After the first half of the article where the writer allows himself to dream he comes back to reality and lists 5 coaches the gumps actually have a chance to land and fit the level of their program at this time. Read and enjoy. http://www.tidefans.com/forums/showthread.php?t=51718
I hope they "Wait out Saban" only for him to tell them once again. "Why are you calling my agent, I am not interested" yet for the 10th time.
Alabama can't afford to lose a recruiting season, when they are just getting back to normal after the sanctions. They really need to move quickly to find a coach and try to salvage the recruits. It's more important than splitting hairs trying to find the perfect coach. Hire a promising young guy and let him start recruiting. If the coach doesn't work out, they can always fire him and try another guy. It's what all schools have to do in this era. The days when coaches like Bryant and McClendon come and stay for decades is gone forever with the salaries being paid today.
The gumps are walking a fine line on this one. While they can't afford another bad class coming off of sanctions this one is probably shot already unless they make a quality hire real soon. I think they will be in even worse trouble if they hire someone that doesn't have the ability to bring in recruits and recruiting suffers for a few more years. They need a quality coach and they need him now, but I still think they are better off taking the time and getting better quality rather than a quick hire JMO. Maybe Terry can come back and tell us who is on their knees begging their AD for the job now.:hihi: :hihi: :hihi:
Just ask Idaho, Dennis Erickson left after just one season to take the job at Arizona State: http://chicagosports.chicagotribune...76dec10,1,3477887.story?coll=cs-college-print Why can't Norm Chow land a HC position ?
The guys they want are diamonds, they forget that these guys they want didn't have a MNC when they were hired. OU hired Stoops who was a DC, not even a proven head coach. Just because they can spend big dollars doesn't mean that everything will be ok. Many coaches fail when they move. The right coach is more important than how much you paid.
That's a very good good point. Reminds me of that old saying about people rise to their level of incompetance. If you think about it, it happens a lot in all professions....A person good at one level, gets a promotion, then another. Eventually get in above their heads- few (Statistically speaking) succeed at the highest levels in any profession.
We are about to go into a dead period so they lucked out by doing the search at this time. As long as they have a coach in line when recruit start making official visits in January, they will be okay.
The list is reasonable, and they are beginning to deal with reality. Look, Stoopes and Tressel are NOT looking for a job. And as pointed out, Stoopes was a DC, not a proven head coach when OK took him. He had "that something" in the interview that inspired confidence. So did Nick, his record at Mich. St. was not that good, except for his last year there. A pedigree is a good predictor of future success, but if you can't get one, there are other ways to identify a guy who can produce success. It makes Skip's search in 2004 look downright reasonable and rational by comparison, IMO. And it makes our selection of Les appear very reasonable thing to do, and Les has not let us down. And no, we could not have gotten Stoopes or Tressel in 2004 either. Geaux Skip, Geaux Les, and :geauxtige !!!
I agree. Bama needs to stop wasting time on coaches they have no chance of landing, such a Saban, and start looking at who is realistically available. Petrino would be the best choice hands down, but if he was not willing to leave Louisville for LSU after Saban's departure, I don't see him leaving it for Bama - not unless they offered him the kind of deal they were willing to offer Saban, which they will not do. The assessment above was interesting and informative. No coach will be without risks, and they have to realize that. For all the talk Mel Moore has given about chosing a proven head coach, reality may force them to look for a top coordinator rather than for a mediocre coach.
