Michigan -Bama
- Thread starter HBK4life
- Start date
Miraculously Saban bailed right when NIL and the expanded playoff happened. Coincidence, I'm sure.
It is a lot easier to win it all when you start in the final four AND everyone can buy their teams.
What that dude Shane Gillis made that "joke" about Alabama Jones buying players and Saban got mad but not super mad, but then went on the Pat Macaffey (No clue what his name is) show to STILL rip on Gillis...it let EVERYONE know that when Saban said he had "integrity" what he really meant was "I don't want my legacy tarnished because we bought the hell out of players"
I’m not a Saban fanboy, but he’s 73 years old. When was he supposed to retire?
Yeah, I agree BUT is it not like he was coaching anymore. He was just "there", he was not breaking down film or scripting plays or running drills. He was like Bowden at the end, just walking around a bit.
TO still called plays.
Well sure, but that’s still a helluva lot more work than I’m gonna be doing when I’m 73.
No idea. Is all I know is he up and left and openly complained about NIL. A guy with the most resources in CFB complaining about paying players. He left as soon as all his built in advantages were gone. Still a great coach, obviously, but a weak move.
Yeah, he’s a dick. But he retired when most coaches do. He could have gone JoePa, I suppose, but who wants to work until they’re 80?
Tom Osborne saw the same thing Saban did. A step back was coming. But it was still a bit different than Saban. NIL was a big factor in his departure. Just not a fit, like Coach K, Roy Williams, Larranaga, Jay Wright. NIL will continue to end great careers early, unless reform comes soon enough.
It was coming, Saban could see it, and he jumped ship. He had no control of LANK and decided to let someone else land on that grenade.
Larranaga was a bit more of a bitch. Could have left before the season.
Coach K is an asshole and left because he was a cock and he was never going to win it all again and it was getting embarrasing for him.
Roy left because he was done.
Jay left for exactly what you said.
I get what you're saying but Bowden was sliding before he retired and him and Osborne were players coaches. Osborne didn't need to raise his voice to get his point across.
2 totally different circumstances. There wasn't going to be a slide. He had Newcombe waiting in the wings and McBride for a couple more years. Recruiting wouldn't have fallen off. He probably loses 1 or 2 in 98 but he probably wins another title in 99 or 00. He retired to hand it to Solich so he wouldn't take the OC job at Wisconsin
I don't think you need to "raise your voice" to be an authority figure. TO, in my opinion, was not a players coach, Barry Switzer was, TO did not hang with the guys or joke with the guys or stuff like that...he was their grandpa. You has SOME fun with him...and that was it.
The biggest problem for them is NIL money.
They had THE best bag men in the game prior. Georgia was a close second.
But forever Alabama players have been driving brand new American made cars from a dealership in Tuscaloosa. It’s been documented which cars they had.
As soon as NIL became a thing Saban knew it would get harder. He literally had the #1 or 2 recruiting class every year for like 8-9 straight years.
It’s not that hard to go 11-1 when you have that. Imagine Nebraska with the top recruiting class literally every year for a decade. Zero chance we don’t win 2-3 Nat Champs.
As soon as he lost that competitive edge he knew his job was going to get tougher. So he leaves and cements a legacy.
I have never heard that but I 100% believe it is true.
Watching that fake ass talk about "integrity" was so funny. I sort of wish he had just laughed and said "Well, now that I am retired MAYBE there was one or two players that got something under the table, but I don't know for sure" with a grin on his face.
