Nick Saban retires

Miami?

 

I’ve never heard any rumors of Sark once he left for Austin. Everyone here acknowledges that’s another lifer job.

 

Should have been canned long ago. — Steelers fans.

 

Only one Miami season was a losing one. It's tenchinally two losing seasons because his first season at Bama he went 7-6 but NCAA violations knocked it down to 2-6

 

Didn't they say that about Bear Bryant and Vince Dooley and Coach Superior and the Big Ten with Woody and Bo and JoePa and FSU with Bobby Bowden.

Probably has been true at Nebraska minus Dr. Tom but maybe that has more to do with move to the Big 18.

Everything is cyclical and NCAA football has changed vastly in just a couple of years.

 

And they chased out Bill Curry after a 10-2 season and the first SEC title since Bear Bryant.

 

I covered him at Michigan State, where he was very much his mentor (George Perles)'s protege, including the barely-over-.500 record, getting him onto the semi-hot seat, then redeemed with one big season, which he quickly leveraged into a massive new contract.

He was always fine with me personally. He was a little curt if you really seemed completely clueless about football, but if you had a basic grip on what he was talking about he was fine.

I remember at his introductory presser at the Doofy Daugherty Football Building that he looked considerably older than he had when he left five years (I think) earlier; he had grayed around the temples and was affecting bookish wire-rimmed glasses.

I think he wanted to project an organized, professional image as opposed to Perles, who had adopted the Bluto Blutarsky/Ralph Kramden look as his tenure wore on.

 

Great coach. Showed a lot of class keeping it under wraps until a few days after the national title game. Goes without saying you don't want to be the guy who follows the guy. Kept the boosters at bay. The next coach won't be able to do that. Maybe even the next next coach won't be able to do that. Hell, I'd drop Bama five slots in the pre-season rankings just because he's not there.
It will be a meat grinder for whomever gets it - one name that I think would work - both for him and the school would be Garry Patterson. Big success at TCU, respected, proven and close enough to the end of his career where he can say F-it if the boosters get out of control.

 

Too bad the NY Times doesn't have a sports section anymore (does it?). Their centerpiece: