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What will Alabama be like after Saban retires?
Posted on 1/17/17 at 3:28 pm
Posted on 1/17/17 at 3:28 pm
All this Greg Byrne stuff has me thinking about the (hopefully distant) future of the University after Saban retires. I had previously thought that when Saban retired from coaching that he might step up into the AD role and things would continue to roll as usual. With the hiring of Byrne, that doesn't look like much of a possibility now.
So, what happens when Saban eventually leaves? It seems the fans have bought into the process to the point that just winning isn't as satisfying as winning the right way and dominating. But we're just fans, will the Athletic department maintain the same mindset?
I guess my question is: Has Alabama's identity forever changed to mirror the personality of Coach Saban?
I sure hope so.
So, what happens when Saban eventually leaves? It seems the fans have bought into the process to the point that just winning isn't as satisfying as winning the right way and dominating. But we're just fans, will the Athletic department maintain the same mindset?
I guess my question is: Has Alabama's identity forever changed to mirror the personality of Coach Saban?
I sure hope so.
5
Posted on 1/17/17 at 3:39 pm to Goombaw
quote:
I had previously thought that when Saban retired from coaching that he might step up into the AD role and things would continue to roll as usual
Why did anyone think this was a possibility?
Posted on 1/17/17 at 3:39 pm to Goombaw
I hope by time he leaves, we'll put more emphasis on sports other than football.
This post was edited on 1/17/17 at 3:41 pm
Posted on 1/17/17 at 3:44 pm to pvilleguru
quote:
Why did anyone think this was a possibility?
Well, I did because I knew of a conversation a few years ago involving PBJR where he said that's what some trustees wanted. Or course, that doesn't mean Saban would have ever said yes.
This post was edited on 1/17/17 at 3:45 pm
Posted on 1/17/17 at 3:47 pm to pvilleguru
quote:
I hope by time he leaves, we'll put more emphasis on sports other than football.
1. New basketball arena.
2. New natatorium.
3. NCAA hockey...which will likely mean another women's sport gets added.
If Byrne pulls all that off, there's gonna be stuff named after him one day.
This post was edited on 1/17/17 at 3:48 pm
Posted on 1/17/17 at 4:00 pm to BamaGradinTn
quote:
which will likely mean another women's sport gets added.
Lacrosse. Boom. Problem solved.
Posted on 1/17/17 at 4:15 pm to BamaGradinTn
quote:
NCAA hockey
Would be epic. Is this a real possibility?
Posted on 1/17/17 at 4:39 pm to BamaGradinTn
quote:
which will likely mean another women's sport gets added.
I vote for ladies beach volleyball, down by the river. I'd settle for ladies oil wrestlin' too.
Posted on 1/17/17 at 5:15 pm to angryslugs
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Would be epic. Is this a real possibility?
About 6 years ago, I heard from someone involved with the hockey club, that they were looking to add one men's sport. Rumor was it was down to soccer, hockey, and lacrosse. I think hockey is easily the most established club right now.
Posted on 1/17/17 at 5:18 pm to pvilleguru
Someone also said lacrosse would be the most likely women's sport to add.
Posted on 1/17/17 at 5:46 pm to Goombaw
We'll definitely take a step back in terms of competing for championships every year. What Saban has done in the modern era is unprecedented. However, that's not to say Alabama still won't compete or win a national title in the future without him. I believe the mindset has changed from what it was previously in the sense that almost any hire we made had to be someone with an Alabama or Bryant connection. Also, the facility upgrades UA has made for football is more attractable for recruits than what it was.
Our standard in football should always reach the national championship. Just like in basketball with Kentucky, or baseball with LSU, we should always the coach to get us to the national title because that's what we expect. But, we shouldn't go up in flames and want to fire the next HC who doesn't win or compete for a title in his first 2-3 years.
Our standard in football should always reach the national championship. Just like in basketball with Kentucky, or baseball with LSU, we should always the coach to get us to the national title because that's what we expect. But, we shouldn't go up in flames and want to fire the next HC who doesn't win or compete for a title in his first 2-3 years.
Posted on 1/17/17 at 9:06 pm to pvilleguru
quote:
Rumor was it was down to soccer, hockey, and lacrosse. I think hockey is easily the most established club right now.
Hockey will not happen. If a men's sport gets added it will be soccer or lacrosse.
Posted on 1/17/17 at 9:28 pm to pvilleguru
quote:
About 6 years ago, I heard from someone involved with the hockey club, that they were looking to add one men's sport. Rumor was it was down to soccer, hockey, and lacrosse. I think hockey is easily the most established club right now.
Uhhhh. No.
Hockey is:
1. expensive to run
2. not really popular or essentially even played in the region
3. requires specialized facilities
4. would be difficult to schedule
Lacrosse and Soccer are much less expensive and we already facilities for them. Both of those pose scheduling issues as there's no SEC teams in lacrosse and I think only 2 (UK and USCe) have men's varsity soccer. We'd probably be more successful in lacrosse in D1 then soccer the way the two sports differ in terms of talent. If the SEC schools started men's lacrosse in earnest (Particularly UGA, Vandy, UF, and Alabama), they'd be national powers in under 5 years because of the youth talent locally for those schools.
Posted on 1/17/17 at 9:55 pm to droliver
Lacrosse and Hockey are both expensive to run. There's a lot of equipment and a lot of players in those sports.
I would think men's soccer would be added before either of those.
I would think men's soccer would be added before either of those.
Posted on 1/18/17 at 12:14 am to pvilleguru
quote:
I hope by time he leaves, we'll put more emphasis on sports other than football.
Haven't we won more national titles in non-football sport under Saban than in all our previous history combined?
Posted on 1/18/17 at 6:02 am to Goombaw
We'll be better stocked than LSWho? was when The Hat took over for CNS. Any coach we'd hire after CNS should be able to run with that talent and win big.
Posted on 1/18/17 at 12:46 pm to pvilleguru
quote:
I hope by time he leaves, we'll put more emphasis on sports other than football.
There's no reason for the University to do this when the fans and students have always shown so little interest in the lesser sports. Football is far and away the most popular and lucrative sport nationwide, not just at Alabama. If "emphasizing" football makes the school perform well at it, the University will make that choice every single time, even if it is to the detriment of other sports. The most lucrative college basketball team (Louisville) is worth less than the 10th most lucrative college football team (Alabama), and less than half of the #1 most lucrative (Texas). The choice is obvious.
I think the other sports are emphasized just right, given the amount of interest in them and what they contribute to the University.
Posted on 1/18/17 at 1:35 pm to CrimsonCrusade
quote:
There's no reason for the University to do this when the fans and students have always shown so little interest in the lesser sports
That's because we usually aren't good in the smaller sports. Gymnastics and softball prove that our fans will watch whatever program is winning. Let's not pretend softball and gymnastics aren't "lesser sports".
Posted on 1/18/17 at 2:17 pm to CrimsonCrusade
quote:
There's no reason for the University to do this when the fans and students have always shown so little interest in the lesser sports.
Basketball was rocking in the Wimp days
Posted on 1/18/17 at 2:28 pm to Goombaw
Whenever Saban leaves, my #1 concern will be how the next coach handles the hanger-ons and boosters who will try to regain the access they had pre-Saban. Saban had the luxury of telling everyone to GTFO of his way and they listened because he had the political capital to do so. The next coach will have to follow Saban's legacy and I hope they don't try to gain favor by catering to the same elements that led us to trouble before. That's why it is so important for us to hire someone who has the proven track record that will give them the political capital to run things the way they want to.
I hope the hiring of Saban taught us that if we want to be the best, we have to do whatever it takes to hire the best candidate available. Simply being "Alabama" and talking about our tradition isn't going to win championships. The Byrne hiring gives me faith that we are positioning ourselves for that kind of direction.
I hope the hiring of Saban taught us that if we want to be the best, we have to do whatever it takes to hire the best candidate available. Simply being "Alabama" and talking about our tradition isn't going to win championships. The Byrne hiring gives me faith that we are positioning ourselves for that kind of direction.
This post was edited on 1/18/17 at 2:30 pm
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