This will be 1st season since 1983 w/o "been at same school last 20 years" FBS coach

[TrueOrange]

Apparently the 2016 season will be the first season since 1983 (the year after Bear Bryant retired from Alabama) that there isn't any coach at the FBS level who's been at the same job for the last 20 seasons. Frank Beamer retiring from Virginia Tech was the last one.

I find that fascinating - in both the sense that there's not a single one over a total 128 schools and that there managed to always be at least one such coach over a span of 33-years.


It feels a little bit weird, too.


(Yes, I know Bill Snyder has been at Kansas State for 25 years total, but with his sabbatical during the 2006, 2007, and 2008 seasons, he's only coached at KSU for the last 7 consecutive seasons.)

 

[VFL-82-JP]

So Kirk Ferentz at Iowa, and Bob Stoops are Oklahoma, are the current FBS grand-daddies, at 17 years each (along with Snyder, I mean, you gotta give the dude credit, sabbatical or not). And we've played both of those first two fellas in the past two years. Cool.

 

[bamawriter]

Back in 2007 when Saban was hired, and all the talk was about how he'd never stay at any program for very long, who would've thought that he'd be in the longest-tenured coach Top 10 by 2016?

 

[VFL-82-JP]

Back in 2007 when Saban was hired, and all the talk was about how he'd never stay at any program for very long, who would've thought that he'd be in the longest-tenured coach Top 10 by 2016?

It ain't always about the Tide, Bama dude. This one's about the fellas who have been around for 17 years (or 25 minus 3, in Snyder's case).

Keep your Saban love in check for a thread where it makes sense.


p.s. Even if you don't count Snyder (but you should), Saban is not one of the 10 longest-tenured FBS coaches. Stoops, Ferentz, Patterson, Gundy, Solich, Whittingham, Miles, Fitzgerald, Stockstill, D'Antonio, and Calhoun all have him beat. Putting Nick at #12 (or #13, with Snyder).

 

[05_never_again]

Back in 2007 when Saban was hired, and all the talk was about how he'd never stay at any program for very long, who would've thought that he'd be in the longest-tenured coach Top 10 by 2016?

I really think Saban only stays at Alabama for a couple more years. And remember, he was *this* close to leaving for Texas a few seasons ago, so the "he'll never stay at one place for very long" call was almost true.

All in all I think he'll be at Alabama for 12-13 years tops, and he almost left after 6. 12 or 13 years is longer than people might have thought, but nowhere near as long as Bowden/Paterno/Beamer/et al.

But I agree that the expectations and patience of fanbases and boosters has changed over the last 30-40 years and especially over the last 10.

Nick Saban has singlehandedly raised the pressure and expectations on other schools in the SEC (namely LSU but also Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, etc.).

Les Miles was almost fired last year, and will be fired after this year if they win 8-9 games, precisely because he isn't Nick Saban. There are only a few places where winning an average of 10.1 games over 11 years (that's what Miles has done at LSU) gets you fired and they might all be in the SEC.

 

[bamawriter]

It ain't always about the Tide, Bama dude. This one's about the fellas who have been around for 17 years (or 25 minus 3, in Snyder's case).

Keep your Saban love in check for a thread where it makes sense.

The OP didn't say anything about Stoops and Ferentz. That was you. I didn't reply to you.

p.s. Even if you don't count Snyder (but you should), Saban is not one of the 10 longest-tenured FBS coaches. Stoops, Ferentz, Patterson, Gundy, Solich, Whittingham, Miles, Fitzgerald, Stockstill, D'Antonio, and Calhoun all have him beat. Putting Nick at #12 (or #13, with Snyder).

Saban, Dantonio, and Calhoun all took over in 2007. They are tied for 10th with Bailiff at Rice (tied for 11th if you count Snyder). Niumatololo at Navy took over during the 2007 season.

 

[05_never_again]

To piggyback off my last post...here's a thought experiment...

Bear Bryant followed up his back-to-back National Championships in 1964 and 1965 and going undefeated in 1966 by going 8-2-1, 8-3, 6-5, and 6-5-1 from 1967 - 1970 (28-15-2 overall). They lost every game to Tennessee over that 4 year stretch. The 1969 and 1970 seasons included losses to Auburn.

In today's climate, would he have been fired after such a run? Mind you, he stuck around for 12 more years after that and won 3 more National Championships. Would he have even been given the chance to do that today? Really makes you question the wisdom of firing coaches in most situations.

 

[bamawriter]

In today's climate, would he have been fired after such a run? Mind you, he stuck around for 12 more years after that and won 3 more National Championships. Would he have even been given the chance to do that today? Really makes you question the wisdom of firing coaches in most situations.

Without a losing season, I'm going to guess that Bryant survives because of the three national titles. But if that fourth season had been below .500, then yeah, I bet he gets fired.

 

[JackBombero]

If not for the hiring of Clawson, it's "possible" that Fulmer could be the longest tenured coach in the nation. Again, unlikely....but it could have been possible.

 

[VFL-82-JP]

Saban, Dantonio, and Calhoun all took over in 2007. They are tied for 10th with Bailiff at Rice (tied for 11th if you count Snyder). Niumatololo at Navy took over during the 2007 season.

Check hiring dates. Saban #12 (really #13).

 

[bamawriter]

Check hiring dates. Saban #12 (really #13).

Good grief. I'd respond, but you've picked every nit.

 

[VFL-82-JP]

Good grief. I'd respond, but you've picked every nit.

Being wrong hurts when your pride is too big. I understand.

 

[BMvol27]

I really think Saban only stays at Alabama for a couple more years. And remember, he was *this* close to leaving for Texas a few seasons ago, so the "he'll never stay at one place for very long" call was almost true

He was never close to leaving for Texas.

 

[05_never_again]

He was never close to leaving for Texas.

I think he was.

 

[Grand Vol]

I think he was.

I never bought into the whole $10 million salary offered nonsense some of the Texas fans were tossing out. I mean, why would Saban leave Bama when:

He already was the highest paid coach in the NCAA
He consistently has top 3 recruiting classes rolling in
He is winning championships and/or competing for them every year
Texas, regardless of the recruiting hotbed, was a major rebuilding effort post Mack Brown
The man could murder someone on the Alabama State Capitol steps in broad daylight and get away with it

And knowing he had significant hurdles to jump in righting the Texas "ship" would he undertake such an endeavor at his age? As well as the way their fans, and more importantly their boosters, are impatient. Good grief, they were already calling for Charlie Strong's head after his first season.

No, I don't think Saban will leave Alabama at this point in his career. Nor do I think he was considering it seriously.

 

[05_never_again]

I never bought into the whole $10 million salary offered nonsense some of the Texas fans were tossing out. I mean, why would Saban leave Bama when:

He already was the highest paid coach in the NCAA
He consistently has top 3 recruiting classes rolling in
He is winning championships and/or competing for them every year
Texas, regardless of the recruiting hotbed, was a major rebuilding effort post Mack Brown
The man could murder someone on the Alabama State Capitol steps in broad daylight and get away with it

And knowing he had significant hurdles to jump in righting the Texas "ship" would he undertake such an endeavor at his age? As well as the way their fans, and more importantly their boosters, are impatient. Good grief, they were already calling for Charlie Strong's head after his first season.

No, I don't think Saban will leave Alabama at this point in his career. Nor do I think he was considering it seriously.

At the time (not now), Saban saw himself as more of a turnaround artist. That's what he was doing at Michigan State, LSU, and Alabama (and even the Dolphins) when he first showed up there. A rebuilding job does not scare him off.

It was never disputed that Jimmy Sexton was putting out serious feelers after they won the 2012 national title, and no agent would ever do that without at least tacit approval from their client. That tells me he was at least considering it.

The $10M/year contract was never a formal offer from the school. It was a proposal thrown together by some boosters because their AD at the time thought it was just a ploy from Sexton to get more money out of Alabama and refused to actually offer the contract.

 

[Tin Man]

ASIDE: Every time I read a post to VN from some Bammer, I envision Hope Solo kicking Nick Saban in the nads. Repeatedly. It's eerily calming.