It Took The Best Program of the Last 15 Years Four Inquiries/Interviews to Get a "Yes".
How Much of That Was the "GOAT Effect" - That People Were Uncertain of Following Not Only a Legend, But Also the GOAT Coach of CFB?
Did Saban Become Alabama and Alabama Become Saban To Such An Extent That With His Departure The Shine is Off?
Or Were The First Three Choices Just in a Better Place Than What They Saw In Their Future at the Crimson Tide?
***
1st Choice - Steve Sarkisian - Texas
By All Reports Was The Guy They Coveted For All The Reasons Listed Many Times on This Board
But How Does Sark See It - Texas and It's Leadership Gave Him a Shot At Redeeming Himself as a Head Coach at a Blue-Blood School. Someone That Preaches Culture Like Sark Where Emphasizing Trust and Loyalty Staying at Texas Was In His Character. I Think His Personality is More ATX Than Tuscaloosa (And Apparently for His Wife Too). He Sees the Resources of Texas - Money/NIL/Alumni/World's Most Recognized College Brand/Fan Support That Far Exceeds Bama Without Saban. He Gets to Create His Own Legend/History Here Outside the Shadow of The GOAT CFB Coach. He Also Knows He Has the Pieces In Place to Be In The Championship Race Annually Without Having to "Start Over" or Convince Kids to Stay at Bama vs Hitting the Portal & It Will Be a Rebuild at Bama As They Lose Top Talent Over the Next 30 Days. He Has His Guys and He's Loaded With More On the Way (Exception for Now Being DT & TE)
2nd Choice - Dan Lanning - Oregon
Obviously When Nike is YOUR NIL You're in a Good Spot During Portal Kombat Season. I Don't Think Alabama Will Ever Have the Financial Resources of The Ducks. Lanning's Personality Which Seems to Be a Bit "Cocky" is Likely a Better Fit On The West Coast Than the Deep South Especailly in Tusculoosa and a Stark Comparison to Saban. He's Also Just Finished Year 2 of a New Gig Assembling a Team - Doubt He Wants to Already Go Through That Process Again So Quickly. His Brand of Football Will Be Exciting in the Boring BIG Now in The BIG Can Also Recruit Better Than Being In the PAC - He Remains Plugged Into West Coast Talent & Gets Better Games and Game Times
3rd Choice - Mike Norvell - Florida State
He's Experinced a Recent Rebuild of a Major Program Already - Even Doing a Mini-Rebuild May Not Have Been Appealing - He Was One Injury Away From the Playoffs. FSU is a Strong Program and Just Outside a Blue-Blood. Best Reason to Stay Put is Staying Out of The Ultra-Competive SEC and Coaching in the ACC. The ACC is Not the SEC but it is "Respectable" With FSU/Clemson Being Top Tier Then UNC/Miami as Solid Teams Followed by Up and Down Teams Like Va Tech/Pitt/Louisville. Win That Conference and You Are Guaranteed a Playoff Spot Without Grinding Your Team Thru the SEC. Like Austin Tallahasse Is a Better Fit/Offer More Than Tusculoosa. All in All Easier to Be a Big Fish in a Smaller Pond
***
So As Much As Has Been Talked About The "GOAT Effect" of Not Wanting To Follow a Legend I Don't Feel That's Why Bama Had to Go With Their 4th Choice.
The Top 3 Choices Just See Better Opportunities Where They Currently Coach
On the Other Hand, It Also Says Alabama is Not The Premier Job In the Country or It Would Have Been Filled After the First Inquiry/Interview
Like Everything In Life it's a Mixed Bag
Have a Great Weekend and Hook 'Em!
How Much of That Was the "GOAT Effect" - That People Were Uncertain of Following Not Only a Legend, But Also the GOAT Coach of CFB?
Did Saban Become Alabama and Alabama Become Saban To Such An Extent That With His Departure The Shine is Off?
Or Were The First Three Choices Just in a Better Place Than What They Saw In Their Future at the Crimson Tide?
***
1st Choice - Steve Sarkisian - Texas
By All Reports Was The Guy They Coveted For All The Reasons Listed Many Times on This Board
But How Does Sark See It - Texas and It's Leadership Gave Him a Shot At Redeeming Himself as a Head Coach at a Blue-Blood School. Someone That Preaches Culture Like Sark Where Emphasizing Trust and Loyalty Staying at Texas Was In His Character. I Think His Personality is More ATX Than Tuscaloosa (And Apparently for His Wife Too). He Sees the Resources of Texas - Money/NIL/Alumni/World's Most Recognized College Brand/Fan Support That Far Exceeds Bama Without Saban. He Gets to Create His Own Legend/History Here Outside the Shadow of The GOAT CFB Coach. He Also Knows He Has the Pieces In Place to Be In The Championship Race Annually Without Having to "Start Over" or Convince Kids to Stay at Bama vs Hitting the Portal & It Will Be a Rebuild at Bama As They Lose Top Talent Over the Next 30 Days. He Has His Guys and He's Loaded With More On the Way (Exception for Now Being DT & TE)
2nd Choice - Dan Lanning - Oregon
Obviously When Nike is YOUR NIL You're in a Good Spot During Portal Kombat Season. I Don't Think Alabama Will Ever Have the Financial Resources of The Ducks. Lanning's Personality Which Seems to Be a Bit "Cocky" is Likely a Better Fit On The West Coast Than the Deep South Especailly in Tusculoosa and a Stark Comparison to Saban. He's Also Just Finished Year 2 of a New Gig Assembling a Team - Doubt He Wants to Already Go Through That Process Again So Quickly. His Brand of Football Will Be Exciting in the Boring BIG Now in The BIG Can Also Recruit Better Than Being In the PAC - He Remains Plugged Into West Coast Talent & Gets Better Games and Game Times
3rd Choice - Mike Norvell - Florida State
He's Experinced a Recent Rebuild of a Major Program Already - Even Doing a Mini-Rebuild May Not Have Been Appealing - He Was One Injury Away From the Playoffs. FSU is a Strong Program and Just Outside a Blue-Blood. Best Reason to Stay Put is Staying Out of The Ultra-Competive SEC and Coaching in the ACC. The ACC is Not the SEC but it is "Respectable" With FSU/Clemson Being Top Tier Then UNC/Miami as Solid Teams Followed by Up and Down Teams Like Va Tech/Pitt/Louisville. Win That Conference and You Are Guaranteed a Playoff Spot Without Grinding Your Team Thru the SEC. Like Austin Tallahasse Is a Better Fit/Offer More Than Tusculoosa. All in All Easier to Be a Big Fish in a Smaller Pond
***
So As Much As Has Been Talked About The "GOAT Effect" of Not Wanting To Follow a Legend I Don't Feel That's Why Bama Had to Go With Their 4th Choice.
The Top 3 Choices Just See Better Opportunities Where They Currently Coach
On the Other Hand, It Also Says Alabama is Not The Premier Job In the Country or It Would Have Been Filled After the First Inquiry/Interview
Like Everything In Life it's a Mixed Bag
Have a Great Weekend and Hook 'Em!
