Nick Saban has been a major topic of conversation this week. One of the ideas being circulated is with another National Championship a possibility,
Saban needs to be considered as maybe the greatest College FB HC of all time. Saban certainly got the Rockets turned around quickly. At Alabama he's done a tremendous getting 4/5 star recruits and then getting them to perform up to the level of their abilities.

He's not got in anywhere near the years to be consider greatest at Alabama. Why would there be discussion about him being greatest ever?

(11-30-2013 08:23 AM)eastisbest Wrote:  He's not got in anywhere near the years to be consider greatest at Alabama. Why would there be discussion about him being greatest ever?

Maybe because Saban could win a 5th National title in about 18 years of being a College HC and Bryant won 6 in 37 years.

(11-30-2013 10:23 AM)Boca Rocket Wrote:  

(11-30-2013 08:23 AM)eastisbest Wrote:  He's not got in anywhere near the years to be consider greatest at Alabama. Why would there be discussion about him being greatest ever?

Maybe because Saban could win a 5th National title in about 18 years of being a College HC and Bryant won 6 in 37 years.

And at a time when recruiting has gone national. Bryant had the South to himself for many of those years. Saban has also won titles at multiple schools. If not for his stints in the pros he would probably have six or seven titles. He's not really old and the fire doesn't seem to be burning out. Can't recall much about MSU but everywhere else he's been has done very well.

(11-30-2013 10:23 AM)Boca Rocket Wrote:  

(11-30-2013 08:23 AM)eastisbest Wrote:  He's not got in anywhere near the years to be consider greatest at Alabama. Why would there be discussion about him being greatest ever?

Maybe because Saban could win a 5th National title in about 18 years of being a College HC and Bryant won 6 in 37 years.

Given a play-offs, I'd be betting that be a lot more than 6. It was a different time, there's almost NO competition coming from the north for Saban. Bryant had to deal with northern media, northern money.... Alabama didn't even have a black player until the 70s. Does that work against him or for him? Don't know but that again is a social situation Saban hasn't had to deal with.

Bryant took over 3 losing programs and turned them into winners. One of them he turned into the program Saban took over. Bryant made attempts to integrate as he went, again, something Saban hasn't had to do.

Different times.

If Alabama isn't ready to declare him their best, how can the nation declare him the best ever?

(11-30-2013 11:02 AM)H2Oville Rocket Wrote:  And at a time when recruiting has gone national. Bryant had the South to himself for many of those years. Saban has also won titles at multiple schools. If not for his stints in the pros he would probably have six or seven titles. He's not really old and the fire doesn't seem to be burning out. Can't recall much about MSU but everywhere else he's been has done very well.

Yes but for most of his career Bryant was not able to recruit black athletics to Alabama. However, that changed in 1970 when USC led by fullback Sam "Bam" Cunningham throttled Alabama at home. After that Bryant was able to convince the University of the need to recruit black athletes. It was said, only half in jest, that Sam Cunningham did more in 60 minutes of football to integrate the University of Alabama than Dr. King was able to achieve in 20 years.

(11-30-2013 11:47 AM)eastisbest Wrote:  If Alabama isn't ready to declare him their best, how can the nation declare him the best ever?

Bear Bryant is a legend whereas Nick Saban is still coaching and still at the top of his game----he still has more story to write. John Wooten aside, living "legends" are rarely as impressive in their own time as are those legends whose time has long passed and who in the intervening years have been elevated to the realm of myth.

Although Bryant will always enjoy the advantage of being the first to achieve phenomenal success at Alabama, I suspect that in 30 or 40 years from now when Alabama football is being discussed by Crimson Tide fans, they will have Saban right up there with Bryant (assuming he closes out his coaching career there).

Saban will always fight fan/media bias against the very thing that makes him great: doing it several different places. Legends are guys like Hayes or Bryant or Schembechler who stayed one place for years and ended their careers there. When Saban returns to UT and wins an NCAA championship here as his crowning acheivement, fans from LSU, Alabama et al will say he didn't accomplish that much at their school because he didn't stay long enough. And UT fans will complain that in spite of his NCAA title here, his dink and dunk style was boring and the defensive coordinator should have been fired for having the corners play soft.

(11-30-2013 05:20 PM)H2Oville Rocket Wrote:  Saban will always fight fan/media bias against the very thing that makes him great: doing it several different places. Legends are guys like Hayes or Bryant or Schembechler who stayed one place for years and ended their careers there. When Saban returns to UT and wins an NCAA championship here as his crowning acheivement, fans from LSU, Alabama et al will say he didn't accomplish that much at their school because he didn't stay long enough. And UT fans will complain that in spite of his NCAA title here, his dink and dunk style was boring and the defensive coordinator should have been fired for having the corners play soft.

You drinking?

(11-30-2013 05:50 PM)eastisbest Wrote:  

(11-30-2013 05:20 PM)H2Oville Rocket Wrote:  Saban will always fight fan/media bias against the very thing that makes him great: doing it several different places. Legends are guys like Hayes or Bryant or Schembechler who stayed one place for years and ended their careers there. When Saban returns to UT and wins an NCAA championship here as his crowning acheivement, fans from LSU, Alabama et al will say he didn't accomplish that much at their school because he didn't stay long enough. And UT fans will complain that in spite of his NCAA title here, his dink and dunk style was boring and the defensive coordinator should have been fired for having the corners play soft.

You drinking?

(11-30-2013 05:59 PM)H2Oville Rocket Wrote:  

(11-30-2013 05:50 PM)eastisbest Wrote:  

(11-30-2013 05:20 PM)H2Oville Rocket Wrote:  Saban will always fight fan/media bias against the very thing that makes him great: doing it several different places. Legends are guys like Hayes or Bryant or Schembechler who stayed one place for years and ended their careers there. When Saban returns to UT and wins an NCAA championship here as his crowning acheivement, fans from LSU, Alabama et al will say he didn't accomplish that much at their school because he didn't stay long enough. And UT fans will complain that in spite of his NCAA title here, his dink and dunk style was boring and the defensive coordinator should have been fired for having the corners play soft.

You drinking?

who isn't?