From Bryant to Saban: Alabama's 25 Years in the Wilderness
by kleph on Aug 1, 2010 9:09 AM CDT
in History
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In the wake of Alabama's victory over the Texas Longhorns in the BCS National Championship Game last January, the comparisons between Paul W. Bryant and Nick Saban have been pretty much constant. While there are certainly similarities between the two men's approach to the profession, it seems ambitious at this point to simply assume the degree of success achieved by the former will follow from the tenure of the latter.
But what is certain is that Nick Saban has returned the Crimson Tide football program to the stature that we Alabama fans have come to perceive as our birthright almost entirely due to Bryant's success. And that's a vastly significant achievement when viewed in the light of the last quarter century.
So it makes sense that as we prepare for the 2010 season we take a moment to look back over exactly how far Alabama football has come since 1982. This week, the Tuscaloosa News has run a superb series examining each of the Tide's seven coaches in that span that is worth giving a gander. In addition, we at Roll Bama Roll have produced a few historical pieces on this subject matter as well. The links for these are after the jump. Take a little time this Sunday and give them a look.
From Bryant to Saban l The Tuscaloosa News
Ray Perkins l 1983 - 1986
Making Bennett a linebacker a smart decision by Perkins
Bill Curry l 1987 - 1989
Curry's lack of 'Alabama ties' led to short stint
Curry calls Thomas 'the best football player I ever coached'
Gene Stallings l 1990 - 1996
Stallings got UA back to prominence, for a little while
Stallings didn’t want Barker to be just a QB, he wanted a leader
Mike Dubose l 1997 - 2000
Looking back, DuBose knows what he would have done
DuBose: Alexander a 'smooth' athlete
Dennis Franchione l 2001 - 2002
Franchione, staff came with businesslike approach
Williams followed Franchione to UA
Mike Price l 2003
Price's short tenure left players looking for answers
Mike Shula l 2003 - 2006
Shula takes the Tide’s reins during ‘the bottom of the low point’
Prothro one of those players ‘with magic’
The Dennis Franchione Saga l Roll Bama Roll
Part Two: A Powerhouse Implodes
The Reading Room l Roll Bama Roll
Bama After Bear by Donald Staffo
Stallings to Saban by Donald Staffo
Crimson Slide by Mike Flax
The Future By Way of the Past l Tider Insider
Part I: How Did We Get to This Point?
Part III: A Storm and An Unworthy Ship
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It has been a long
wilderness trek. But, from Bryant to Saban we still had a decent team. After all we did win 3 SEC titles & 1 NC. In many places Alabama’s teams from 83 to 07 would be the stuff of legends. I’d say MSU, UK, SC, and even Arky have never had as good a run as we had in our “wilderness.”
And, Stallings tenure was worthy of the Alabama tradition.
To me one of the worst things in that 25 year stretch were the probations and the general lack of discipline on the team. We had enough good players we just didn’t grow them.
As much as I hate Auburn I hate Tenn. that much more.
Player development is key
We struggled to develop players. Saban develops players well, which is why he’s been able to win at Bama. Some of the others brought in players who never improved between their first and last day on campus.
www.totteringworld.com
Mike Johnson and Javier Arenas becoming All Americans should tell you everything you need to know about the level of player development under Saban.
Roll Bama Roll - The Champagne of Bama Blogs.
And again, let's not forget...
"High standards come from passion within...." --Coach Nick Saban
by NiceLittleSaturday on Aug 1, 2010 2:41 PM CDT up reply actions
or the development of Corey Reamer..
…Marquis Johnson, and Eryk Anders.
Roll Bama Roll - The Champagne of Bama Blogs.
speaking of Corey
how much you wanna bet Hard Knocks is gonna follow him around?
"Yeah, it's Tennessee, that's the way it is sometimes." - Corey Zickefoose, Pulitzer Prize winner and robbery victim
"I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day." - Dean Martin
by Thomas Walker Esq on Aug 1, 2010 3:36 PM CDT up reply actions
is that a cigarette in Coach Bryant's
left hand? If so, I’ve never seen a pic of him with a cigarette on the field.
Ordinarily, I'd whip your nuts with a car antenna for that kind of callous attitude
like this...
http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2010/07/sports_sound_off_nick_saban_do.html
Roll 'Bama Roll: The Champagne of 'Bama Blogs.
What I love about those pics...
…looks like Bryant and Saban are leading the same team onto the field. While all these other schools play around with their unis, BAMA stay the same, classic and classy.
Auburn and Tennessee fans are a lot like Slinkys...neither are worth much but you do get a sense of satisfaction from pushing them down a flight of stairs
What the hell is it with this place and...
…parentheses? You cannot use them, whatever you put in them does not show up. I put PSU in parentheses after BAMA in the prior post.
Auburn and Tennessee fans are a lot like Slinkys...neither are worth much but you do get a sense of satisfaction from pushing them down a flight of stairs
Let's try again
Hello (one), how(are you)
Auburn and Tennessee fans are a lot like Slinkys...neither are worth much but you do get a sense of satisfaction from pushing them down a flight of stairs
I don’t really think that I could call Stallings’ era “the wilderness”.
Stallings had a better winning percentage than Saban in his first 3 years (83.8 versus 80.49) and equal national championships.
Now, I think Saban will take us further than Stallings, but comparing the first 3 years of each; it looks fairly similar.
"There's a lot of blood, sweat, and guts between dreams and success" - Coach Bryant
the original w/l record...
…or the newer one?
"High standards come from passion within...." --Coach Nick Saban
by NiceLittleSaturday on Aug 2, 2010 9:54 PM CDT up reply actions
one of the things i am most proud of
is the maturation of the fans. oh i know there are still eleventy thousand idiots out there, but, for most of us, along with the expectation of winning comes humility and thankfulness. we have been to hell and back and i’m very proud of what we have ALL accomplished. it made #13 all the more sweet.
"You have to create 6 seconds of hell each play..."
Coach Nick Saban
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