| OT ESPN's Danny Kanell rants about working for Nick Saban
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PurlJam
Member
Yeah, being an NFL coordinator is all unicorns and rainbows where you only work part time during the season and your on vacation 3 moths during the offseason, no long hours that are insane in the NFL and you make more money...:sarcasm:.... you will also find yourself soon unemployed with this mindset in the NFL.
musso
Member
Stop feeling threatened by someone critiquing your tribal leader.
It should be entirely uncontroversial to say, as I just said, that better control of a coach's temper can only improve their relations with staff and players, thus help him keep attracting the best talent. At some point, the pool of assistants and recruits willing to be dehumanized, particularly in public, will dry up. Saban/Alabama isn't the only promising career path for recruits and up-and-coming coaches. As a fan, I naturally don't want Saban/Bama to slip. I just don't know why any talented coach would voluntarily submit themselves to a head coach who obnoxiously brags to the media that he gave you an ass chewing. Like I said, I don't know why Sark left, but the recent turnover at what is currently the best program in the country justifies some scrutiny of the working conditions under Saban. Hell, the mere fact that Saban is the only coach (I know of, at least) who loses his composure to such an extreme degree and rips into his staff in public (not just Kiffin) deserves criticism by itself.
Here's another thought. Maybe Saban is just hitting a wall with OCs in that most of the talented offensive minds no longer subscribe to his philosophy of ball control as top priority. I listen to practically every interview and press conference of his I can find. It's so peculiar to see his countenance become combative when he begins addressing the popularity of the HUNH, how the pool of quality high school DBs has diminished, in post-game when the offense didn't control the ball, etc. It really gets under his skin how the game has changed from what it once was. Whereas most coaches these days only care about scoring and not so much about their team's defensive statistics or offensive ball control. They just value scoring more points than the opponent. I think the game is sort of leaving Saban behind in a way, and he might be finding it difficult to manage (i.e. impose his ball control priorities on) offensive coordinators.
My point is, whatever is causing the staff turnover, his temperament on the sidelines certainly hasn't helped keep coaches around.
@musso Dude, why don't you get a new hobby? If Nick Saban can't make you happy as a college football fan, specifically an Alabama fan, you are impossible to satisfy. You are either completely miserable in your own skin as an Alabama fan or you just like to troll for the sake of trolling. I think its a combination of both.
SEE BELOW*
No. He's just giving his opinion. In his own mind he's a demagogue. Others just call him a windbag.
Why?
He's giving his opinion while admitting he doesn't know anything and looks at what he perceives as odd. Futher evidence of the lack of exposure to organized, competitive athletics.
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musso
Member
Wow, look at how mean-spirited and personal your replies are. Ask yourselves why you're so riled up. Why can't you simply rebut my points, you know, how people usually discuss and debate issues.
Is Saban, a human being, beyond reproach? Is it not odd that we are seeing Saban assistants making lateral moves, leaving the top program in the country???? Can we not speculate if Saban's treatment of assistants and offensive philosophy are factors?
Jesus, getting some of you guys to think critically and objectively question Saban is like asking you to question Santa Claus or your religion. Like your brain automatically switches into fight or flight mode.
Is Saban, a human being, beyond reproach? Is it not odd that we are seeing Saban assistants making lateral moves, leaving the top program in the country???? Can we not speculate if Saban's treatment of assistants and offensive philosophy are factors?
Jesus, getting some of you guys to think critically and objectively question Saban is like asking you to question Santa Claus or your religion. Like your brain automatically switches into fight or flight mode.
Who made a lateral move? I don't consider a college OC to NFL OC lateral if that is the only one you are referring to.
These are not lateral moves. Uga HC, FIU HC, NFL OC....
As for kannel :moon:
As for kannel :moon:
Sorry we don't exhibit your "critical reasoning" skills, oh omniscient one.
Since you are so willing to criticize someone who you think we feel is beyond reproach, let's hear a solution to what you perceive as an issue. Anyone can bitch, moan and whine like you but only the real critical thinkers bring solutions to those problems when they bring them up. So what is it, musso? Do we just need a new coach because I doubt his attitude is going to change a whole lot at 65? Do tell us all knowing one so we will know what it's like to be a real critical thinker. We wouldn't want to lose another offensive coordinator, would we?
Kanell needs to explain to the public why do all these so-called disgruntled coaches keep leaving with a promotion and substantial raise in pay scale? Why do coaches like Pruitt (DC at Georgia to DC at Alabama), Ansley (co-defensive coordinator at Kentucky to DB coach at Alabama), and Bo Davis, keep coming back for more when they are finally out of here, even taking lesser positions or pure lateral positions to do it?
There is no such place that will be right for every coach, it doesn't exist. So if Kanell or anyone else wants to name names, I'm all ears.
There is no such place that will be right for every coach, it doesn't exist. So if Kanell or anyone else wants to name names, I'm all ears.
musso
Member
No no, I'm not talking about a promotion to another school, like Smart. Or even McElwain, even though it was to Colorado St. It's understandable that a first time head coach like Jim would need to prove himself at a small school before going to a place like UF.
But coooooome on, don't tell me Lane going to FIU isn't a lateral move. Hell, most people thought it was an embarrassing demotion!
And as for Sark, it was reported he was going to be paid $1 million in his first season as Bama OC. That's $1 million less than a year removed from nearly going into sports commentary after a publicized substance abuse problem. With all the offensive bluechips he would have had to work with, plus a Saban D backing him up, that would have been any OC's dream. So we would think, right? Spend 2-3 seasons at Bama with such offensive talent, and then you're fully rehabbed as a top tier HC candidate. I don't know how you don't come away with a conclusion that Sark was in some way unhappy with something about his job.
musso
Member
Help me out, haven't we lost several other staff members to comparable coaching positions elsewhere??? I know Cristobol went to Oregon, which by itself is odd considering his history in the Southeastern part of the country. He is listed as OL Coach and co-OC. Wasn't he promoted to co-OC after hire as OL Coach???
Lane wasn't keeping his job as OC at Alabama, so getting another HC gig anywhere might have been all HE could hope for, so who left who? And are you left with Sark as the only example of this leaving for the sake of leaving, an OC in the NFL? Sark didn't look all that happy when he got run out of LA, so there's that.
The SEC east is starting to look like a Saban coaching tree reunion. 3 HCs and mucho assistants filling positions greater than what they were filling at Alabama.
Kanell and Cowherd aren't getting paid for their research, just their ability to start an argument. And you're not sounding any smarter.
musso
Member
You're being unreasonable. Collaboration and information sharing is what a message board is for, right? I think I often offer ideas and possible solutions, but why does someone have to have an answer in order to share a concern about our program? The fact that you're so offended by someone raising concerns is really a bad sign of your mental health.
On the other hand, didn't I offer a solution???? Didn't I suggest that Saban get his temper under control and treat everyone around him more respectfully?
I realize the sport we are talking about is an ultra competitive enterprise, with usually only the alpha-dogs surviving. What I am proposing is what I think Saban needs to do to keep this thing rolling. Every coach gets older and succumbs to senility and changing environments. I want to see him break Bear's national title record. But I am sensing that Saban's coaching MO, what has made him arguably the best, may not be able to sustain him going forward. Now maybe he doesn't plan to stick around for much longer. Maybe we will have a younger, new age replacement soon like a Dabo Swinney who emphasizes more of the fun of the sport. If so, then my concerns, if valid, will resolve themselves. But if Saban is to stay and remain on top, I think he will need to keep tweaking (as any coach of comparable age would need to). I just think to keep the program on top, he will need to limit the staff attrition that we have seen as of late. But in order to retain staff, he will need to work on his anger management. Miss Terry has remarked already how he has mellowed out some since his first year at Bama. I got to believe that's her graceful way of telling the public, she doesn't approve of his volatility. It's good PR on her part, frankly. Let's keep seeing more improvement on the sideline though.
musso
Member
No I agree with most everyone's take on the motivations of people like Kanell and Cowherd. But that doesn't mean there isn't a kernel of truth in what they are saying. Hell, my career doesn't depend on how sensational my comments are. Plus, I'm a devoted Bama fan. Just because there may be some overlap between my commentary and Kanell's, doesn't mean you can safely assume Kanell is a die-hard Bama fan like me, right? Well then, you likewise can't assume that just because Kanell is a professional troll, that there isn't anything worthwhile in his remarks either. It goes both ways.
It all goes back to simply debating the merits of one's claims, regardless of who you are or what your profession is.
Kanell believes we have coaches who are leaving the Capstone just to get out of town. Prove it? If that's the case you would see plenty of physical evidence where coaches are leaving for the sake of leaving. Got any?
Why do these coaches keep leaving and falling all the way to the penthouse? Maybe Newton was wrong?
musso
Member
Okay so now you're expecting me to provide evidence for his claims. Lol, nice pivot. Sorry, I'm only worried about my claims.
Something I forgot to add earlier is that so much has been made of the benevolence of Saban in giving coaches like Lane and Sark "second" chances. Well, only a few commentators have noted that perhaps Saban NEEDED them too. You don't get to the top of the college football world by making questionable hires a habit, particularly at meaningful coaching positions like OC, when you're a defensive minded coach. I think there is something to say about Saban being in a position of need to even consider compromised coaches like Kiffin and Sark. I'm not saying they aren't talented, but they have clearly had issues, enough issues to miss out on other coaching offers. Kiffin has said repeatedly that "the phone wasn't ringing" when Saban called, clearly saying that no one of significance was interested in hiring Kiffin when Saban was. Now we have Sark who was about to go into broadcasting before getting a call from Saban to accept a $35,000 analyst job. He gets the OC job at a cool $1 million with talent galore, and then splits to the NFL at the first chance.
Back up to the OC before Kiffin, crap I forget his name. He moved laterally to accept the Michigan OC job under Harbaugh. Any objective observer would have to wonder if Saban's philosophy is unfriendly to creative and head-strong OCs.
You chose to piggyback Kanell's comments. Perhaps you should have framed and qualified your own argument to begin with?
And Nuss went to Michigan with a nice recommendation from Saban no less. Prevailing thought at the time, thanks Nuss, but we got to move on. Kinda like Kiffin.
Don't forget Applewhite, he was asked to move on based on results. Which brings me back to what a coaching degree from Alabama is worth these days. Saban has recycled and reinvented coaches to greater success than anyone I can think of. Now the opposite of that to me would be an unemployed coach with no prospects or someone dredging the bottom of the coaching pond. With the one exception of Bo Davis, self-inflicted wound, I got nothing. Risk reward with coaches goes the way of risk reward with players, can't win them all. So far Saban's coaching success looks as good as his NC record. I can live with that.
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