I work around college football coaches. Like anyone else, some are jerks, some are not. I'm fortunate that the coaches I work with are great guys. From what I've heard from those who have been around Saban, and this is second hand so I can't vouch for it, is that he is difficult to work with.
It's a love/hate relationship between the media and coaches. Covering the school is free promotion. If people are buying papers to see what a coach said, then they are also buying tickets and watching broadcasts to see what a coach will do. The athletic directors know this, that's why they have press conferences. So it is the coach's job to deal with the media, the AD told him to do so.
However, the coaches are football guys, not broadcast guys. Dealing with us is simply part of their job that many would prefer to do without. That's why we try to make it as quick and painless as possible and they give us a few minutes so we can have our soundbites. If a coach looses his temper it's usually because someone didn't do their research and asked a dumb question or the coach is simply in a bad mood and wants to lash out. Either way, the worst thing for a coach to do is make an ass out of himself with cameras around. We know how to get that stuff national in about 5 minutes and if it's good, it will be around for many years.
Perfect example. Worst possible way for him to handle the media, now this will be part of his career forever.
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