re: What will Alabama be like after Saban retires?

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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.

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