Is Nick Saban Done?

#26
#26
There’s less than a 0% chance Kirby is ever the HC at Bama. Bama has NOTHING that UGA doesn’t, he’s at home, he can win just as easily at UGA and the pressure is less (definitely now so with what Saban accomplished).
THat much is true. Kirby is home. GA is rich and fertile for recruiting. And NIL just sweetened that pot to keep the kids at home. Bama has to leave the state to max out it's roster potential. UGa has very few gaps to fill with out of state players. LSU is one of the few schools that could win a Natty with 90% in-state roster. Zero excuse for FLA to be 5-4. There is nothing offered anywhere else in P-5 that tops what Kirby has available to him. THe only reason he ever would have to leave UGA is to prove he could also do it somewhere else. Like Brian Kelly just did. And he's not long enough into his career yet for that move.
 
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#28
#28
I think Nick Saban may have lost this team and that may be evident if Alabama stumbles to a loss to Ole Miss knocking them out of the New Years Six Bowl Games.

The only conceivable way for Saban to lose a team is if he has an assistant undermining him, whether incidental or on purpose. That's just my opinion.
 
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#29
#29
I’ve had this discussion on here before. I think that when Bama starts dropping these games to lesser opponents consistently that will be the tell tale sign. They very well could 5-4 right now . They could just as easily be 9-0. I’m not ready to say he’s going to drop off, but if they come out flat vs Ole Miss and lose I’ll be ready to have that discussion.
 
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#30
#30
Don't disagree. But, did you see them? They were looking away from him. Tone deaf

Yeah, that one time was super evident as the player just turned his head sideways. This may seem weird, but I think there are/should be spaces on the sideline. The back bench area is for the assistants to chew some but then correct the mistakes. THe HC chews butt as they come off the field. That's his domain. Once you let them clear to the benches, that's the players time to re-program mentally.

Gotta be realistic though. In what world should LSU have been able to even make a decent against Bama this year. To think you're above getting chewed on and turning your head from the HC in a game you should be dominating, is a little priviledged and unacceptable.
 
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#31
#31
I’ve had this discussion on here before. I think that when Bama starts dropping these games to lesser opponents consistently that will be the tell tale sign. They very well could 5-4 right now . They could just as easily be 9-0. I’m not ready to say he’s going to drop off, but if they come out flat vs Ole Miss and lose I’ll be ready to have that discussion.

Disagree about could be 5-4. Has Bama seemed to be off this year and nobody has put a finger on it yet...Absolutely.

Having said that...They are still +100 points in P-5 games this year at 5-2 in those games.
W - TX +1
W - Vandy +52
W - ARK +23
W - A&M +4
L - UT -3
W - MsSt +24
L - LSU -1
That's still pretty well TCB even with a 5-2 P5 record to date, and appearing to be off this season.
 
#32
#32
Ok, I am just playing along. Guessing from memory.

Bear Bryant - quit because Johnny smoked him and was set-up to smoke him for many future years.
Gene Stallings - I can't remember. He may have gone out on his own terms
Les Miles - terminated
Gene Chizick - terminated
Ed Orgeron - terminated
Phil Fulmer - terminated
Urban Meyer - wanted to get away from jort wearing people. pretended to have a health issue.
Woody Hayes - after punching clemson kid, was told to retire or be fired.
Gene Stallings retired he said he wanted to watch over and spend more time with his son who had Down Syndrome.
 
#33
#33
I kind of feel sorry for Bama players and assistant coaches in practice this week. And for Ole Miss. If Bama's season is trluy shot, then then UM will sneak one out. If Saban gets his way in practice this week, they will blow Ole Miss out.

I, for one, think a large part of Saban's success has been his ability to be a CEO and delegate an assistant or coordiantor role to the fullest. He keeps it close to his vest. Only he and that assistant know who has a job next year with him.
 
#35
#35
I kind of feel sorry for Bama players and assistant coaches in practice this week. And for Ole Miss. If Bama's season is trluy shot, then then UM will sneak one out. If Saban gets his way in practice this week, they will blow Ole Miss out.

I, for one, think a large part of Saban's success has been his ability to be a CEO and delegate an assistant or coordiantor role to the fullest. He keeps it close to his vest. Only he and that assistant know who has a job next year with him.
I wonder how many Alabama players will pack up and leave if and when Nick Saban retires? It would be nice if Tennessee could snag a couple.
 
#36
#36
Gene Stallings retired he said he wanted to watch over and spend more time with his son who had Down Syndrome.
Stallings was a good man. He hit his stride with Bama. THat was his best stretch as a HC. But, he was still between Curry and Perkins for win% post-Bear. He just had a natty being main difference in the 3. And he was from the Bear tree, having followed him to several places. So, Stallings had some lattitude at Bama that Curry and Perkins did not get with similar records.
 
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#37
#37
I wonder how many Alabama players will pack up and leave if and when Nick Saban retires? It would be nice if Tennessee could snag a couple.
If he was thinking of retiring, he just added one more year. He will not go out anywhere but on top. THis is not a retirement season for him. He demands too much of himself to go out like this. I don't think anyone but him and the AD will know when he is coaching his last season.

He has done everything Bear did and then some in a little over half the years. And has the same NC's in 15 years it took Bear 24 to get. Bama can Bear Bryant all they want. Saban is in a class all his own there, and did it sober. If Saban had the youth to put in the same 24 years the Bear did, it would be insane how he would make Bear Bryant just a passing name in the wind.
 
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#38
#38
I wonder how many Alabama players will pack up and leave if and when Nick Saban retires? It would be nice if Tennessee could snag a couple.
To actually answer that question, the exodus won't start until a replacement is named. Dabo has had unprecedented success at Clemson. He built that himself. The only reason he would truly have to give that little corner up for Bama, is that it would be easier to do what he has done Clemson. And he has maintained a good bit of the Saban model while tailoring it to him. In my mind, Dabo is the only first coach Bama could go to post-Saban and maintain any resemblance of the Saban dynasty.
 
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#39
#39
He's clearly very frustrated. It's going to be interesting to find out if he views the problem the same way as the fans, namely that his coaching staff sucks right now.

hey unemployed bama guy...

Did you know that you can't spell 'Roll Tide' without two L's?










BWAAAAAAAAAAAAA HA HA!
 
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#41
#41
THat much is true. Kirby is home. GA is rich and fertile for recruiting. And NIL just sweetened that pot to keep the kids at home. Bama has to leave the state to max out it's roster potential. UGa has very few gaps to fill with out of state players. LSU is one of the few schools that could win a Natty with 90% in-state roster. Zero excuse for FLA to be 5-4. There is nothing offered anywhere else in P-5 that tops what Kirby has available to him. THe only reason he ever would have to leave UGA is to prove he could also do it somewhere else. Like Brian Kelly just did. And he's not long enough into his career yet for that move.
I considered putting your last comment into my “analysis”. The only thing that would garner a move is ego and trying to chase it at multiple places. I heard this weekend (can’t remember where it was, maybe a VQ podcast) that Saban said some years ago that UGA is the best job in the country due to the combination of in-state talent, lack of in-state competition for said talent and overall resources.
 
#42
#42
McRib (LSU fan) and I were having this discussion Sunday. Bama fans are spoiled with excess success. They've had the best college coach in the history of the game running their program. And many of them are calling for Nick to step down or completely clean house with coordinators.
There will be a time when Saban has to retire. Looks like there are chinks in the armor to me. But a coach of Saban's caliber will set their retirement on their own terms. And frankly, should be allowed to do so.
 
#44
#44
I considered putting your last comment into my “analysis”. The only thing that would garner a move is ego and trying to chase it at multiple places. I heard this weekend (can’t remember where it was, maybe a VQ podcast) that Saban said some years ago that UGA is the best job in the country due to the combination of in-state talent, lack of in-state competition for said talent and overall resources.

As a Griffin Native and overall GA resident for roughly the first 48-49 of my years, that is as true for GA and UGA than any other state and university system in the country. Tennessee and Arkansas being two others that come to mind minus the depth of high school talent resouces. LSU is another of the few in that unique situation, and the HS talent is comparable to GA. Saban probably told Kirby when you go take that job make it count and don't come back, you'll never find a better situation.
 
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#45
#45
He's clearly very frustrated. It's going to be interesting to find out if he views the problem the same way as the fans, namely that his coaching staff sucks right now.
Have to believe BoB is gone, as for the DC sure why not replace him.
 
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#46
#46
If he was thinking of retiring, he just added one more year. He will not go out anywhere but on top. THis is not a retirement season for him. He demands too much of himself to go out like this. I don't think anyone but him and the AD will know when he is coaching his last season.

He has done everything Bear did and then some in a little over half the years. And has the same NC's in 15 years it took Bear 24 to get. Bama can Bear Bryant all they want. Saban is in a class all his own there, and did it sober. If Saban had the youth to put in the same 24 years the Bear did, it would be insane how he would make Bear Bryant just a passing name in the wind.

That sounds like a good plan for Nick.

However, Father Time is one incredibly mean SOB. Once the brain starts misfiring, which is happening to him, then you don't just improve back uphill from that point. But, working crossword puzzles in the off season can somewhat slow his mental regression.
 
#47
#47
That sounds like a good plan for Nick.

However, Father Time is one incredibly mean SOB. Once the brain starts misfiring, which is happening to him, then you don't just improve back uphill from that point. But, working crossword puzzles in the off season can somewhat slow his mental regression.

If their is anything going on medically in his noggin that is affecting his behavior, it could explain why some are questioning losing his team and/or coaches. Otherwise it's a 2 loss season, and he's had 1, maybe 2 in his 15 years there, so it's not so far fetched.
 
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#48
#48
I considered putting your last comment into my “analysis”. The only thing that would garner a move is ego and trying to chase it at multiple places. I heard this weekend (can’t remember where it was, maybe a VQ podcast) that Saban said some years ago that UGA is the best job in the country due to the combination of in-state talent, lack of in-state competition for said talent and overall resources.

I've never heard that analysis, but I can believe it. I remained consistently amazed at how Georgia went over forty years without winning a National Championship. Then, you would look at the NFL stats, and the state with the most players (by high school) would be Georgia. Took them a long time to turn the ship.

FOUND IT:

NFL PLAYERS PER CAPITA: Georgia, with one NFL player for every 70,940 residents, leads the list of NFL players per capita. Louisiana (one in 71,658) and Mississippi (one in 82,258) round out the top three. The national average is one NFL player per 191,811 U.S. residents. Sep 19, 2022
 
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#49
#49
I think Alabama goes 9-3 and Nick Saban tells his team and the Sports Media that he's going to retire following Alabama's Bowl Game in the ReliaQuest Bowl,Citrus Bowl or Taxslayer Gator Bowl. ESPN will make a huge production out of Nick Saban's coming retirement and so will CBS. I think Alabama will name their new head football coach in December and i think Nick Saban's successor could be one of these 10+1 head coaches and assistants.

Lane Kiffin Ole Miss
Ryan Day Ohio State
Dabo Swinney Clemson
James Franklin Penn State
Kirby Smart Georgia
Todd Monken Georgia OC
Mike Gundy Oklahoma State
Lance Leipold Kansas
Kevin Wilson Ohio State OC
Freddie Kitchens Senior Analyst South Carolina
Clay Helton Georgia Southern

If Saban decides to call it quits bama has my permission to hire Freddie Kitchens btw. That would be a giant clusterfug! Clay Helton? What are you smoking? Kirby to bama at this point would be a lateral move. Not comparing prestige of the two programs but lateral because UGA has it rolling under KS. Heck, he played at UGA too. I don't see the allure for Smart. Bama would swing for the fences before going the coordinator route imo.
 
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#50
#50
He was very old. I feel the same issue is happening with Saban. He spent a lot of time Saturday night screaming at player's on the bench. You could tell from their facial expressions that they were tuning him out.

It is really difficult for a 70 year old person to communicate with a 20 year old individual. Huge age gap...
Ehh.. I don’t know, my parents get along and relate to my kids probably better than I do, but I think if I were him I would’ve wanted to go out on a high note, which would have been a year or two ago.. now he just looks greedy lol
 

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