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Posted on 4/23/24 at 3:18 pm to Nate Forrest
quote:
Johnny's best friend, a man with things on campus and a scholarship named after him, came home and poured himself a drink. Told his daughter, "Johnny just lost his job."
I certainly believe you were privy to this information.
Posted on 4/23/24 at 4:35 pm to jchamil
quote:Yes, I certainly was.
I certainly believe you were privy to this information.
I happen to be longtime close friends the daughter and her husband. Knew her father, Johnny's best friend. He had a lot of clout at UT.
Not everyone here is some dirt poor bumpkin that watches everything from the outside.
This post was edited on 4/23/24 at 5:25 pm
Posted on 4/23/24 at 4:49 pm to 3down10
quote:
I think you should give him credit for more than just football.
The main thing he did was showed LSU they needed to spend the money to have success. And of course, how to spend that money wisely and in the right spots, so you don't end up like A&M. He built the program, but it also required LSU spending more money than they had in the past.
LSU has been able to sustain it because spending that money comes with a good ROI, it's not lost.
I think it's a safe assumption much of that got applied elsewhere in the AD for other sports. It certainly seems to be the case for Alabama
He was an advocate for the other sports that were getting slighted by our AD as well. Joe Dean, our AD at the time, was a miser who didn't want to spend money on anything. He didn't want to hire Saban but Emmert overruled him. After Skip took over as AD we started spending more money across the board.
This post was edited on 4/23/24 at 4:56 pm
Posted on 4/23/24 at 4:56 pm to TheFourHorsemen
Les Miles
Coach O
Posted on 4/23/24 at 5:19 pm to Rohan Gravy
Both left in disgrace
Posted on 4/23/24 at 5:25 pm to Scoob
How is Urban in anyone's top 5?
Two NCs, but he left behind a smoldering crater.
Two NCs, but he left behind a smoldering crater.
Posted on 4/23/24 at 6:12 pm to TheFourHorsemen
Sly Croom. He beat Sagan and Winston Churchill say.
Posted on 4/23/24 at 6:13 pm to RollTide1987
quote:Definitely, and I don't say that just because I'm an LSU fan.
Anyone being honest would have to call LSU’s hiring of Nick Saban to be among the most important in the history of not just the SEC but also of college football history. What he built at LSU paved the way for what he did at Alabama. We never consider the man for a job if not for what he did at LSU. Almost 20 years after his departure and his impact can still be seen and felt at that university.
Look at the impact Saban made in the SEC; before he came, you had Alabama occasionally winning a title. Florida made a run with Spurrier but only one title for it all, and it didn't elevate the SEC, unless you say Tennessee got theirs due to rising to challenge them. Otherwise you had Richt at UGA, Tuberville at Auburn; guys who were good, but Top Five good, not Natty good. Everyone would be thrilled going 10-2 and finishing high.
Saban came and won at LSU, and established them as a contender. The rest of the SEC forced to elevate to compete. Saban gets to Alabama because of his history at LSU, Urban to Florida to compete with LSU. Miles expected to win because of Saban's time at LSU. Jimbo and Muschamp are quickly hired as Coach in Waiting at major powers (Texas, Fla State) because they are Saban proteges, Derek Dooley lands the Tennessee job for that reason, Kirby eventually to UGA for the same reason again. The man didn't just win games, he had a detailed plan to build a successful program from every angle. Once that program is in place, it will continue to succeed unless you intentionally break it.
The only other guy with influence remotely similar is Pete Carroll (Kiffen, Orgeron, Sarkesian), but Saban had to fix 2 of their careers (and O could have used the help too). Carroll had football acumen, Saban built programs.
Posted on 4/23/24 at 7:25 pm to TigerLunatik
Saban never had back to back 10 win seasons at LSU 
At Alabama he had about 16 in a row..
So who made who?
At Alabama he had about 16 in a row..
So who made who?
Posted on 4/23/24 at 9:21 pm to genuineLSUtiger
quote:
I enjoy the civil, lively, respectful sports conversations that Nate Forrest brings to the board. He classes this place up.
I’m all Navy, all the time. But Nate is absolutely correct. When Johnny Majors came home to Tennessee and beat Alabama, he COULD have been Nick Saban before Nick Saban arrived at Alabama. He chose poorly.
And to this day, I am amazed at the vitriol directed at Phil Fulmer instead of Steve Spurrier. Perhaps Alabama didn’t play Florida during the season while Tennessee played them every year and Fulmer beat them more times than not?
Posted on 4/23/24 at 10:17 pm to cmayes56
quote:Honest question: if Saban had never come to LSU, does Alabama hire him?
Saban never had back to back 10 win seasons at LSU
At Alabama he had about 16 in a row..
So who made who?
Does LSU go on a run of about 20 8 win seasons in a row, with 3 natties and another appearance, jumping from mid-SEC to Top 5 overall in that timeframe, without his being hired?
I'm not trying to say he was better here, or that LSU is a better program than Bama (which isn't the point of this thread). I'm saying him coming to LSU was what launched the SEC to it's current dominance of the sport, and directly impacted a number of programs, Bama included.
Posted on 4/23/24 at 10:38 pm to Scoob
quote:
Honest question: if Saban had never come to LSU, does Alabama hire him?
No. They hire a relative of Mike DuBose.
Posted on 4/24/24 at 8:21 am to Nate Forrest
quote:
Majors was not "on his death bed".
This much is true.
Posted on 4/24/24 at 8:23 am to TheFourHorsemen
quote:
TheFourHorsemen
Why is Spurrier ranked higher than Smart?
Posted on 4/24/24 at 8:27 am to Pastor Mike
Paul Dietzel needs a mention.
Posted on 4/24/24 at 9:42 am to Pastor Mike
quote:
Why is Spurrier ranked higher than Smart?
Spurrier took a perennial loser and turned it into a national power.
Smart took a perennial 10 win team and won 2 extra games per year.
Posted on 4/24/24 at 11:45 am to Scoob
quote:
Honest question: if Saban had never come to LSU, does Alabama hire him?
Hard to say but I can tell you this. People say oh, when LSU hired him he was a nobody. The dude had turned MICH St from doormat to 10 wins and was a very hot name in coaching circles. When LSU hired him I knew they would win. Watching his teams play, they were talented, tough, fast and disciplined. I always wanted Saban at Bama someday because I knew we would win and win big time.
As far as Bama Frank thomas would be the biggest hire Bama ever made. He started the whole train running. Wallace wade, Bear, Stallings, Saban were all great hires but Frank Thomas put Bama football on the map nationally.
Posted on 4/24/24 at 11:58 am to Tennessee
quote:
Spurrier took a perennial loser and turned it into a national power. Smart took a perennial 10 win team and won 2 extra games per year.
Few coaches have won back to back titles. Not sure why you’d downplay that.
Posted on 4/24/24 at 12:11 pm to Scoob
quote:
Honest question: if Saban had never come to LSU, does Alabama hire him?
Yes.
If he hadn't gone to LSU, he still would have gone somewhere or stayed at Mich St and had success.
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