Saban & His Analysts - Kiffin & 5 for 5

Kiffin & 5th Year Players reminds me of the way Saban added additional coaches. Even if you are against players playing their 5th season, the idea is innovative. Whereas with the expanded coaching staffs, the NCAA and SEC decided: either adapt or become a bottom dweller.

quote:

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Saban appears to have pioneered the modern college-football “analyst” system at Alabama in 2010. Alabama went from 3 analysts in 2010 ? 6 in 2011 ? 10 in 2012, then generally 8–13+ as the system matured. 

The NCAA did not punish Alabama for having the analysts. By 2017, virtually every major Power Five program had begun copying the concept.  And in 2017 the NCAA began seriously examining whether these supposedly “noncoaching” employees were actually functioning as coaches. It ultimately did not impose a staff-size cap. 

The NCAA actually increased the number of official assistant coaches from nine to 10 in January 2018, partly because the old limit had become increasingly artificial.  

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Nick Saban at Alabama altered college football and had an advantage over every program from 2010 until around 2016. But that was OK for greg sankey and the NCAA. No public hearings, no media campaigns trashing coaches, universities, and AD's.

Instead of sankey and the NCAA adapting to absorb good 5th year players, they decided to hold the sport back.

Not saying it is identical, both moves were innovative, and of course Saban/alabana had an advantage for years with not even a consideration of repercussions.