re: Frank Thomas was better for Alabama football than Bear Bryant

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If anyone deserved that honor, it would be Wallace Wade,

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Thomas came as close to the Wade standard as anyone could have hoped in his 15 years as Crimson Tide head coach. He posted an overall record of 115-24-7 with two national championships, four Southeastern Conference titles, two Rose Bowl wins in three appearances, and additional appearances in the Cotton, Orange and Sugar Bowls.

Alabama was 10-0 in 1934 and 1945 with Rose Bowl wins over Stanford 29-13 and Southern Cal 34-14, respectively, to cap the seasons

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Thomas added to his legacy as the Alabama head coach in ways other than simple football wins, however. He also started the first free coaching clinic in the South in his second year (1932) at Alabama, helping to improve coaching techniques and improve the overall game of football in the state. He likely got the idea from Rockne, who had set up summer coaching clinics around the country in the early 1920's.

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“Coach Thomas was a very detailed coach,” said former Tide player Clem Gryska (1944-48) of his former coach. “With him, everything was precision.” Atlanta sports writer Ralph McGill once called Thomas “the little Napoleon of football.”

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