Re: Alabama is on fire

I think the lack of continuity is their biggest problem. It's tough for a player to change position coaches and OC's literally every year and be coached by entirely different guys than the ones who recruited you.

It's even tougher when there's so much early attrition to the NFL.

The other problem is that Bama, like Clemson, seemed to have a "type" - in Bama's case: serious, unsmiling, businesslike, impersonal...almost professional, basically. When Saban lost a bunch of head-to-head recruiting battles against UGA a couple years back, though, he went and hired a very different kind of coaching staff - younger, more aggressive, and guys who were known more their recruiting than their coaching. They in turn sallied forth and got a bunch of recruits who had great on-paper ratings and some of them will likely be undeniably great players...but in contrast to that all-business serious vibe to the guys that Saban's crew usually recruited, when that younger staff took over an uncharacteristic number of guys who struck me as immature self-promoting primadonnas started arriving at Bama. That Savion Smith they pulled out of JUCO was a glaring example; that guy was nothing but trouble at LSU and had a horrifying attitude per everybody. I was frankly shocked Bama took him...and it wasn't a shock when he took himself out of the national title game with what looked like a fake ankle injury after getting repeatedly burned by Justin Ross. (Which did not exactly impress NFL scouts either; Smith ended up not being drafted, and he had top-two-rounds-type physical talent!)

I think they've lost their way a bit. Saban's older staffs used to do a consistent job of passing over the problem children with egos because they didn't fit the culture, I think they've slipped on that. That LB who is transferring, for instance, definitely just did not seem in interviews like that old type of all-business Bama kid.

Considering that Saban used to micro-manage literally every facet of that program, this might speak to the fact that Saban isn't as involved as he used to be...or, worse, that he might be losing his touch like Bobby Bowden and JoePa seemed to late in their careers.

This year, I think, may tell us a lot about whether or not Saban is still putting his stamp on that team the way he used to.

Rw43

Orange Blooded [3616]

TigerPulse: 96%

Posts: 3791

Joined: 1/21/16

Aug 4, 2019, 2:02 PM

If "professional" means "ruthless", then yes, i agree that the old guard Bama coaches were professional. Nobody cared about the players' welfare, rights or education; only their performance.

When Jalen Hurts went several months last year after the championship game without having any conversations with any coach re. his status in remaining the starter or as Tua's backup, that should set off alarm bells.

On the one hand, excuses abound: this isn't High School, where you see the Head Coach in the hallway most days--after the Chip game v. UGA, all the coaches hit the recruiting trail to get as many in-home visits done within a very tight window.

Besides, it's Alabama, where his QB position coach and Offensive Coordinator both left and were replaced. Neither of the new guys knew him personally, nor did they have a good professional grasp of the fluid situation. And that happens almost every year.

But at some point, Saban was obligated to address the situation with Hurts. That's only being professional as a coach. And if the same situation exists with non-QBs, Saban owes it to every young man to have that discussion, if no position coach is available to do it. That's not me being sensitive; it's the reason the NCAA requires periodic release of depth charts.

One of the wonderful characteristics that Dabo brings to our program is the leadership and management skills of a CEO of a multi-multi-million dollar business. Every position coach is held accountable for communication with their players, for setting objectives and goals and criteria for their advancement, and for conducting postseason exit interviews so players can know how best to work on their game when not under a coach's supervision.

The reason most Tigers transfer is because they HAVE BEEN INFORMED they have been passed on the depth chart. I think at many institutions, players are left to figure it out for themselves. The NCAA requires periodic publication of the DC so players have the opportunity to know where they stand, but I don't think many coaches bother to inform their guys. It's like a person charged with a crime having the right to legal defense vs. the same person being INFORMED they have the right to legal defense. Saban's, and others, programs are so inefficient in churning through so many talented players without regard for the educations and futures of the young men left behind. 18-, 19-, and even 20-year old kids don't always realize when they are being played by skilled authority figures they respect and depend on.

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Alabama is on fire

I’m sending this to Saban...

Re: I’m sending this to Saban...