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Shula days are here, again.

Posted on 9/2/25 at 10:29 am
Posted by imatider
Knoxville, TN
Member since Oct 2017
27 posts
Posted on 9/2/25 at 10:29 am
I knew it was going to be impossible to replace Saban, but I can’t understand hiring someone with no SEC experience that had a good season in the PAC 12. We could have had Kiffin. Byrne should be fired…not just got such a bad hire, but also for agreeing to a 70+ million buyout. We are stuck with DeBoer…for years.
Posted by Chancellor
BHam
Member since Oct 2017
3279 posts
Posted on 9/2/25 at 10:32 am to
100%.

This was an epic failure on Byrne’s part- the definition of clusterfrick.
Posted by RolltidePA
North Carolina
Member since Dec 2010
4982 posts
Posted on 9/2/25 at 10:40 am to
You should be kinder to Shula, he was dealing with a crushing probation and a massively depleted roster... yet still found a way to win 10 games.

Dubose might be a more apt comparison, but even he won an SEC title.
Posted by UASports23
Basketball School
Member since Nov 2009
25633 posts
Posted on 9/2/25 at 10:42 am to
Unranked. Check.
Losing record since 2006. Check.
Posted by JIB
Member since Sep 2013
2330 posts
Posted on 9/2/25 at 10:42 am to
quote:

100%.

This was an epic failure on Byrne’s part- the definition of clusterfrick.


Who would you have hired?

DeBoer was the consensus hire.
Posted by Bamadiver
Member since Jun 2014
3803 posts
Posted on 9/2/25 at 10:42 am to
Yeah, this is pretty much tell me you're too young to remember Shula without telling me you're too young to remember Shula. Try Mike DuBose blaming God for loses while playing park the sub with his secretary. Those were the salad days.
Posted by 14&Counting
Dallas, TX
Member since Jul 2012
41260 posts
Posted on 9/2/25 at 10:45 am to
quote:

hose were the salad days.


Maybe DeBoer will slap his secretary and we can fire him for cause and get out of this contract.
Posted by Goombaw
Kentucky
Member since Jan 2013
6041 posts
Posted on 9/2/25 at 10:46 am to
The influx of negative, overreacting posts on here by posters I’ve never seen before is suspect…
Posted by RolltidePA
North Carolina
Member since Dec 2010
4982 posts
Posted on 9/2/25 at 10:48 am to
quote:

Yeah, this is pretty much tell me you're too young to remember Shula without telling me you're too young to remember Shula. Try Mike DuBose blaming God for loses while playing park the sub with his secretary. Those were the salad days.


Let's not forget "It's rollin, baby!" We're lucky Shula even took the call with the position we were in at the time.

Our current situation can be fixable somewhat quickly. That era we were guaranteed dead for at least half a decade.
Posted by BamaChemE
Midland, TX
Member since Feb 2012
7466 posts
Posted on 9/2/25 at 10:54 am to
It’s definitely feeling like a return to the Debose era. The bright side of the Shula era (apart from winning 10 games that one time) was that we were plucky and would be in games, but wearing down in the 4th due to lack of depth. It also brought in the Saban era…

With Dubose we were constantly lost, special players could cause us to have a good year, but we’d quickly crash down after that. There were times when you could tell the other team was better, and we wouldn’t even try. The Dubose to Fran to Price to Shula string felt like it took forever (probably because it occurred during the peak of my formative football watching year, 8-17). I remember watching Game Day and just hoping that Alabama would even get mentioned in passing. I also remember one time Lee Corso saying the Alabama was dead and Bama fans just had to accept that we were no longer relevant, maybe somebody can find that clip somewhere between 2002 and 2005.
Posted by Goforit
Member since Apr 2019
8612 posts
Posted on 9/2/25 at 10:57 am to
Shula's teams at least cared and fought hard. They were undermanned because of NCAA penalties. His teams were worned down in the 4th QTR. The 2025 team and coaches are any a negative league all their own.
Posted by Bamadiver
Member since Jun 2014
3803 posts
Posted on 9/2/25 at 10:59 am to
quote:

special players could cause us to have a good year
Shaun Alexander and Chris Samuels. SEC Champions and knocked off SOS. First and only time I can recall two guys willing a team on. DuBose wins an SEC Championship.
Posted by JackieTreehorn
Member since Sep 2013
34499 posts
Posted on 9/2/25 at 11:00 am to
It is dangerously close to being a reality. We are about to be left behind Nebraska style once again unless they find answers FAST. I can't believe this is really happening. Hell I knew we would take a step back after CNS but never imagined a full on collapse.
This post was edited on 9/2/25 at 11:00 am
Posted by RolltidePA
North Carolina
Member since Dec 2010
4982 posts
Posted on 9/2/25 at 11:07 am to
quote:

The Dubose to Fran to Price to Shula string felt like it took forever


Off-topic, but Fran really had something going at Bama. Those teams were disciplined and played hard. He lost his message when he decided he wanted no part in dealing with the probation and bailed for A&M. It's kind of funny, the last bowl win of his career was with Alabama.

That era was tough, going into games just hoping that we'd be competitive and the utter shock when we would win a big game. That part sadly feels like it's back.

Posted by Chancellor
BHam
Member since Oct 2017
3279 posts
Posted on 9/2/25 at 11:08 am to
quote:

That era we were guaranteed dead for at least half a decade.


Unless we can come up with $60M in a hurry, we’re about to be guaranteed that, now.

And, then, even if we do come up with $60M, well, that was $60M that could have been spent on NIL. Or building a basketball arena. What’s going to happen to NIL money if we pay out what we can get to a fricking $60 buyout?

Total, complete, epic fricking clusterfrick failure by Byrne. That’s just the reality, downvotes notwithstanding. Ya ain’t gotta like it, but that’s what it is.
This post was edited on 9/2/25 at 11:09 am
Posted by ReauxlTide222
St. Petersburg
Member since Nov 2010
88319 posts
Posted on 9/2/25 at 11:18 am to
quote:

We are about to be left behind Nebraska style once again unless they find answers FAST
Jesus
Posted by RolltidePA
North Carolina
Member since Dec 2010
4982 posts
Posted on 9/2/25 at 11:19 am to
quote:

Unless we can come up with $60M in a hurry, we’re about to be guaranteed that, now.



I know this seems pie in the sky, but we could hire a killer DC, throw some money at some OL and DL talent, have another good recruiting class and be in very good shape almost immediately.

Back in that era, there were no such options. 5 year probation, two year bowl ban and we were down to 64 scholarships. We couldn't even bring in enough guys each year to fill half the outgoing roster. No coaches would even consider coming to town unless they had very limited options otherwise.
Posted by InkStainedWretch
Member since Dec 2018
4547 posts
Posted on 9/2/25 at 11:22 am to
I had zero problem with Fran’s program. He was just a pompous, egotistical arse.
Posted by InkStainedWretch
Member since Dec 2018
4547 posts
Posted on 9/2/25 at 11:24 am to
Shula would have still been coach in 2007 if he’d done what his boss asked him to.
Posted by RolltidePA
North Carolina
Member since Dec 2010
4982 posts
Posted on 9/2/25 at 11:25 am to
quote:

I had zero problem with Fran’s program. He was just a pompous, egotistical arse.



No lies detected. It seems like you almost need at least a little of that to be successful as an HC at this level.
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