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Kevin Scarbinsky |
The Alabama coach spoke out against "free agency in the SEC," an obvious reference to the Alabama graduate DB transferring to Georgia last year.
Nick Saban is not the first college football coach to oppose what he calls "free agency" for players. He did it again Tuesday at the SEC spring meeting.
Addressing the graduate transfer subject that will generate more formal discussion among league officials this week, Saban objected as expected.
"I've never been in favor of free agency in our league," he said. "Why should a guy leave your team and go play for somebody else and you have to play against them? I don't think that's fair."
Saban's not the first college football coach to ignore the hypocrisy at the heart of that position.
In his case, put it this way: He didn't want Maurice Smith to go from Alabama to Georgia a year ago, but he has no problem with Dan Werner coming to Alabama from Ole Miss this year.
It's a common disconnect among coaches. Free agency for players = chaos. Free agency for coaches = business.
Smith had to overcome Saban's objections and agree to SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey's stipulations to take his Alabama undergraduate degree to Georgia so he could enroll in graduate school and play his final college football season in Athens.
Saban's initial resistance aside, Alabama didn't have to play against Smith because Georgia wasn't on the schedule and didn't reach the SEC Championship Game.
Hugh Freeze finds himself in a much different position this year. He will have to coach against Werner. Freeze let his offensive coordinator go only to see him join the Alabama staff as an offensive analyst.
Saban's genuine interest in expanding his staff "to promote professional growth" for young coaches doesn't apply in this instance. The veteran Werner knows the passing game in particular, which Alabama is working to improve. He also happens to have inside knowledge of the Ole Miss program, which beat Alabama in 2014 and 2015 and forced the Crimson Tide to climb out of a deep hole last season.
Ole Miss coach said he's not worried about an advantage for Alabama and Nick Saban after the hiring of former Rebels offensive coordinator.
"I think Dan is a heck of a football coach and even more of a quality man. He deserves any opportunity he gets, and I'm really happy for him. I hate that it's in the SEC West, but that tends to happen."
Yes, it does, throughout the conference.
Jeremy Pruitt went from Georgia defensive coordinator in 2015 to Alabama defensive coordinator in 2016. Kevin Steele went from Alabama linebackers coach in 2014 to LSU defensive coordinator in 2015 to Auburn defensive coordinator in 2016.
Lance Thompson went from Alabama to Tennessee back to Alabama to Auburn to South Carolina in just eight years.
Time after time, coaches take their expertise directly from one SEC program to another, and the league survives quite nicely. Let one graduate transfer defensive back pull off a move from Alabama to Georgia, and the most powerful coach in college football is concerned about what's fair.
Fair for whom - the coaches who make millions or the players who don't?
In fairness to Saban, he did make an astute point on the subject Tuesday. He basically warned that if the rules are relaxed on graduate transfers within the SEC, Alabama "would benefit as much as anybody."
He's right, which makes it even harder to understand his objection to players who've earned their degrees earning the right to finish their eligibility at a different school within the conference. The "in" door in Tuscaloosa would almost certainly be busier than the "out" door.
Continue reading...
Nick Saban is not the first college football coach to oppose what he calls "free agency" for players. He did it again Tuesday at the SEC spring meeting.
Addressing the graduate transfer subject that will generate more formal discussion among league officials this week, Saban objected as expected.
"I've never been in favor of free agency in our league," he said. "Why should a guy leave your team and go play for somebody else and you have to play against them? I don't think that's fair."
Saban's not the first college football coach to ignore the hypocrisy at the heart of that position.
In his case, put it this way: He didn't want Maurice Smith to go from Alabama to Georgia a year ago, but he has no problem with Dan Werner coming to Alabama from Ole Miss this year.
It's a common disconnect among coaches. Free agency for players = chaos. Free agency for coaches = business.
Smith had to overcome Saban's objections and agree to SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey's stipulations to take his Alabama undergraduate degree to Georgia so he could enroll in graduate school and play his final college football season in Athens.
Saban's initial resistance aside, Alabama didn't have to play against Smith because Georgia wasn't on the schedule and didn't reach the SEC Championship Game.
Hugh Freeze finds himself in a much different position this year. He will have to coach against Werner. Freeze let his offensive coordinator go only to see him join the Alabama staff as an offensive analyst.
Saban's genuine interest in expanding his staff "to promote professional growth" for young coaches doesn't apply in this instance. The veteran Werner knows the passing game in particular, which Alabama is working to improve. He also happens to have inside knowledge of the Ole Miss program, which beat Alabama in 2014 and 2015 and forced the Crimson Tide to climb out of a deep hole last season.
Ole Miss coach said he's not worried about an advantage for Alabama and Nick Saban after the hiring of former Rebels offensive coordinator.
"I think Dan is a heck of a football coach and even more of a quality man. He deserves any opportunity he gets, and I'm really happy for him. I hate that it's in the SEC West, but that tends to happen."
Yes, it does, throughout the conference.
Jeremy Pruitt went from Georgia defensive coordinator in 2015 to Alabama defensive coordinator in 2016. Kevin Steele went from Alabama linebackers coach in 2014 to LSU defensive coordinator in 2015 to Auburn defensive coordinator in 2016.
Lance Thompson went from Alabama to Tennessee back to Alabama to Auburn to South Carolina in just eight years.
Time after time, coaches take their expertise directly from one SEC program to another, and the league survives quite nicely. Let one graduate transfer defensive back pull off a move from Alabama to Georgia, and the most powerful coach in college football is concerned about what's fair.
Fair for whom - the coaches who make millions or the players who don't?
In fairness to Saban, he did make an astute point on the subject Tuesday. He basically warned that if the rules are relaxed on graduate transfers within the SEC, Alabama "would benefit as much as anybody."
He's right, which makes it even harder to understand his objection to players who've earned their degrees earning the right to finish their eligibility at a different school within the conference. The "in" door in Tuscaloosa would almost certainly be busier than the "out" door.
Continue reading...