re: Pucker up Bama fans...Cal will be leading candidate for the Texas job.

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I'm probably in the minority of Bama fans on this, but I think Texas was a lot closer to getting Saban than most...

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Saban was making more in Miami. If it were about the money, he would've never came to Bama. Mal Moore promised him full control of everything football, something he wasn't getting at Miami, so he came. Now Utx wanted him, offered him more money, and would've gotten him, but they wouldn't give him full control. That was the deal breaker.

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I tend to think he was getting that itch he got at every other stop but the difference this time was that his wife and daughter told him they liked Tuscaloosa and wanted to stay. Terry had carved out a niche as one of the ladies who lunch in town and Kristen was in a sorority at UA.

Additionally, there was a much clearer understanding and willingness to adapt at Saban’s request by the Alabama AD. He pretty much gets whatever he wants when he asks for it. He had already decided he liked the college game better and had a machine that was purpose built to give him what he needs...once the family came down with “no, we like it here fine” it just locked it up that this would be his final stop. When he didn’t really humor anything in 2013 or 2014, I was pretty confident in assuming he’d retire here at least.