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I knew it would happen. You can't lose to Auburn 5 times and expect to keep your job.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/college/4361589.html
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ya go 10 and 2 get a 200k signing bonus and a 1.55 mill a year contract extention in may the fired for a 6-6 season. PLus a scandal free program ...Alabama places a greater emphasis on winning at all costs than they do their FB program.....Well UTEP might send Mike Price back....he went 5-7 there. Good luck to the next flavor of the day...and the bear would be disgusted
Shula just finished his 4th season, starting only weeks before the 2003 season. This means he has only recruited 3 classes which would mean his first recruits are now 3rd year Sophomores or Juniors. With the situation Bama was in when he came it is hard to believe they didn't let his players become upper class men before pulling the trigger to fire him.
Most pre-season predictions had Bama at 7-5 or 8-4 at best this year. Whoever comes in could go 10-2 next year with Shula's team, but they better hope he can recruit his own players for years to come.
From what I understand, Shula was given the opportunity to lay out a plan to right the ship. His plan was simply to move some assistants around and give up some of the play calling. Mal met with him a second time asking for a better plan and Shula didn't have one. At that time Mal had no option but to recommend Shula not be retained. Shula went down with the ship. I have mixed emotions with his firing and wish him well. Shula had a hard road to hoe from the beginning and did well in alot of aspects. But in the end, the inability to change cost him his job.
None of you guys get it. I like Shula, but liking don't win football games.
Alabama has made a lot of mistakes when it comes to hiring a football coach, especially Dubose and Shula.
For all of their good points, they both share a common misgiving. They don't have the respect of their players. This is something that must be earned early, and can't be gotten later.
This is the basis of what makes a player reach his potential and play his heart out for his coach. Basically, they beleive in their coach.
Dubose and Shula also share another truth. Neither had ever been a head coach at any level, nor had they shown any abition to be a head coach.
Let's face it, if Gene Stallings was still coaching at Alabama, Dubose would still be an Alabama , assistant, and Shula would still be an assiatant in the NFL.
We need a guy that is self made, someone who has worked his was up the ladder, and beed a head coach, most of all is a proven commodity.
I think 'Bama got rid of the WRONG person in this case. So now, where they are will make the other southern teams very happy, because they have to recruit a new Coach, and give HIM time to build a team.

Shula wasn't given the proper time to build, and that has been Alabama's downfall for a lot of years.

I am a "ROLLLLL TIDE" fan, but I am disgusted with this decision. I sort of wish that my mouth COULD form the words 'war eagle', lol.
quote:
Originally posted by mjallen1:
None of you guys get it. I like Shula, but liking don't win football games.
Alabama has made a lot of mistakes when it comes to hiring a football coach, especially Dubose and Shula.
For all of their good points, they both share a common misgiving. They don't have the respect of their players. This is something that must be earned early, and can't be gotten later.
This is the basis of what makes a player reach his potential and play his heart out for his coach. Basically, they beleive in their coach.
Dubose and Shula also share another truth. Neither had ever been a head coach at any level, nor had they shown any abition to be a head coach.
Let's face it, if Gene Stallings was still coaching at Alabama, Dubose would still be an Alabama , assistant, and Shula would still be an assiatant in the NFL.
We need a guy that is self made, someone who has worked his was up the ladder, and beed a head coach, most of all is a proven commodity.


Sorry, but I disagree with what you said here. I think that given a little more time, Shula could have made 'Bama a winning team. I don't think there is anyone out there that can walk into a coaching job and not have to work hard at building a team and teamwork.

We all have to face the facts that the recruiting of players just is NOT there for Alabama right now, we cannot get the awesome kids that years ago would have given anything to play with the Tide.

Firing Shula is going to kill the Team Spirit at Alabama for a very long while.
They should dig Paul Bryant up because that is what everyone at Alabama wants, a "bear" look-a-like. They think stallings did such a great job, but it was just his "bear" resemblances that people fell head over heels for. He won his games because of the recruiting of the coach they tortured and made flee to KY. Don't forget, Shula was going to be the Savior. Teams
are never dominant for more than a few years and then it goes to another team. Alabama fans think they will win because a new coach steps in.......that takes years and Alabama will not give a new coach a chance. Let those old cronies die off and let "Bear" rest in Peace and look for some new blood, WITHOUT Alabama attachments and give him a chance, then MAYBE they will be able to beat Auburn.
quote:
Originally posted by bgreider:
ya go 10 and 2 get a 200k signing bonus and a 1.55 mill a year contract extention in may the fired for a 6-6 season. PLus a scandal free program ...Alabama places a greater emphasis on winning at all costs than they do their FB program.....Well UTEP might send Mike Price back....he went 5-7 there. Good luck to the next flavor of the day...and the bear would be disgusted


The Bear wouldn't be disgusted. Whether you like him or not, or whether he's a good guy or not (which I think most of us agree he is), his job is to win football games, not be a nice guy.

Other than the 10-2 year, he was a total of 16-21 at a very prestigious football university. And even with last year's team, that was an unbelievably talented team. Yet look how many games they had to fight tooth and nail just to win.. against mediocre teams.

I wasn't happy when they hired Shula, and I am happy now that he's gone. He's NEVER been a successful coach anywhere he's been. His offense is vanilla, his playcalling is suspect and his decision making ability is questionable at best.

Mal Moore should also be gone with Shula.
Bear Bryant has been gone for 23 years.
Do the math. Players on Alabama's team were not alive yet when Bear last coached. Yes the legacy lives - but it is just that - a legacy.

Alabama did not make Bear Bryant great, the Bear made Alabama great.

The Bama elite need to realize they should stop trying to hire someone to carry on Bear's legacy and instead hire someone to begin a new legacy, which was the thought in hiring Shula and four years wasn't enough time.
quote:
Originally posted by imho:
Bear Bryant has been gone for 23 years.
Do the math. Players on Alabama's team were not alive yet when Bear last coached. Yes the legacy lives - but it is just that - a legacy.

Alabama did not make Bear Bryant great, the Bear made Alabama great.

The Bama elite need to realize they should stop trying to hire someone to carry on Bear's legacy and instead hire someone to begin a new legacy, which was the thought in hiring Shula and four years wasn't enough time.


I agree with part of your statement. The part about getting away from the past. However, I disagree with the Shula part. 4 years is enough time to show some lasting improvement.

Isn't your statement a bit contradictory? You say get away from the past but yet you say Shula should've been given more time. He was hired simply on the merit of him being a former Alabama player. His record speaks for itself. He's NEVER been successful anywhere.. not just Bama.. ANYWHERE.
quote:
Originally posted by jesspow:
4 years is enough time to show some lasting improvement.

Isn't your statement a bit contradictory? You say get away from the past but yet you say Shula should've been given more time. He was hired simply on the merit of him being a former Alabama player. His record speaks for itself. He's NEVER been successful anywhere.. not just Bama.. ANYWHERE.


Contradictory? 4 years is a blink of the eye in history. That isn't long enough for his recruits to be upper classmen (1st year he had no recruits of his). He was hired in part because HE WAS THE ONLY ONE to accept the lame duck position.
Not successful? 10-2 in 2005 wasn't a success coming off probation? How soon people forget.

According to ESPN no college football head coach has ever led two different schools to national titles. The Bear, Stallings, Spurier, Saban, all came to their schools without being the greatest of their time - most of them were historically losers - then they built something.
quote:
Originally posted by imho:

Contradictory? 4 years is a blink of the eye in history. That isn't long enough for his recruits to be upper classmen (1st year he had no recruits of his).


We're talking about football, not history. Secondly, his first recruits were juniors. Since when did that no longer be considered an upper classmen?


quote:
Originally posted by imho:
He was hired in part because HE WAS THE ONLY ONE to accept the lame duck position.


Incorrect. Granted, it wasn't an ideal situation, but not because it was Bama or anything of the sorts, simply because of the timing, after the whole Price debacle.

If you'll recall, there were numerous other candidates interviewing for the job. Personally, I was pulling for Croom.



quote:
Originally posted by imho:
Not successful? 10-2 in 2005 wasn't a success coming off probation? How soon people forget.


Again, last year aside, he was 16-21. And even in his 10-2 season, with a team loaded with great senior talent, we still had to struggle to beat teams like Ole Miss, and teams that were in disarray like UT.

quote:
Originally posted by imho:
According to ESPN no college football head coach has ever led two different schools to national titles. The Bear, Stallings, Spurier, Saban, all came to their schools without being the greatest of their time - most of them were historically losers - then they built something.


Shula would've never built anything. As I stated before, his coaching record speaks for itself. He's been fired from every job he's had, and was about to be let go when Bama gave him this position.

He was ok for a few years. I think even the most ardent Shula supporter knew deep down this was PR more than a coach to lead us into the future. Shula is a nice guy and will run a clean program, be cordial to the media and smile when interviewed. That's what we needed form a public relations standpoint after Dubose, Fran, and Price. But he's hardly a good coach.
quote:
Originally posted by MonkeysUncleByMarriage:
Secondly, his first recruits were juniors. Since when did that no longer be considered an upper classmen?


His first recruits, which didn't come until his 2nd year would be 3rd year sophomores or juniors. Hardly seasoned veterans like a 4th or 5th year senior. The next coach will reap benefits of Shula's recruiting. 10-2 in 2007.

quote:
Originally posted by MonkeysUncleByMarriage:
Personally, I was pulling for Croom.


That explains a lot!

quote:
Originally posted by MonkeysUncleByMarriage:
Again, last year aside, he was 16-21.


I never understood how someone can erase a year from someone's record? If winning big is a criteria then forget Stalling's championship.

quote:
Originally posted by MonkeysUncleByMarriage:
Shula would've never built anything.


We'll never know.

quote:
Originally posted by MonkeysUncleByMarriage:
I think even the most ardent Shula supporter knew deep down this was PR more than a coach to lead us into the future. Shula is a nice guy and will run a clean program, be cordial to the media and smile when interviewed. That's what we needed form a public relations standpoint after Dubose, Fran, and Price.


Finally something we agree on - however it is a mighty sleazy way to run a program. The day of people lining up to coach at Bama are over (for now). It can be there again, but changes at the top are needed.

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