The Great Coaching Search of 2006

I was out of town working in Chattanooga. I wanted Saban over anyone alive. I was devastated when he was saying he would not be our head coach. I still had a sliver of hope because I knew the Dolphins future was very bleak. They didn't have any good young players and no QB. The coaching search was tough to swallow when working with all the UT and UGA fans. No one seemed to be chomping at the bit to be our coach. All the dark years and numerous coaching changes had taken their toll. However, coach Moore had done a great job improving facilities around campus and I knew the fan base was hungry. We had to go crazy with the $ but we got the guy that I wanted. It was fun to go to work and see the fear in the UT fans' eyes.

That was back when I had an inside source within the athletic department. Mal wanted Saban from day one, and had the backing of a majority of the BOT. Saban's continual denials cooled a few of the power brokers, and they began pushing for Rich Rodriguez. Rich agreed in principle, and his lawyer was actually in the athletic department offices the day after it was announced. But Rich never called back and eventually turned us down. That gave Mal all the power he needed to hold firm until after the NFL season was over. He didn't know if he would be able to get him when he boarded the plane to Miami and there were a lot of nervous folks as they really had no Plan B at that point.

I called him and told him to quit playing hardball, get on the plane with Mal and the rest is history.