[Mick]

Just had to state: [Very much enjoying the posts of OutsiderFan & BostonCard]:


Coach JimHarbaugh turned around StanfordFootball on all fronts [W-L, Getting to the Jan1 BCS OrangeBowl, Recruiting, etc], so lets look at a few of his characteristics , and see if any of the coaches being bandied about match those characteristics:

Not that this is the entire story, but:

(1).  Played in the NFL
(2).  Starred at a Major BigTime College Program [Michigan]
(3).  Enthusiasm Unknown to Mankind [EUTM]
(4).  Charismatic
(5).  Stated Slogan/Mission for Stanford Football was something like 'We will reclaim our rightful place atop CollegeFootball & Bow to no other program !'

[All these things make you a magnet for Blue Chip High School Recruits ...and a big part of success at CollegeFootball is Recruiting]

Do any of the names being bandied about, meet these 5 criteria ?

(Yes, I realize some College Football Coaches have had success without the above 5 characteristics, but were they able to take a 2win program to a BCS level; for example CoachShaw won a lot of games, but he didn't have to as a HeadCoach, Turn around a 2 win program into a 10 or 11 win program ...as CoachHarbaugh did).

How many of those criteria did Nick Saban check off when he took over a crappy Alabama program that was both in turmoil and on probation? Any?

“Roll Tide.”  Mike Price……

*********

CardCrimson:

(Good question, I will try to explain):

I think Saban meets criteria 3,4,5 above.

The reason I mention criteria 1 and 2 is that if you have a Coach who 'Played in the NFL' & 'Starred at a BigTime CollegeFootball Program' ....it is that 'extra magnet/cache/evidence' of 'the university being 'Serious about BigTime CollegeFootball' ....for a program that maybe 4&5 star* recruits 'don't perceive as being 'Serious about BigTime CollegeFootball'

Recruits (even in the down years of Alabama) knew Alabama was 'Serious about BigTime CollegeFootball'  ...hence they don't need a Coach to have criteria 1 and 2.

I might suggest that Saban fulfills criteria #2 as well. While he was "only" at Kent State, they went from 1-9 in Saban's soph year to the Tangerine Bowl in Saban's senior year (lost to Tampa) and Don James was their head coach, the same guy who went to 14 bowls in 18 years at Washington. So Saban was exposed to a Hall of Fame coach, and Jack Lambert was on defense with Saban. And as a DB, Saban had to cover Freddie Solomon, future WR of the Super Bowl winning 49ers.  Saban, sort of a smaller, slower version of John Lynch, always spoke very highly of Don James' program and the way he ran and organized things. Incidentally, James' longtime OC (and College HoF Coach) Gary Pinkel played tight end at Kent State.

[Mick]

Just had to state: [Very much enjoying the posts of OutsiderFan & BostonCard]:


Coach JimHarbaugh turned around StanfordFootball on all fronts [W-L, Getting to the Jan1 BCS OrangeBowl, Recruiting, etc], so lets look at a few of his characteristics , and see if any of the coaches being bandied about match those characteristics:

Not that this is the entire story, but:

(1).  Played in the NFL
(2).  Starred at a Major BigTime College Program [Michigan]
(3).  Enthusiasm Unknown to Mankind [EUTM]
(4).  Charismatic
(5).  Stated Slogan/Mission for Stanford Football was something like 'We will reclaim our rightful place atop CollegeFootball & Bow to no other program !'

[All these things make you a magnet for Blue Chip High School Recruits ...and a big part of success at CollegeFootball is Recruiting]

Do any of the names being bandied about, meet these 5 criteria ?

(Yes, I realize some College Football Coaches have had success without the above 5 characteristics, but were they able to take a 2win program to a BCS level; for example CoachShaw won a lot of games, but he didn't have to as a HeadCoach, Turn around a 2 win program into a 10 or 11 win program ...as CoachHarbaugh did).

How many of those criteria did Nick Saban check off when he took over a crappy Alabama program that was both in turmoil and on probation? Any?

“Roll Tide.”  Mike Price……

*********

CardCrimson:

(Good question, I will try to explain):

I think Saban meets criteria 3,4,5 above.

The reason I mention criteria 1 and 2 is that if you have a Coach who 'Played in the NFL' & 'Starred at a BigTime CollegeFootball Program' ....it is that 'extra magnet/cache/evidence' of 'the university being 'Serious about BigTime CollegeFootball' ....for a program that maybe 4&5 star* recruits 'don't perceive as being 'Serious about BigTime CollegeFootball'

Recruits (even in the down years of Alabama) knew Alabama was 'Serious about BigTime CollegeFootball'  ...hence they don't need a Coach to have criteria 1 and 2.

I might suggest that Saban fulfills criteria #2 as well. While he was "only" at Kent State, they went from 1-9 in Saban's soph year to the Tangerine Bowl in Saban's senior year (lost to Tampa) and Don James was their head coach, the same guy who went to 14 bowls in 18 years at Washington. So Saban was exposed to a Hall of Fame coach, and Jack Lambert was on defense with Saban. And as a DB, Saban had to cover Freddie Solomon, future WR of the Super Bowl winning 49ers.  Saban, sort of a smaller, slower version of John Lynch, always spoke very highly of Don James' program and the way he ran and organized things. Incidentally, James' longtime OC (and College HoF Coach) Gary Pinkel played tight end at Kent State.