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How Alabama Quietly Pulled off Byrne Hire Without Anyone Finding Out - AL.com
Posted on 1/17/17 at 2:18 pm
Posted on 1/17/17 at 2:18 pm
Alabama Quietly Hires Byrne - AL.com
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After Battle took a leave of absence in June for treatment of myeloma, an incurable form of cancer, Alabama officials started to put together a list of possible athletic director candidates. Battle had a year left on his contract, and Alabama wanted to be prepared if he left the job early. Battle is now expected to serve as AD until March before assuming a new role as special assistant to university president Stuart Bell.
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At the time, Byrne was viewed as the frontrunner to become the next Florida athletic director but pulled himself out of the running in September to stay at Arizona. The underlying reason he said no to Florida, according to sources, was his immense interest in coming to Alabama.
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Alabama representatives met with Byrne in New York City under cover of the College Football Hall of Fame banquet being in town. Alabama knew that if any word leaked out from their meeting with Byrne, it could ruin any chance of hiring him. At the least, it would put Battle and the Arizona athletic director in the uncomfortable positions of having to deny the news.
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Alabama was able to get all the necessary parties together on Saturday in Tuscaloosa, with Saban inviting Byrne over for dinner. Saban liked what he heard from Byrne and left the meeting energized about the future, according to sources. He was on board with Byrne taking the AD job.
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That mentality is how Alabama avoided any leaks or media mentions of meetings with Byrne. The fact no one found out about the months-long process until after the fact is a significant departure for a school that's had to publicly acknowledge search swings and misses twice in the last decade (Rodriguez and Gregg Marshall).
This post was edited on 1/17/17 at 2:19 pm
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Posted on 1/17/17 at 2:22 pm to Triple Daves
why anyone would pick living in bama over florida is beyond me
Posted on 1/17/17 at 2:23 pm to hawgfaninc
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why anyone would pick living in bama over florida is beyond me
I think Gainesville is a nice college town but it isn't exactly West Palm Beach or Destin.
Posted on 1/17/17 at 2:27 pm to Triple Daves
But the Rant told me Saban had Battle fired to cover his arse for losing to Clemson
Posted on 1/17/17 at 2:32 pm to hawgfaninc
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why anyone would pick living in bama over florida is beyond me
Guessing you have never been to Gainsville
Posted on 1/17/17 at 2:32 pm to hawgfaninc
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why anyone would pick living in bama over florida is beyond me
There are areas in northport on the lake and the river that are better than anything Gainesville has to offer. Gainesville is flat and hot. At least you get some scenery and a hint of 4 seasons every few years in Northport.
I love Florida. I lived there for 6 year and consider it "home," but some of the trashiest people on Gods Green Earth live in Florida
Posted on 1/17/17 at 2:33 pm to 14&Counting
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But the Rant told me Saban had Battle fired to cover his arse for losing to Clemson
The rant can be the worst place on the internet if it wants to be.
Posted on 1/17/17 at 2:40 pm to Triple Daves
Byrne is very sharp and will be a conference commissioner one day at the very least.
Posted on 1/17/17 at 2:41 pm to Triple Daves
quote:
Alabama was able to get all the necessary parties together on Saturday in Tuscaloosa, with Saban inviting Byrne over for dinner. Saban liked what he heard from Byrne and left the meeting energized about the future, according to sources. He was on board with Byrne taking the AD job.
so the AD behind the AD made the final decision
Posted on 1/17/17 at 2:48 pm to NYCAuburn
You can't that dense.
Posted on 1/17/17 at 2:50 pm to NYCAuburn
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so the AD behind the AD made the final decision
He had to bend the knee and kiss the ring
Posted on 1/17/17 at 2:51 pm to Triple Daves
Bama, tell me what it's like to not be run by total incompetence. 
Posted on 1/17/17 at 2:52 pm to MightyYat
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Bama, tell me what it's like to not be run by total incompetence.
Feels good, man.
Posted on 1/17/17 at 3:29 pm to Herman Frisco
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You can't that dense.
apparently you are...
Posted on 1/17/17 at 3:38 pm to 14&Counting
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why anyone would pick living in bama over florida is beyond me
Guessing you have never been to Gainsville
I lived in Gainesville for seven years. Granted, it was the eighties, but there was nothing special about Gainesville.
Great seafood an hour away Cedar Key.
Beaches an hour the other direction.
Tube down the Ichetucknee on a hot summer day.
Nice golf...not any better than Alabama, but you can play all year.
But Byrne wouldn't have had that much time for all that.
Two seasons...hot as hell, and not very hot.
This post was edited on 1/17/17 at 3:42 pm
Posted on 1/17/17 at 3:49 pm to MightyYat
It called fear and humble pie, the people behind the scenes don't want to go back to dark ages.
Posted on 1/18/17 at 1:05 pm to SmokeTide
You can say what you want about the towns. Both have their strengths and weaknesses. When I lived in Florida, Gainesville was selected as the money magazine number one place to live in America. It has a lot going for it. Tuscaloosa is close to Birmingham, so there is that. j/k. It has a lot going for it also, just not as much as Gainesville with all of the bustling research industry that is in Gainesville now- it really is phenomenal - like a new research triangle on a smaller scale. Gainesville is like a different planet than it was in the 80's, btw.
Some people like Alabama. I live in Alabama now and I like it, albeit, Fairhope is a lot different than Tuscaloosa. But, as an athletic department, not many people want to follow Foley, and Florida athletics is far and away the best in the SEC.
So, the people who wonder how he chose Alabama over Florida, I just have to say that he likes it better and that is about all because it has all the minimum requirements covered. And, to you Gator fans, that is ok. I wouldn't personally choose it, but to each his own. AS for hot, he was in Arizona, so I don't think hot had anything to do with it.
Some people like Alabama. I live in Alabama now and I like it, albeit, Fairhope is a lot different than Tuscaloosa. But, as an athletic department, not many people want to follow Foley, and Florida athletics is far and away the best in the SEC.
So, the people who wonder how he chose Alabama over Florida, I just have to say that he likes it better and that is about all because it has all the minimum requirements covered. And, to you Gator fans, that is ok. I wouldn't personally choose it, but to each his own. AS for hot, he was in Arizona, so I don't think hot had anything to do with it.
This post was edited on 1/18/17 at 1:08 pm
Posted on 1/18/17 at 1:14 pm to TheRaid
quote:
But, as an athletic department, not many people want to follow Foley, and Florida athletics is far and away the best in the SEC.
So, the people who wonder how he chose Alabama over Florida, I just have to say that he likes it better and that is about all because it has all the minimum requirements covered. And, to you Gator fans, that is ok.
Exactly, and at the end of the day it worked out for both schools.
Posted on 1/18/17 at 1:50 pm to hawgfaninc
Florida is a rotting armpit full of blue hair new Yorkers, jorts and airbrush t shirt wearing white trash, illegal immigrants, snakes, alligators, etc...It's terrible
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