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Some 18 months after Nick Saban was hired as head football coach at Alabama, the coach's rock star status among UA fans seemingly hasnāt diminished.
So was the treatment as Saban spoke and signed autographs during a luncheon at the Scottsboro-Goose Pond Civic Center on Wednesday.
He spoke to some 200-plus Tide fans for more than 37 minutes, discussing the programās progress, the plan for progress and the fansā part in its potential success.
āIf weāre going to have success,ā Saban said, āitās important that we are a team. Thatās everybody (players, coaches and administrators). Our fans are a part of that.
āCrimson Tide is a name known nationally, (standing) for tradition and pride. (The fansā) positive attitude and positive energy are going to effect that.ā
Saban lauded the fans show of support in ways such as A-Day game attendance. More than 92,000 attended Sabanās first spring game in 2007 and 80,000-plus turned out for this yearās A-Day game in April.
āThat 92,000 at the spring game benefited us more than anything in recruiting,ā Saban said.
Alabamaās incoming recruiting class was ranked as the nationās best by several recruiting services, and the potential impact those freshman might make this fall has been a hot topic for Tide fans.
But donāt expect Saban to join the discussion.
Saban said naming names creates only added pressure and could hurt a playerās confidence if that predicted early success doesnāt come.
āItās not fair,ā Saban said, ālet the guy create his own expectations.
āNow we think guys are going to go from the high school prom to the SEC and expect them to change the game. Some do, but itās unfair to put those expectations on them.ā
As for expectations, Saban knows what they are at Alabama, adding his are on the same wavelength.
āI wouldnāt want to coach anywhere where there arenāt expectations, but weāve got to be realistic,ā he said.
āWe expect to win a national championship (someday), but we expect to go through the obstacles it takes to get there.ā
http://www.thedailysentinel.com/story.lasso?ewcd=3912fb53f012d506