me to believe it is Saban's comments about people not appreciating him and Chip Brown's earlier article. Chip's not full of shit. He's usually spot on. I don't think this is a done deal yet as Texas isn't interviewing anyone. They're just loafing around at a very critical period to get to recruits.
Right, and I thought it was also oddly coincidental that while Mack was dragging his feet, Saban was laying low and not signing the contract. Very plausible that Saban finally said, "well F it, he's not indicating one way or another, I need to re-sign w/ALA", and did so 5 days into that time period. Of course, once he did, MB then announces he's retiring. Their friendship, as it is purported, may be of mutual respect, and Saban wanted him to leave on his terms, but there is clearly a competitive component, and MB didn't want to be forced out w/Saban waiting in the wings. At least, that's been my take on the situation. According to Terry, though, there was nothing going on since JAN
Here's the funny part....believe it...or throw it by the curb, about 4 months ago I played golf with a guy who come to find out was a retired professer from UT.....he had tenure and now serves on the board of regents, he told me then that they were going after saban and were going to throw 100 Million dollars at him, he was not sure where ALL the money would come from, and also said they were going to offer him some serious perks to make even more money. Well i thought the guy was full of crap so didn't pay much attention to it. We meet up every other Friday to play golf at a particular place. He told me on the 6th it was a done deal. Well I text him right after saban signed the extension and asked him "what happened I thought Saban was a done deal?" He sent me a text back saying that the reason Saban did not take it on the spot was that he would be required to attend a coaches show 3 days per week for his 1% of the longhorn network, Saban said "I just want to coach football I'm not a TV host." Then the guy tells me that it is not a done deal they are going to revisit after the bowl games to see what they can come up with. All of this stuff the guy was telling me a few months ago has turned out to be spot on......so I can't help but take him at his word.
I do believe Mac Brown stonewalled and screwed this deal. Hell, he probably leaked the story to Chip Brown before he went on his "recruiting trip". That guy would hire and fire 12 more coordinators and change his offensive scheme with them before he resigned. Saban SHOULD take the UT job. He has nothing left to play for at Alabama. The historic Three Peat is gone. With his recent success, recruiting talent, and that fan base the only acceptable season is with a National Championship. Anything else is utter failure and someone or something is going to get hurt (or die) as a result. Saban is at the top of the mountain. It is a long hard fall from there.
In 2005 Saban signed a new 7-year contract with LSU that gave him everything he wanted including a new football center and no buyout clause that made him the highest-paid coach in America. A month later he walked away from it to Miami for $25 million. Lesson 1-- Saban will walk away from a new, no-buyout contract, no problem. In 2007 Saban publicly stated that he was not going to be the coach at Alabama. Lesson2 -- Saban will flat-out lie about his intentions, no problem. If Texas really wants Saban, this thing is not over.