re: Possible coaching candidates

Lucky just posted "IF" Alabama lands Gregg Marshall that we should basically give a "Finder's Fee" to Nick Saban.

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Lucky from BOL keeps saying Bama has more than a shot, so obviously people close to Marshall maybe is communicating to Bama through Back Channels that he is very interested. I was hoping Wichita State lost yesterday to speed up this process.

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I think UA has a real good shot at landing Marshall. It could very well not happen, but I don't think it's a pipe dream. If nothing has developed by Thursday, then its obvious we are waiting on Marshall. We're going to offer him enough money for him to have to seriously consider it. What will be the deciding factor is what else are we offering. Marshall isn't going to want to come here and be willing to take a back seat to anyone else. That could ruffle a few feathers in the football building. Will that fly at UA? Marshall will have to weigh the reward of coming to rebuild Alabama over leaving a relatively good situation at Wichita where he will also have his choice of jobs over the next few years.

Personally, I think Marshall is a slam dunk. He's a proven winner. He'd be the second best hire at UA in my lifetime. If we don't land him, the thinking seems to be that we will go after Shaka. Initially, I thought he'd be just as good of a hire as Marshall but the more I think about it, the more I believe that Shaka isn't worth the money we'd be offering Marshall ($3.5-4 million). I just don't know if Shaka would be a good fit for UA basketball. I could be wrong though.

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I think Battle will throw the Book at Marshall

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He's got to at either Marshall or Shaka. With Pearl at Auburn and Howland at MSU, two great coaches have gone to an okay program and a terrible one. If we mess up this hire, we will be at the bottom tier of the SEC.

It's not going to be Marshall.

New article from Gary Parrish: Alabama prepared to go big for Gregg Marshall: LINK

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Alabama officials are prepared to present an offer in excess of $3 million per year in an attempt to lure Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall to Tuscaloosa just as soon as the Shockers' season concludes, multiple sources have told CBSSports.com.

The sources said Alabama's administration is determined, one way or another, to make a big hire to replace Anthony Grant in response to Auburn employing Bruce Pearl last March, and Marshall is essentially alone atop the wish-list. Alabama cannot offer Marshall great basketball tradition, school officials understand. But one source said they plan to pitch "piles of money, an athletic department with a culture of winning and every resource he needs to compete with anybody on a national level." It's possible football coach Nick Saban could eventually be involved in what would amount to a high-profile recruitment.

"Alabama is gonna go big," one source said.

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"Alabama is gonna go big,"

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I like the sound of this

If we land Marshall this website is gonna be awesome.

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an athletic department with a culture of winning and every resource he needs to compete with anybody on a national level."

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All of the lazy Monday Morning QBs in the media are probably giving us no chance to get Marshall. However, its not like we are some average run-of-the-mill school who just happens to be in the SEC. Its not like Alabama is Purdue or Iowa State.

Putting my Gump hat on here...Alabama is without a doubt one of the top brands in sports...it doesn't matter if that is due to football, basketball, or lady's volleyball. People really discount that fact. There are few schools than can compete with us when it comes to resources. When we are willing to flex our muscle, we can get anything we want. If we don't land Marshall, it won't be because we didn't try or we don't have a great basketball tradition. It will be because Marshall doesn't want to leave a comfortable situation.

Again, we might not land Marshall....but its not the pipe dream that the Tim Brandos of the world are making it out to be.

Plus as a competitor the idea now that you have Pearl in-state and Howland an hour away in Starkville has to be enticing.