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DeBoer will succeed at Alabama IF.....
Posted on 1/13/24 at 4:05 pm
Posted on 1/13/24 at 4:05 pm
- He doesn't try to meet unrealistic expectations. You can't "win" with Bama fans. Don't try to keep up.
- He makes the main thing the main thing (aka success/winning). Acknowledge the GOAT and greatness. He shouldn't strive to be Saban. Take a look at the existing mechanisms in place. We've won for a reason. Keep good mechanisms that he can work with. If mechanisms don't fit his agenda, get rid of them or look to improve upon them. Saban wasn't perfect. Not a single coach is. Don't worry about meeting Saban or Bama fan's expectations.
- Keep the winning culture going. Great men, relentless effort, and accountability. Anything less is a loser's game.
- He improves his ability to recruit. He may be a great X&O coach but it's a whole hell of a lot easier with the best roster.
- Keep his loyalty in check. He has a number of coaches that have followed him since Sioux Falls. (i.e. Grubbs / Morrell) What happens if he doesn't win or they prove to be ineffective recruiters? Is he willing to make changes to improve the program?
Thoughts?
- He makes the main thing the main thing (aka success/winning). Acknowledge the GOAT and greatness. He shouldn't strive to be Saban. Take a look at the existing mechanisms in place. We've won for a reason. Keep good mechanisms that he can work with. If mechanisms don't fit his agenda, get rid of them or look to improve upon them. Saban wasn't perfect. Not a single coach is. Don't worry about meeting Saban or Bama fan's expectations.
- Keep the winning culture going. Great men, relentless effort, and accountability. Anything less is a loser's game.
- He improves his ability to recruit. He may be a great X&O coach but it's a whole hell of a lot easier with the best roster.
- Keep his loyalty in check. He has a number of coaches that have followed him since Sioux Falls. (i.e. Grubbs / Morrell) What happens if he doesn't win or they prove to be ineffective recruiters? Is he willing to make changes to improve the program?
Thoughts?
Posted on 1/13/24 at 4:10 pm to UASports23
Those last two will make him or break him.
This post was edited on 1/13/24 at 4:24 pm
Posted on 1/13/24 at 4:11 pm to UASports23
He will succeed if he’s a good coach. Recruits want to play for the best. Pretty simple to me

Posted on 1/13/24 at 4:12 pm to Vidic
But you do have to pursue. You can’t just expect top recruits to not be swayed by Kirby, Sark, Kelly, Lane, etc. being a recruiter in the SEC is paramount to success.
Posted on 1/13/24 at 4:20 pm to TouchdownAlabama
I don’t expect them not to be swayed. But you won’t even be in the conversation if you’re not winning.
Posted on 1/13/24 at 4:24 pm to remaster916
quote:
Those last two will make it break him.
100%. These two are my biggest worries. It is a cool story that these coaches have been together since NAIA days but still.
Posted on 1/13/24 at 4:31 pm to Vidic
Right, but a huge part of winning is having the personnel. Saban has talked about that for years, and it drove him to be such a recruiting mastermind. He understood the valuing of reeling in talent and getting them to the next level. Most of the players, that’s what appeals to them, being seen as future NFL draft picks.
Posted on 1/13/24 at 4:34 pm to TouchdownAlabama
I mean I agree with you? Do you expect someonw to come in here and recruit top 2 classes off the bat though? think he will have to prove he is winning before that happens
Posted on 1/13/24 at 4:49 pm to TouchdownAlabama
quote:recruiting is not what it was, when half your best recruits leave if not given immediate playing time. The portal completely changed the equation. Especially with nil, you have places like Auburn buying up players who are either going to bust or leave in the portal. Seems like the best use of nil is getting established players out of the portal these days
Right, but a huge part of winning is having the personnel. Saban has talked about that for years, and it drove him to be such a recruiting mastermind. He understood the valuing of reeling in talent and getting them to the next level. Most of the players, that’s what appeals to them, being seen as future NFL draft picks.
This post was edited on 1/13/24 at 4:50 pm
Posted on 1/13/24 at 5:14 pm to UASports23
Again...he got three stars and four stars and he developed them into well known players.
Posted on 1/13/24 at 5:22 pm to UASports23
Saban never promised wins or championships.
Posted on 1/13/24 at 6:09 pm to Joka2kold
quote:
Again...he got three stars and four stars and he developed them into well known players.
He also had a ton of one score games that he could have easily lost with that same talent. I know in damn well you don’t believe that we are ok with the mediocre recruiting classes that he has pulled in. Why make the job hard? Recruit the talent and go from single score games to dominating opponents.
He also didn’t have to play SEC schools week in and week out at UW.
Posted on 1/13/24 at 6:15 pm to UASports23
quote:
He also had a ton of one score games that he could have easily lost with that same talent. I know in damn well you don’t believe that we are ok with the mediocre recruiting classes that he has pulled in. Why make the job hard? Recruit the talent and go from single score games to dominating opponents. He also didn’t have to play SEC schools week in and week out at UW.
I really dont get the "woe is me" thing. Complaining about an imaginary problem that hasnt happened yet and something you have no control over is mind boggling to me
Posted on 1/13/24 at 6:29 pm to scottydoesntknow
quote:
I really dont get the "woe is me" thing.
It isn't a "woe is me" thing. It's facts that he hasn't been the best recruiter. That has to change at Bama.
I don't think this is a bad hire but I do think he has to adjust. If we think he can run the program just like he did at Washington, I think you're dead wrong. He has more expectations and responsibilities here.
ETA: Just to clarify. I think that DeBore was a top three candidate and I don't think we can be upset at snagging that when the first two were locks to stay at their perspective school.
This post was edited on 1/13/24 at 6:30 pm
Posted on 1/13/24 at 6:38 pm to UASports23
quote:
It isn't a "woe is me" thing. It's facts that he hasn't been the best recruiter. That has to change at Bama. I don't think this is a bad hire but I do think he has to adjust. If we think he can run the program just like he did at Washington, I think you're dead wrong. He has more expectations and responsibilities here.
Is it really necessary to explain again that with NIL, traditional "recruiting" ability means absolutely nothing now. This aint 2010
Posted on 1/13/24 at 6:41 pm to UASports23
What is this thing about his recruiting?
The guy was impressive enough to Michael Penix to get him to transfer to UW before he ever won a game there. He also got Mississippi State's running back Dillon Johnson and he was a 1100 yard rusher for them last year. That's just their backfield; I'm sure there are others. If anything he seems to be an excellent recruiter.
The guy was impressive enough to Michael Penix to get him to transfer to UW before he ever won a game there. He also got Mississippi State's running back Dillon Johnson and he was a 1100 yard rusher for them last year. That's just their backfield; I'm sure there are others. If anything he seems to be an excellent recruiter.
Posted on 1/13/24 at 6:45 pm to PhoSho86
The only reason that recruiting is a question mark is because he literally wasn’t at Washington long enough. Which is kind of a compliment in and of itself, because he turned that program around fast and got them in the title game, but the doubters are going to doubt until they see that there’s solid proof he can recruit in the SEC. And that’s fair, but it’s also fair to give the man a chance. He seems very intelligent and is embracing the challenge of being Saban’s successor and that alone should be motivation to improve in an area that is a huge question mark to people. I’ve seen some fans act like someone needs to spell out and teach DeBoer about the SEC and recruiting like it’s a language he can’t possible understand but I think he actually understands it more than these fans are melting over.
Posted on 1/13/24 at 6:53 pm to TouchdownAlabama
The recruiting is hard to gauge because Lake's program collapsed from where Petersen left it. Also, his classes were not particularly far off from the norm for Washington over the last 20 years.
Washington is a talent dead zone for college football. They have to recruit the Pacific Islands and Southern California to build their team.
Washington is a talent dead zone for college football. They have to recruit the Pacific Islands and Southern California to build their team.
Posted on 1/13/24 at 6:56 pm to PhoSho86
quote:
The guy was impressive enough to Michael Penix to get him to transfer to UW before he ever won a game there.
DeBoer was his OC at Indiana. That's not a huge "get". Neither is Dillion Johnson. If anything Dillion Johnson is more of a product that DeBoer can coach rather than DeBoer can recruit.
If folks want to use his record of winning 100+ games and losing 12. You should also take the "bad".
Again. Not a bad hire but I'm just being realistic. Coach has to show he is a better recruiter. With that being said... Alabama can sale itself but has to be supported by relationship building.
Posted on 1/13/24 at 7:20 pm to UASports23
My guess is the "right now" for Saban's utility will be in recruiting. Not directly (I'd assume) but more or less guiding DeBoer through their recruiting procedures. Sorta like if Saban was walking a buyer through all the features of their new Ferrari. 

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