Who will replace Saban?

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SHGopher said:
www.tomahawknation.com

By spurning Alabama Mike Norvell follows in Bowden’s footsteps, offering referendum on FSU football

Florida State just means more
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Can you imagine if FSU lost their coach to Alabama too? They didn't.

He declined the offer. Actually, several did. It is not the #1 job. Maybe Sabin himself was.
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I think a lot of coaches understand what it means to be the guy after a legend at a program like Alabama. I've heard people say you want to be the guy after the guy, because right now nothing short of playing for national titles at Alabama will be acceptable to the Bama fan base. I'm sure DeBoer has the ego and confidence to believe he can be that guy, but if he has two back-to-back seasons of 10-2 or even God forbid 9 wins and the pitchforks will be out. Just watch next year, if Bama doesn't at least make the BCS semifinal game the fans will be all over him.
 

99Gopher said:
I think a lot of coaches understand what it means to be the guy after a legend at a program like Alabama. I've heard people say you want to be the guy after the guy, because right now nothing short of playing for national titles at Alabama will be acceptable to the Bama fan base. I'm sure DeBoer has the ego and confidence to believe he can be that guy, but if he has two back-to-back seasons of 10-2 or even God forbid 9 wins and the pitchforks will be out. Just watch next year, if Bama doesn't at least make the BCS semifinal game the fans will be all over him.
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Honestly, I think it’s less about following a legend and more about the reluctance of leaving a place you helped build/build equity.

For example, let’s say Ohio state loses to Michigan again and cams Ryan Day, I think they will have some of these same issues when looking to hire and we wouldn’t call Ryan Day a legend.
 



Unregistered User said:
Leaked: Karen DeBoer’s final words to his team

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Some of them actually clapped for that bs……they should have just walked out of the room.

What he should have done is walked in, confirmed to them what was going on and then given them the chance to ask questions or vent. Don’t need some bs about how much you love them and the school when you are jumping ship to another school.

edit - to be clear, I don't fault DeBoer for talking the Alabama gig. I just have an issue with speeches like this one. A speech like this is fine when the coach is at a G5 or even FCS school getting a shot at the big time....it makes sense there. And in those cases the players won't be happy but it is totally understandable and you might even feel good for your coach. But DeBoar was already coaching in the PAC 12/BIG Ten so too me his words ring really hollow.

As a Washington player my attitude would be "thanks for everything coach....don't let the door hit you on the way out....hope we get a chance to kick your team's butt at some point in the near future, but save your speeches for your new team."
 
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Unregistered User said:
Leaked: Karen DeBoer’s final words to his team

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I don’t think that recording is going to win him any Huskies fans. When I heard he left, I didn’t like it, but thought this is what college football has become.

Now, after listening to his 8 minute pity party, I’m feeling less generous to him about it. Yes, he’s a good coach, but even though he kinda knew Penix, he doesn’t come to U-dub without NIL money. Neither do a few other players. And there was a core of very good players here already.

The move may have cost UW some top players as several have already entered the portal and some recruits have de-committed.
 

Apparently only 20-25% of the players showed up to hear DeBoar's exit message. Good for them.

Interesting to see Jedd Fisch's name being floated as a potential replacement. He was a mess here as an OC but he was still learning at that point and trying to do way too much. Seems like he has figured things out and has had a pretty nice run as a head coach.
 

MNVCGUY said:
Apparently only 20-25% of the players showed up to hear DeBoar's exit message. Good for them.

Interesting to see Jedd Fisch's name being floated as a potential replacement. He was a mess here as an OC but he was still learning at that point and trying to do way too much. Seems like he has figured things out and has had a pretty nice run as a head coach.
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Looks like it will be Fisch.

 

FWIW - former Gophers assistant Mo Linguist has been hired as an assistant coach at Alabama. He will reportedly coach DB's and serve as the Co-DC.
 



PMWinSTP said:
I would be very surprised if he is not in their top five.
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We won't likely ever know for sure who was on the list, but if you are still interested, here's an explanation from a guy who's known Saban for decades why Lane was never a candidate. The whole discussion is somewhat relevant, but he addresses Lane specifically starting at about the 17:20 mark. (Fair warning, if you are unfamiliar with the host, Chris Landry, he's not the most polished podcaster and there are a lot of hems, haws, coughs, throat clearing, etc., that can make him a hard listen at times.)

 

short ornery norwegian said:
FWIW - former Gophers assistant Mo Linguist has been hired as an assistant coach at Alabama. He will reportedly coach DB's and serve as the Co-DC.
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Mo was not setting the world on fire at Buffalo, so a pretty good move for him. Probably as he may have been starting to get a hot seat at a MAC school.
 

First thing DeBoar has to do.is recruit his roster. I see 8 have already entered the portal, including 5 star safety, linebacker, and starting left offensive tackle. Who is reportly headed to Iowa. Just what they need, a 6’8. 380 lb. lineman.
 

2nd Degree Gopher said:
We won't likely ever know for sure who was on the list, but if you are still interested, here's an explanation from a guy who's known Saban for decades why Lane was never a candidate. The whole discussion is somewhat relevant, but he addresses Lane specifically starting at about the 17:20 mark. (Fair warning, if you are unfamiliar with the host, Chris Landry, he's not the most polished podcaster and there are a lot of hems, haws, coughs, throat clearing, etc., that can make him a hard listen at times.)

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Not sure I buy what this guy is selling, Saban fired Kiffin after the Peach Bowl victory and seven days before the championship game and Kiffin's last day as Bama OC.
 



PMWinSTP said:
Not sure I buy what this guy is selling, Saban fired Kiffin after the Peach Bowl victory and seven days before the championship game and Kiffin's last day as Bama OC.
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Not really sure what's confusing you. Kiffin was hired by FAU mid-December. Saban announced and praised the hire at the same time he said Lane would stay with the Tide through the playoffs. Bama played and won the Peach Bowl/semifinal on New Year's Eve. Two days later, and just a week before the championship game, Saban fired Kiffin, effective immediately, and installed Sark as OC. What would have made Saban abruptly shift from the initial plan just seven days before the championship game? Doesn't it make sense that there must have been a major disconnect with Kiffin on what was expected of him vs. what he was doing? Otherwise, why would they have disrupted their preparations? The reporting is that the Bama folks found Lane's conduct as he tried to do both jobs to be disloyal, unprofessional and immature. This damaged his reputation in Tuscaloosa to the point that he wasn't considered for the job this time around.
 

2nd Degree Gopher said:
Not really sure what's confusing you. Kiffin was hired by FAU mid-December. Saban announced and praised the hire at the same time he said Lane would stay with the Tide through the playoffs. Bama played and won the Peach Bowl/semifinal on New Year's Eve. Two days later, and just a week before the championship game, Saban fired Kiffin, effective immediately, and installed Sark as OC. What would have made Saban abruptly shift from the initial plan just seven days before the championship game? Doesn't it make sense that there must have been a major disconnect with Kiffin on what was expected of him vs. what he was doing? Otherwise, why would they have disrupted their preparations? The reporting is that the Bama folks found Lane's conduct as he tried to do both jobs to be disloyal, unprofessional and immature. This damaged his reputation in Tuscaloosa to the point that he wasn't considered for the job this time around.
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What I have heard is Saban had an issue with Kiffin's game plan used for the peach bowl, and that is what led to the firing. Just about everything I've read says they have a great relationship.
 

PMWinSTP said:
What I have heard is Saban had an issue with Kiffin's game plan used for the peach bowl, and that is what led to the firing. Just about everything I've read says they have a great relationship.
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They have a cordial relationship now, but I don't think it's really great or that Saban would have ever wanted to work with him again. Kiffin is not the type of guy that Alabama wanted representing their brand. And I don't think that the gameplan in the Peach Bowl was the only issue. It was the way that he came up with that gameplan while being late for meetings and dividing his attention between two jobs that pissed Saban off and lead him to fire his OC a week before the championship game. Guys quit before a bowl game if they are taking another job. When else has a head coach fired a coordinator between two playoff games?
 

2nd Degree Gopher said:
Not really sure what's confusing you. Kiffin was hired by FAU mid-December. Saban announced and praised the hire at the same time he said Lane would stay with the Tide through the playoffs. Bama played and won the Peach Bowl/semifinal on New Year's Eve. Two days later, and just a week before the championship game, Saban fired Kiffin, effective immediately, and installed Sark as OC. What would have made Saban abruptly shift from the initial plan just seven days before the championship game? Doesn't it make sense that there must have been a major disconnect with Kiffin on what was expected of him vs. what he was doing? Otherwise, why would they have disrupted their preparations? The reporting is that the Bama folks found Lane's conduct as he tried to do both jobs to be disloyal, unprofessional and immature. This damaged his reputation in Tuscaloosa to the point that he wasn't considered for the job this time around.
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Not confused at all, just not sure I buy what he said in the podcast.
 

2nd Degree Gopher said:
They have a cordial relationship now, but I don't think it's really great or that Saban would have ever wanted to work with him again. Kiffin is not the type of guy that Alabama wanted representing their brand. And I don't think that the gameplan in the Peach Bowl was the only issue. It was the way that he came up with that gameplan while being late for meetings and dividing his attention between two jobs that pissed Saban off and lead him to fire his OC a week before the championship game. Guys quit before a bowl game if they are taking another job. When else has a head coach fired a coordinator between two playoff games?
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The handful of Bama fans I talked with all mentioned Kiffin as one of a handful of coaches they would be satisfied having as HC.
 

PMWinSTP said:
The handful of Bama fans I talked with all mentioned Kiffin as one of a handful of coaches they would be satisfied having as HC.
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Yep, lots of fans like him--he's brash, he's engaging, he's an aggressive recruiter, his teams favor a high-flying style, he's good looking, he's funny, he claps back on social media, he's got a hot young girlfriend, etc. But think about how the people he worked for view him and how they treated him. In an industry where the standard is to "thank him for his contributions and wish him the best in future endeavors," Al Davis fired him and called him a liar, USC fired him at the airport and Alabama fired him a week before the most important game of the year. That's not normal. For all his talents, he excels at burning bridges with the people who employ him.
 

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