I'm with KP. I don't know if Cut would leave, he seems to love the chill atmosphere at Duke, but there's not a finer coach out there who could be had, possibly. Also, KP is spot on right about Saban's press conferences and the things he'd put up with at Texas. He wouldn't tolerate it. Alabama still has that 'Bear Legacy' culture. They're willing to worship at the alter of a football God, but it took one to whip them back into shape. I don't think that exists at Texas.
What a surprise that the university president is a political whore. :roll: http://tracking.si.com/2013/12/24/mack-brown-forced-resign/?xid=si_topstories
Sid he was the last stumbling block in the way of Mack being forced out, but he had his own battles to fight to hold on to his job. Once he won that battle he gave in and Mack was done. All the Big Money Backers of the program wanted Mack out. Mack didn't want to go, but he wasn't ever going to coach the Longhorns in 2014. Powers also stood in the way of Texas pursuing Nick Saban, he didn't like Nick and Mack didn't like Nick either..they conspired to do everything possible to thwart attempts to get a deal done with Saban.
Honestly, I don't think you guys ever stood a shot at Saban. It's not that you don't have enough money. You have more than anyone. You don't have what Alabama has and you never will. (that's actually kind of a good thing). Saban would be a damned fool to leave Alabama. No matter what Bama fans tell you, he's in Bear Country now. Granted, Bear did it all over a very long period of time. However, if you sit back as a fly on the wall and listen to them talk.. it's the same voice, the same tones, the same respect. He'll never get that anywhere else in the world.
I'm sure Corey has more insight into this than I have, but I have to respectfully disagree. I think Alabama fans (at least the ones that were alive when Coach Bryant was coaching) will put up with a lot from Saban, but Coach Bryant was one of us, Saban will never be one of us. :!:
See, now that's why KP's perspective is a more important addition here. That's a whole new angle to consider. I'm sure these annual (nonexistent) courtships from suitors get old. He may not be 'blood', but he's everyone's new favorite uncle and he's buying everyone all the best Christmas presents. He's the one you're seeking out in the room when you show up at Nana's for the holidays. Never mind that the pretty 13 year old nieces seem to spend an awkwardly long amount of time on his lap after the family picture. No one seems to mind whenever he oversteps his bounds or pisses off the grumpy aunt, because he means well and those gifts are just so fantastic. I was literally just discussing this with a few Vandy guys here in the office (granted, since I'm not a Bama fan and neither are they, our opinions are automatically invalidated if not downright deemed worthless) but it's still fun to kick these things around. We were rating Saban on the Bama 'Cult O Meter'. The Bear, as you've clearly established, was family and is 'Jim Jones' on the scale. We had to create a whole new level for Saban on the cult-o-meter since he didn't seem to really fit the bill. He's in the L. Ron Hubbard category. He made 10 times the money of Bear. His followers wont die for you, but they'll kill and destroy everyone else in their path who disagrees with him. These guys are special. This isn't Adolph Hitler, or some cheap pimp like Charles Manson (DuBose). These guys are special.
It's being reported that he was offered and likely to accept. It's a good hire if he does take the job. He's got a lot of experience at major programs and has done an excellent job running his own program at Louisville. He's not the home run that Saban would have been of course, but really it's exactly what you have to do when you are hiring. Everybody wants the home run, but even places like USC, Fla, FSU, Auburn, etc all have to in the end get a guy who shows some promise and hope he works out.
Re: home run. Recent history tells us there are two kinds of home runs. The first is the reaction to the initial hiring, which is based on the perception of the field of candidates, most of whom aren't even available (Saban, Fisher, Briles, Mora). The second and more important is the performance over time. For example, I'll bet Southern Cal fans didn't think Pete Carroll was a home run choice, but he turned out to be. On the contrary, Florida fans thought Muschamp was a home run choice, and they probably aren't thinking that way now. If Strong is hired, I hope he turns out to be home run. I'm an eternal optimist when it comes to hiring coaches at ND, so take my opinions with a grain of salt. I even thought Jerry Faust was a good hire. I was excited when they hired Willingham. I wanted those guys to be home runs. Didn't happen. :?
And the number 1 seed in the Ain't Nobody Division gets the job. A lot of Florida people wish we had him.
T I think you put it in as a quote... here ya go I literally guffawed. This cost me half a cup of coffee.