re: Shula days are here, again.

We're definitely not in Shula mode. Dubose, absolutely.

People like to rag on Mike Shula but people conveniently forget that he took the job when NO ONE and I mean NO ONE wanted the job. Because of the sanctions, he couldn't get the best staff with the possible exception of Joe Kines, who was a pretty good DC.

Despite the sanctions, he did sign some pretty good players. Trouble was, he couldn't sign very many and we had ZERO depth. I remember reading in his tenure, he had Bama up going into the 4th quarter something like 24 times and he lost like 20 of those games.

One gigantic difference between this team now and Shula's teams was Shula had guys that while they may not have been the most talented, they all had pluck, grit and pride. They all played hard, no matter the score.

Can't say that about most of our guys. No pride. No heart. No determination.

Mike Shula's buyout was only $4 million and I'm sure a lot of that was offset when he got hired by Jacksonville.

Make wholesale changes in his coaching staff.

Mike was given the ultimatum that he needed to make wholesale changes to his staff (I.e fire some of them) or he would be fired. The story I’ve heard from who were there at the time is that Mike would talk with Ray Perkins for pep talks/guidance on a regular basis.

When given this ultimatum, Mike spoke with Ray Perkins, who reportedly told Mike that Alabama was bluffing, that they wouldn’t dare fire him and he should just musical chair his staff and not fire anyone, which is what he did.

The rest is history. I tend to believe the Perkins part.

Ray Perkins might have pulled off that bluff, there was zero way Mike Shula could.

Shula put well-prepared, well-coached teams on the field that were credits to the school and to the uniform, they were just shooting a short stick personnel wise because of NCAA sanctions. But at least Shula had the guts to stick in there against the odds and try and compete, unlike Dennis Franchione.

Honestly, I would take an older, wiser, more mature and life lessons learned Mike Shula back as our head coach every day of the week and twice on Sunday compared to what we’re getting now.

I wasn’t advocating Shula mind you, I just would wager money … and I am tight with a buck … he’d put a better prepared product on the field than what we saw in Tallahassee.

Ain’t it?

Like I said, the only reason I speak those words is that I am supremely confident Mike would have put a more prepared team on the field Saturday.

Bryant was coach and athletic director.

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There some coach who would have made the fan base happy and made a smoother transition and he will never leave Georgia.

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Are you implying we could have hired Kirby? Cuz that wasn't ever a possibility. He's at his dream job and he's never leaving unless he decides to test out the league.