🏈 It's the off-season so I expected to hear "Dabo/Saban" discussions because it's the off-season. This year it's as far as "it's a lock."

[JoshB]

I have to admit that the last 7 years at Clemson, Dabo has exceeded coach Saban's resume before he arrived at Alabama. Perhaps it's possible with the machinery that is the Crimson Tide behind him to far exceed even what his own expectations have been. Getting dedicated guys that have had time to get it figured out seems to be the ultimate blueprint for success.

Even though it's apples to oranges...

First ten years head coaching.
Saban (Toledo, Michigan State, LSU)
82-39-1, one national championship, three conference championships (2 SEC, 1 MAC), 3-4 in bowl games.

Dabo (Clemson)
101-30, 4 ACC Championships, 1 national championship, 6-4 in bowl games.

But the big caveat is the way they came by their head coaching jobs. Saban was an accomplished assistant at Kent State, Syracuse, Navy, West Virginia and Ohio State before becoming the DC at Michigan State, then an assistant in the NFL with the Houston Oilers before FINALLY taking his very first head job at Toledo where he took a team from 6-5 the previous three years to conference champions and then he went back to the NFL to study under Belichik as the guru of his defense for the 90's era Browns and then finally really starting his head coaching career at Michigan State.
Saban worked his way up for decades, studying under legends like Don James, Bill Belichik, Buddy Ryan, Jerry Glanville, etc., learning every thing he could possibly learn before finally taking the reigns for good.

Dabo, on the other hand, was an assistant at Alabama and then Clemson where he eventually became the OC and before he knew it he was suddenly thrown into the head coaching job midseason because Terry Bowden was pretty awful. About a decade's worth of assistant duties to groom him as a HC.

So, honestly, yeah you could say that what Dabo has done with much less of a pedigree and without the experiences that Saban had is super impressive, I wouldnt say his resume is better than Saban's (at that point) at all. It really is apples and oranges, though. If you're going to compare the first 20 years of Dabo's coaching career compared to the first 20 of Saban's that is also apples to oranges, because Dabo got thrown into the mix super young, while Saban was still pretty much molding what he would become. That's what I find fascinating about Nick Saban. Everything seems so planned and in place (even if it isn't always), like he knew he wanted to learn one thing from one coach, experience, job, etc. and then would move on to learn something else and that is what sculpting the coach we see now.

I know... that was a pointless ramble.

 

[JoshB]

This is a really silly discussion IMO. For all we know Saban could coach five more years and by that time Dabo may not even be a blimp on the coaching radar. A TON can happen in five years. Trying to gauge who may or may not replace a coach that may or may not be still coaching the team 5 years down the line is pretty much impossible.

You clearly don't understand how off-season rumors work, Dr. Killjoy

I do, just dont really like em

 

[Bamabww]

I have disliked the “immature” sideline antics of Dabo especially the pre playoff era as many others have alluded to. The one thing that I have admired about Dabo is his and his staff’s ability to develop players. Clemson has never won the recruiting championship but each year he has his team poised for a run at the championship. Somebody, maybe all, on his staff has to be pretty good at player evaluation and development.
That will serve him well if momma calls him down the road.

 

[XXL TideFan]

i bet....NS will surprise all at how long he will be at Bama...
Health and interest are there....support is there....
May push 8-10 years?.

i bet....NS will surprise all at how long he will be at Bama...
Health and interest are there....support is there....
May push 8-10 years?.

He's in it to win it (surpassing Bear's records) at this point.

I'm thinking along the same timeline as you are...

When CNS won the 4th NC, I started thinking that his goal was to stay at Bama long enough to be indisputably the GOAT. I believe that we will see #20 and then he retires

 

[It Takes Eleven]

This is a really silly discussion IMO. For all we know Saban could coach five more years and by that time Dabo may not even be a blimp on the coaching radar. A TON can happen in five years. Trying to gauge who may or may not replace a coach that may or may not be still coaching the team 5 years down the line is pretty much impossible.

Do you mean he would be highly visible, looming over everything Alabama like the Goodyear blimp? Or did you mean he would be a BLIP on the radar screen, an insignificant spot in the coaching universe?

 

[JoshB]

This is a really silly discussion IMO. For all we know Saban could coach five more years and by that time Dabo may not even be a blimp on the coaching radar. A TON can happen in five years. Trying to gauge who may or may not replace a coach that may or may not be still coaching the team 5 years down the line is pretty much impossible.

Do you mean he would be highly visible, looming over everything Alabama like the Goodyear blimp? Or did you mean he would be a BLIP on the radar screen, an insignificant spot in the coaching universe?

 

[It Takes Eleven]

This is a really silly discussion IMO. For all we know Saban could coach five more years and by that time Dabo may not even be a blimp on the coaching radar. A TON can happen in five years. Trying to gauge who may or may not replace a coach that may or may not be still coaching the team 5 years down the line is pretty much impossible.

Do you mean he would be highly visible, looming over everything Alabama like the Goodyear blimp? Or did you mean he would be a BLIP on the radar screen, an insignificant spot in the coaching universe?

Okay then....

 

[bamachine]

I am still on the Bill Clark train, choo-choo muthfuckas.

 

[TerryP]

Dabo, on the other hand, was an assistant at Alabama and then Clemson where he eventually became the OC and before he knew it he was suddenly thrown into the head coaching job midseason because Terry Bowden was pretty awful. About a decade's worth of assistant duties to groom him as a HC.

Dabo wasn't the OC at Clemson until after Tommy was fired. He was the WR coach and Rob Spence was the offensive coordinator. One of the first things Dabo did when he received the interim tag was fire Spence and then he and Billy Napier took over the offensive coordinator duties for the remainder of the '08 season.

As an additional note, it was '09 when Napier got his OC title and that was the same year Steele was hired as Clemson's DC.

 

[TUSKtimes]

Even though it's apples to oranges...

First ten years head coaching.
Saban (Toledo, Michigan State, LSU)
82-39-1, one national championship, three conference championships (2 SEC, 1 MAC), 3-4 in bowl games.

Dabo (Clemson)
101-30, 4 ACC Championships, 1 national championship, 6-4 in bowl games.

But the big caveat is the way they came by their head coaching jobs. Saban was an accomplished assistant at Kent State, Syracuse, Navy, West Virginia and Ohio State before becoming the DC at Michigan State, then an assistant in the NFL with the Houston Oilers before FINALLY taking his very first head job at Toledo where he took a team from 6-5 the previous three years to conference champions and then he went back to the NFL to study under Belichik as the guru of his defense for the 90's era Browns and then finally really starting his head coaching career at Michigan State.
Saban worked his way up for decades, studying under legends like Don James, Bill Belichik, Buddy Ryan, Jerry Glanville, etc., learning every thing he could possibly learn before finally taking the reigns for good.

Dabo, on the other hand, was an assistant at Alabama and then Clemson where he eventually became the OC and before he knew it he was suddenly thrown into the head coaching job midseason because Terry Bowden was pretty awful. About a decade's worth of assistant duties to groom him as a HC.

So, honestly, yeah you could say that what Dabo has done with much less of a pedigree and without the experiences that Saban had is super impressive, I wouldnt say his resume is better than Saban's (at that point) at all. It really is apples and oranges, though. If you're going to compare the first 20 years of Dabo's coaching career compared to the first 20 of Saban's that is also apples to oranges, because Dabo got thrown into the mix super young, while Saban was still pretty much molding what he would become. That's what I find fascinating about Nick Saban. Everything seems so planned and in place (even if it isn't always), like he knew he wanted to learn one thing from one coach, experience, job, etc. and then would move on to learn something else and that is what sculpting the coach we see now.

I know... that was a pointless ramble.

Good, you don't like rumors or that could have gotten kinda lengthy.

 

[JoshB]

Even though it's apples to oranges...

First ten years head coaching.
Saban (Toledo, Michigan State, LSU)
82-39-1, one national championship, three conference championships (2 SEC, 1 MAC), 3-4 in bowl games.

Dabo (Clemson)
101-30, 4 ACC Championships, 1 national championship, 6-4 in bowl games.

But the big caveat is the way they came by their head coaching jobs. Saban was an accomplished assistant at Kent State, Syracuse, Navy, West Virginia and Ohio State before becoming the DC at Michigan State, then an assistant in the NFL with the Houston Oilers before FINALLY taking his very first head job at Toledo where he took a team from 6-5 the previous three years to conference champions and then he went back to the NFL to study under Belichik as the guru of his defense for the 90's era Browns and then finally really starting his head coaching career at Michigan State.
Saban worked his way up for decades, studying under legends like Don James, Bill Belichik, Buddy Ryan, Jerry Glanville, etc., learning every thing he could possibly learn before finally taking the reigns for good.

Dabo, on the other hand, was an assistant at Alabama and then Clemson where he eventually became the OC and before he knew it he was suddenly thrown into the head coaching job midseason because Terry Bowden was pretty awful. About a decade's worth of assistant duties to groom him as a HC.

So, honestly, yeah you could say that what Dabo has done with much less of a pedigree and without the experiences that Saban had is super impressive, I wouldnt say his resume is better than Saban's (at that point) at all. It really is apples and oranges, though. If you're going to compare the first 20 years of Dabo's coaching career compared to the first 20 of Saban's that is also apples to oranges, because Dabo got thrown into the mix super young, while Saban was still pretty much molding what he would become. That's what I find fascinating about Nick Saban. Everything seems so planned and in place (even if it isn't always), like he knew he wanted to learn one thing from one coach, experience, job, etc. and then would move on to learn something else and that is what sculpting the coach we see now.

I know... that was a pointless ramble.

Good, you don't like rumors or that could have gotten kinda lengthy.

I may or may not have gotten carried away...

 

[JoshB]

Dabo, on the other hand, was an assistant at Alabama and then Clemson where he eventually became the OC and before he knew it he was suddenly thrown into the head coaching job midseason because Terry Bowden was pretty awful. About a decade's worth of assistant duties to groom him as a HC.

Dabo wasn't the OC at Clemson until after Tommy was fired. He was the WR coach and Rob Spence was the offensive coordinator. One of the first things Dabo did when he received the interim tag was fire Spence and then he and Billy Napier took over the offensive coordinator duties for the remainder of the '08 season.

As an additional note, it was '09 when Napier got his OC title and that was the same year Steele was hired as Clemson's DC.

I thought he was made OC in 08 before Bowden got canned. I forgot that he fired the current OC and he took it over.

 

[TerryP]

@Birdman37, WRC to HC with people around that had HC experience. Opposite side of the ball but a story similar to that or Orgeron. He was never a DC.

 

[Sgt. Lincoln Osiris]

This is a really silly discussion IMO. For all we know Saban could coach five more years and by that time Dabo may not even be a blimp on the coaching radar. A TON can happen in five years. Trying to gauge who may or may not replace a coach that may or may not be still coaching the team 5 years down the line is pretty much impossible.

Do you mean he would be highly visible, looming over everything Alabama like the Goodyear blimp? Or did you mean he would be a BLIP on the radar screen, an insignificant spot in the coaching universe?

Great movie.

One of only a couple of Nick Cage movies I at least care for.

Fun fact, my uncle is friends with Randall "Tex" Cobb, who's character is Leonard Smalls, the bounty hunter in that movie.