Alabama Still Aimless Without a Leader
The shadow of legendary coach Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant still covers the Alabama campus like a dark thundercloud.
If you need proof of that - look no further than the five coaches the program has chewed up and spit out since 2000. Alabama may not have the glory it once was, but inconsistency and losing will not be tolerated by the program or its many boosters.
It’s that high-pressure, win or else mentality that may be doing more harm than good for Alabama. Witness the current plight for the truth in this nugget.
Nearly two weeks after dismissing Mike Shula from his coaching duties, the Crimson Tide is still without a coach.
West Virginia’s Rich Rodriguez and Miami Dolphins head coach Nick Saban have turned them down and now the rumor mill is churning with the likes of Steve Spurrier and Rutgers head man Gregg Schiano being whispered as top candidates.
All this takes away from the fact that Alabama must prepare for its Independence Bowl showdown with Oklahoma State without a leader. Make no mistake, defensive coordinator and interim coach Joe Kines is a solid X and O guy, but not who the administration wants for the job.
So the ‘Bama program and its athletes are stuck in limbo, wondering around aimlessly searching for answers and direction.
This is still a plumb program, maybe not what it once was, but still a juicy job nonetheless. This is a school that’s won nine national championships, second only to Notre Dame’s 11. It shouldn’t be this hard to find someone to right the ship, should it?
The lack of direction coming from the top at Alabama is hurting the selection process for finding the right man to lead the program into the future.
And with things so unsettled and recruiting season in full swing, nothing good can come from all the negative press. The backlash could damage the Alabama program for many years to come.
The shadow of the ‘Bear’ looms ever larger over a directionless program longing for the glory days of old.
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December 14th, 2006 at 5:20 pm
Thought you might be interested in what an Oklahoma State alum – Bama’s Independence Bowl opponent – is selling on the internet in response to the apparent lack of interest in the Alabama coaching job. You see, rumor has it that people on the street are turning down the job. Check out what’s for sale out in cyberspace on the subject:
http://www.cafepress.com/bobmccarty/2259482