Saban gets stood up again

[quietfan 233]

Looks like one more assistant coach has said "No" to St. Nick:

http://blog.al.com/rapsheet/2008/01/u_of_l...ells_saban.html

U of L's Jeff Brohm tells Saban, 'Not interested'

Ian R. Rapoport

Wow. Just wow. Things change in a few hours. A lot. The post below this one was the story that was supposed to run in tomorrow's paper. Later in the night, the story changed. Here is the link to the new story on the Birmingham News' breaking news page... Turns out, Louisville's Jeff Brohm said, 'No thanks.'

And these are the first few sentences of my story tomorrow:

TUSCALOOSA -- Louisville offensive coordinator Jeff Brohm has informed Alabama football coach Nick Saban he is not interested in taking a similar job on the Crimson Tide staff.

Brohm took his name out of the vacant offensive coordinator opening Saturday night, according to a person familiar with conversations between Saban and the former Louisville quarterback star.

The offensive coordinator position became available Wednesday when Major Applewhite left to become theUniversity of Texas running backs coach.

Hmm..surely Louisville can't be a better place to coach than the mighty UAT?

Even F******* is starting to take pause in his bobo-honking:

http://www.al.com/press-register/stories/i....xml&coll=3

Is it just my imagination or is Nick Saban starting to look human after all? Is the Grand Poobah of the Alabama nation showing some cracks in that cold, steel armor? Can the Saban nation survive any more false starts in the wake of a mediocre 7-6 season, which at times was a comedy of errors?

Can Saban's Alabama program possibly take a step forward without stepping backward? How do you possibly lose an assistant coach to Duke? How does Alabama's offensive coordinator bail out after one year to take a lesser position (coaching the running backs) at Texas?

Oh, I forgot, Major Applewhite went to Texas because it is his alma mater. Sure, he did. You think it might have had more to do with his inability to coexist with Saban, who has gained a much-deserved reputation as being one of the most difficult bosses in America to work for this side of Donald Trump?

I don't mind Saban being hard nosed. That can be a key quality in a head coach. However, a great deal of a head coaches' success comes from the people with whom he surrounds himself, and Saban so far isn't looking too adroit in that department.

Even before National Signing Day, two assistants have bailed out and there could be more to come. Another assistant reportedly interviewed for the head coaching position at South Alabama. Others seem to be looking for a parachute. (Others besides Steele? Does someone see the water rising in the bilges of the spuat ship?) It's hard to imagine someone not wanting to be part of Saban's staff, isn't it?

This is the same head football coach who was unable to retain a single assistant coach when he left Michigan State for LSU. The story goes that Saban sent the LSU plane up to East Lansing to pick up his old staff after he was introduced. The plane returned with only the two pilots.

Assistant coaches usually have one goal -- to become a head coach. One way to become a head coach is to gain experience in dealing with the media, to say nothing of gaining exposure. Getting your mug on television can enhance one's résumé and worth in the marketplace. It helped Jimbo Fisher. It has helped other young assistants over the years.

But Saban won't allow his assistants to speak to the media. He believes in one voice for the program. That's his call, I suppose, but after a year of observing, the policy appears more comical than ever.

Still, a lot of assistants don't find it funny, which could be one reason Saban, even with a pot full of money to dole out, has found the going tougher in recent years to hire top-notch people.

Some have suggested Applewhite was simply too young, not ready to be an offensive coordinator in the hardscrabble SEC. Perhaps. But did Saban ever give him free rein?

Insiders say Applewhite wrote the game plan and called the plays on Saturday. But he still had grizzled veteran Joe Pendry in the room at all times, looking over his shoulders, perhaps smothering him at every step with a dominating personality.

Of course, Saban probably doesn't have to worry about Pendry -- who makes $350,000 a year -- bailing on him. After all, Pendry, who just completed his 41st year in coaching, was out of football when Saban picked him up on waivers and gave him a nice salary.

The age of assistant coaches playing the coaching carousel has become common in football, particularly when you consider the escalating salaries and the intensifying pressure.

While it's easy to pile on Applewhite, the buck stops in this case with Saban.

This is Saban's program, and most feel he has things pointed in the right direction and will ultimately get the Tide wandering toward the Promised Land. But Alabama fans still have to be wondering when that day will come and how many twists and turns in the road are left to navigate.

[WAR-MATT 2]

That's two years in a row he's turned the great Sabahr down. At least he's got some sort of streak going in T-town.

[pensacola tiger 0]

Off the topic question: What is the SP part of SPUAT? Thanks

[sogaaufan 27]

Off the topic question: What is the SP part of SPUAT? Thanks

I'm not entirely sure, but I think that would be "scandal plagued".

[quietfan 233]

Off the topic question: What is the SP part of SPUAT? Thanks

I'm not entirely sure, but I think that would be "scandal plagued".

FWIW, I've heard both "Scandal Plagued' and "Scandal Prone" University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. No significant difference, I suppose.

[abrnfanatc 6]

I call BS. There is no way that a coach would turn down an opportunity to coach for the great Sanabator Nicktator Sabanation himself. You guys really need to get lives and stop spreading these unfounded rumors about the greatest coach of all time.