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Coachageddon 2K15
IYCMI: Louisiana Tech was buried by Temple on Wednesday. Dayton was knocking out in the round of 32 vs. Oklahoma last weekend. A buzzer beater downed the Murray State Racers last night. And, lastly, Notre Dame got stoopid hot from the floor and ran the Wichita State Shockers. This means Gregg Marhsall (WSU,) Archie Miller (Dayton,) Steve Prohm (Murray State,) and Michael White (La. Tech) are all now ready to entertain Bill Battle's offer to make it rain (we're ignoring that Tom Crean talk for now.) Your new basketball coach will almost certainly be one of these four please no Tom Crean men.You have to think, with an April NSD, that things will move quickly now.
How Nick Saban Is Alabama's Secret Weapon in Basketball Coaching Search
“I don't want Alabama to be just a football school,” Saban said. “I want to be good at football, we have high expectations for what we want to accomplish. But I really want us to be good in everything.”
Me too, Coach. Me too.
"So it would be hard to walk away from happy, but that doesn't mean you don't ever move."
"Call no man crazy," has been my mantra. I'm feeling pretty good about this one, y'all.
Spring Football
Jake Coker is more comfortable, but Alabama QB battle is wide open - ESPN
“We’ve tried to make it a little easier with what we’re doing at that position so that they don’t have the burden as some of the guys in the past have had so that the inexperienced players can develop a little more quickly,” Saban said.
Simplifying the offense tells me a few things: 1. Coker mentally still isn't there development-wise for an upperclassmen, which in turn 2. Opens the door for the very talented group behind him, and the change may in fact have also been done for their benefit, as well. Sure, most of us expect Coker to get the nod at some point, but this is a battle that will play its way out until late September is my guess.
Big changes coming to Alabama A-Day television broadcast | AL.com
For the first time since 2008, Alabama's A-Day Game won't air live in its entirety on cable. The SEC Network announced it will air the April 18 game live online on the SEC Network +. It will also be part of the whip-around coverage on the SEC Network Alternative along with the other four other SEC spring games being played that day. Mississippi State, Auburn, LSU and Missouri.
Kind of looking forward to watching LSU shart all over the field in their spring game: NOT looking forward at all to watching the A-Day game live-streamed. Speaking of, we'll be having another Roll 'Bama Roll meetup for A-Day weekend, so it's a moot point for many of us. Details to follow.
LT Cam Robinson Expected to Practice Friday After Spraining Ankle
Alabama left tackle Cam Robinson will not miss any significant time after spraining his ankle in practice this week, UA coach Nick Saban announced Wednesday. “Cam Robinson sprained his ankle and probably will be back to practice on Friday,” Saban said. “We’re hopeful it’s nothing serious, just a lateral sprain to his ankle.”
Ankle sprains in football what groin sprains are to hockey: The most pernicious sort of lingering injury. Someone get the 'Tussin and rub it in there. I'm not feeling the offensive line as it is; having a gimpy Soph. All-Everything LT, with a new QB, is not an injury this offense can easily absorb.
Miscellaneous
Auburn commit David Marshall addresses increased pursuit by Alabama, his 'dream school' | AL.com
The Tigers and Tide have been battling for Marshall for quite some time. He called Alabama his "dream school" and has named both programs his leader during different stages of his recruitment.
Who knows what a 17 year-old thinks from one week to the next? When I was 17, I wanted to be a death metal musician or philosopher king. Wait, I did both of those already.
2015 SEC schedules full of teams that won in 2014
Arkansas, Alabama, Kentucky, Texas A&M and LSU all are tied for the most games against teams who had winning records in 2014 with regards to their 2015 schedules.
Count them, ten (10) bowl eligible teams for those five schools -- including Alabama who gets the benefit of playing 1. The presumptive Eastern favorite on the road 2. The defending B1G West Champ, Wisconsin 3. And the murderer's row of the SEC-West, including a roadie at media darling Auburn.
Best of the SEC: Offensive line - ESPN
Cam Robinson, OT, Alabama, Soph.: Some freshmen take time to get acclimated to the college game. But Robinson is not some freshmen. The former five-star prospect played from Day 1 at Alabama, starting all 14 games last year. And even more impressively, he was one of the Crimson Tide's most consistent linemen, leading the team in knockdown blocks while allowing just three sacks all season.
Three sacks? FIRE CRISTOBAL!
Kudos
IOWA CITY, Iowa - The Alabama swimming and diving team is in fifth place with 79 points after day one of the 2015 Men's NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships being held in Iowa City, Iowa this week.
Sorry, 'Barn. We're taking this distinction from you too, slowly but surely.
Four Gymnasts Earn 2015 All-SEC Honors - ROLLTIDE.COM - University of Alabama Official Athletic Site
Senior Kaitlyn Clark, juniors Carley Sims and Lauren Beers as well as sophomore Keely McNeer were all named All-SEC, which is made up of gymnasts with the top-two scores on each event and in the all-around at the SEC Championships.
Goodness, four?! That's 80% of the rotation (okay, really 60% since McNeer isn't an all-around.) Still, this is the best four-loss team in America.
Law
Tennessee Volunteers' Coleman Thomas arrested on felony theft charge | FOX Sports
Tennessee offensive tackle Coleman Thomas has been arrested on a felony theft charge and removed from all team activities. University of Tennessee police say a dorm resident said an Xbox and three video games worth $640 were stolen from his room March 13. Police said a check through online leads showed Thomas sold the games to a store.
Change the coach, but it's the same old Vawls.
NCAA documents: USC needed 'a wake-up call' after hiring Lane Kiffin - SBNation.com
Rodney Uphoff criticized the hire and said the Trojans "need a wake-up call that doing things the wrong way will have serious consequences," according to the Los Angeles Times. Committee member Roscoe Howard also mentioned the hire in an email, saying the lack of institutional control penalty was "a very easy call for me."
More on the NCAA's intransigent hatred of my Dreamy Lane Kiffin.
NCAA expresses concern over Indiana 'religious freedom' law - CBSSports.com
“We are especially concerned about how this legislation could affect our student-athletes and employees. We will work diligently to assure student-athletes competing in, and visitors attending, next week's Men's Final Four in Indianapolis are not impacted negatively by this bill. Moving forward, we intend to closely examine the implications of this bill and how it might affect future events as well as our workforce.”
Like it or not, social issues have always spilled over to the athletics' world. The most foreboding / heartening statement (depending on your viewpoint) is the NCAA's tacit threat to move from its Indianapolis headquarters.
Finally
Enjoy Dogs 101: Bloodhounds. Hounds are cool, generally. Bloodhounds are particularly awesome.