I certainly agree with giving credit to Saban for his accomplishments here which went far beyond simply recruiting or winning games. That being said, I would add that Miles has some qualities that Saban did not show here, integrity and humility. Miles does not make himself the center of this program, but the players. I think we all see the difference. And Cparso is correct. It is more than obvious what the motivation of all the Miles bashing by opposing fans really is.....fear.
O.K. then, I want to see a coach do all those things at UM- "Repair", etc- without winning. That's what separated Saban from Dinardo.
Have to agree with tiga. If LSU doesn't win games they can't start the tradition fund, people donate less money, they sell fewer tickets, lower bowl game revenue, etc. Then we don't have the money to build academic centers, Mikes habitat etc.
Gerry DiNardo won quite a few games in his first three season and we all thought the program was salvaged from the Archer years. However, the team fell apart because of a lack of focus, and player development, off the field. Mediocrity in, mediocrity out. Saban's commitment to turning our academic goals around for our players made a difference with the family's of recruits and garnered him better players and better individuals. He didn't simply show up, start winning and the rest followed. The academic center did not get started until 2002, but the work he put in to this accomplishment did not happen overnight. Saban was a complete coach because he tackled every aspect of what we needed as a program, and did so quickly.
I see what your saying. It's more like a 3 step plan. 1) Mold young men into great players -> 2) Win Games -> 3) Build the foundation for continued success. In that sense I would agree that Saban is owed his due. Even though he did it with Dinardo's players. :hihi:
Yeah, to think we were happy with the Independence Bowl. Or beating #1 Florida one week, then losing to unranked Ole Miss the next. I don't want to take away from the good he did- cause he was good for LSU. The fact that Saban won a NC in such a short time speaks to what I was saying and what you've cited here. :thumb:
Despite my own personal feelings against Saban for how insecure he made us feel at the end of every season, and then finally pulling the trigger by leaving for Miami, I never thought he was a football god. He certainly accomplished a great deal on the field but seeing the academics turn around for us so quickly, IMO, is his lasting legacy. It showed a commitment to the players not previously shown by the university. LSU produced 84 Academic All-SEC honorees in Saban’s five seasons, including 25 members of the 2003 national championship squad. Offensive tackle Rodney Reed (2002 and 2003) and offensive lineman Rudy Niswanger (2004) earned First Team Academic All-America honors. Linebacker Bradie James earned a post-graduate scholarship from the National Football Foundation in 2003. Graduation rates are up and I expect Miles to continue our upwards spiral on the field and off. Who doesn't want smart, classy players? I will remain content to let Miami continue to send thugs to the NFL.
Where are you getting this information? The last figures I saw where pretty pathetic and posted a topic a couple years ago about this very issue. At that time they were using old numbers (Dumbnardo's classes) and it looked like we could lose a couple of counters because of the new rules. Is there more up to date info available now?
