Mike Shula is an assistant coach for South Carolina

We are doomed.

No ill will towards Shula. He simply wasn't ready to be HC at Alabama. It was not a great situation he walked into. Not sure how he feels about the university these days, but he's also a former starting QB for us...I'd like to think he'd be welcomed back by fans (just not on Saturday).

Shula did the best he could with the hand he was dealt.

quote:

---

It was not a great situation he walked into.

---

This is the understatement of the century. Guy walked into a situation where we were one year into a 5 year probation where we lost 21 scholarships and the previous coach had been fired after spring practice and without actually coaching a single game. It was a toal and utter mess.

I'm actually surprised he was even able to put a full staff together given the timeframe and situation. Through that shite-show he managed to get a team to 10 wins and a Cotton Bowl victory.

Was he the guy that could have got Bama back to elite levels? Probably not. We've heard the stories about the lack of discipline, being too loyal to staff that really wasn't up to the task (looking at you, Bucket-step Bob). Not sure we would have overcome that. We'll never really know what it would look like if he would have a fully stocked team to work with. He did manage to recruit a few solid pieces of '09 title team. He should get a bit of credit for that.

I'm sure this is looking at it all through rose tinted glasses, and I'm okay with that. He took on what was probably the toughest spot a coach could be put in and had some bright spots. I was always a little conflicted about his firing. Was hiring Saban the right thing? absolutely. But, always felt like Shula took one on the chin and was treated like a placeholder in the end, that didn't feel great especially him being one of our own. I'd hope that they do a little recognition for him at some point.

Shula should be held in esteem for coming in at the last minute and taking over a situation so bad the previous guy ran away. He knew he was going to have scholarship limitations and still did a solid job overall.

Shula didn't do a great job with discipline, that's for sure.

He went 26-23 in 4 years. Since 2018 Auburn is 42-39. So Mike Shula has a better winning percentage than Auburn has had over the last 7 seasons.

Shula should be able to walk around Tuscaloosa with his head held high for walking into that situation and doing a lot better job than people give him credit for.

BINGO. Coach Shula took one for the team and we should forever be grateful.

quote:

---

May be forgetting some others.

---

Tyrone Prothro breaking his leg was one of the most consequential injuries in Alabama history. With him in the lineup our offense was actually somewhat dangerous. Once he went down, though, we were never the same. Which is a shame because I have read that, statistically at least, that 2005 Alabama defense was, at the time, the best defense the SEC had seen since 1992 Alabama. That team was kind of the evil twin of LSU last year: championship-caliber on one side of the ball, barely functional on the other.

JMO but Mal should have allowed Joe Kines (stop that inside trap) to become the HC for that one year thus giving the U of A a year to search/plan for a new HC. The year was going to be a clusterfeck regardless.

Perhaps Mal was thinking along that line but others made the call to throw the Hail Mary.

Mal gave him a chance to unload the OC (back to Haverty's furniture but he declined to make changes (after consulting in one Ray Perkins).

Dave Radar was the OC. Dave is currently a state senator in Oklahoma.

mike shula will always be a bama man, period. the comeback drive and pass to al bell to beat uga and the drive to get tiffin in position for the kick that ripped out auburns heart are etched in our memories. just because his head coaching abilities were suspect, regardless of the situation, he tried. so we put our arms around him pat him on the back and say you're always welcome home son.