re: Could Saban Ride Off Into The Sunset?

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No, that's not what I mean. Something like Washington St

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So Vanderbilt, Wazzu, Indiana, Wake Forest level bad.

Honestly I think that'd be awesome. I'd be totally cool with him doing that. I actually read where someone said he should leave Alabama in 4 years and go to Kent State to finish his career.

Yeah, Id just like to see what he could do.

If his current cache would be enough to elevate those teams to the top...or close even.

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I agree he has the power. My point is he will probably be gone from this planet before Saban hits the retirement stage. I do not think Saban can stop, he is hard wired to work 70 hours a week and loves coaching too much.

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Not gonna disagree with that, but remember...we aren't talking about retire-as-in-stop-working age. If he was the AD, he would still work 70 hour weeks, because like you said, that's just who he is. I think he will want to do everything he can to make sure what he has built continues to operate at a high level, and I think in his mind that would mean staying on as the guy at the top. And if the scenario I outlined plays out, I would expect that he would still have his hand in football a little. I wouldn't be surprised if there was actually a year of transition.

I was being a little tongue-in-cheek about Kiffin, but aside from him, I am aware of discussions that have already been had at the highest level regarding the scenario I outlined. And the one year transition has also been discussed. This was well before Kiffin came along and before Coach Moore passed. Hiring Bill Battle made me think that such plans are still on the table, because Battle was never going to be a guy that held the job for ten years, and Saban wasn't quite ready. I included Kiffin in the plan just based on my observations of the two to this point. I was impressed by video clips I saw of Kirby seeking out Lane on the field in Knoxville after the game, yelling and running up to him celebrating. There seemed to be a genuine level of affection between them. And as far as Kiffin behaving, with Saban still at the head of the table, that wouldn't be an issue. Besides, if Kiffin can behave himself for three or four more years and continue to produce at this level, he'll have rehabilitated himself enough to get another head coaching job at a good program and be gone anyway, if that's what he wants.

Of course, the one variable with all of this is, would Saban want the job? I don't know if anyone knows the answer to that question. I can think of several reasons why he would, and several reasons why he wouldn't. But I have no doubt that the BOT will at the very least make him tell them no.

I'm OK with Smart being the next head coach no matter what. But I think he would have a lot better chance of being successful with his mentor right down the hall. I would also like McElwain if the job was vacant now, but I think the reality is that we are probably talking about at least two years from now, and McElwain will have either failed...in which case we likely wouldn't want him...or he will have been successful, in which case he probably wouldn't leave UF.

Another benefit to Saban as AD, I think that one way or another, we could get back to competing with UK at the top of the SEC in basketball. I have nothing to base this on, but I think one thing that helped Gottfried's undoing was Saban bringing football recruits into a dead, half-empty Coleman in January, 2008.

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Didn't he already do that

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Besides Bama, he meant

That's not a sunset he's riding into. Just going back to hell. Home sweet home.

Would that be "Hare Ball" Field?

Imo, if Bama lucks out and wins a Natty this year, he will try once again for the three-peat. If Bama fails to win the natty in 2015 I can see him retiring after the 2016 season. Again jmo.

Obviously he never talked to Saban and doesn't understand him. He lives to coach.

As long as he shows up for practice.. sure