🏈 LB Coach Lance Thompson leaves UA (to UT) (merged threads)

[TerryP]

Step away from the railing, walk back to your car, and just tell everyone you were looking at the river, not thinking about jumping off the bridge.

Sure, this is a bit of a shock, but that shock largely lies in the story itself. It stings a bit knowing he's going to UT.

But, when it comes to what we see on the field let's remember he's an outside linebackers coach.

He's a great recruiter. That stings a bit knowing UT is getting some great recruiters on board.

But, let's keep this in its proper perspective.

Lance helped us get our foot back in the door in Mobile. We are firmly entrenched there now. It's not like him leaving means an area of our recruiting base is suddenly going to be ignored, or lost.

I hate to see him go, but it isn't that big of a shock. He's not a coach that has hung around long at any program he's been involved with.

He did a great job. Appreciate it, and look forward to seeing who we bring in to replace him.

In my outlook, I see this making our coaching search that much more interesting...

 

[moreno_iv]

I might be the one negative apple on here, but here goes. I just can't keep quite on this one.

Possibly our top two assts. go to schools that are lateral moves at best and both are working for young, inexperienced HC's. Mike Shula couldn't have offered a UT asst. a million and gotten him to come, yet Kiffin comes and swoops one of our best remaining coaches. Do I need to go ahead and help Kirby Smart pack?!

When are Gene Chizik and Dan Mullen going to come in and take their pick as well? If I'm a CEO of a large company and my employees keep leaving for competing companies at the same job level you know what I'm doing? You want to know where I start first? With me.

I'm sorry but the hundreds of hours got us that performance against Utah... :x . If true that they were all working til late on Christmas Eve you mean to tell me that's what it got us? Hmmm, that might change my approach next time around.

At 4 million a year I think someone needs to re-evaluate a few things. He's a great coach, but can it do it alone? Don't think so.

:roll:

 

[rammajamma]

What about Coach Bryant? Did they too keep really demanding schedules? It takes a special person to work 24/7 and not get burnt out.

Coach Bryant worked extremely long hours during the season. According to one of his biographies he usually got to his office around 5 a m and was often 11 p m leaving. He was always the first one there and the last to leave, but his assistants new they were expected to put in a lot of hours.

Georgia Tech's great coach Bobby Dodd had a reputation for a much more relaxed approach. There was even a story that once the season started he had his starters play volleyball on Thursday rather than practice. He had a great career, so it must have worked for him. Still, in the time when his career at Tech overlapped Bear's at Alabama, Tech only won one game. [/code]

This reminds me of something that happened when I played high school. Our coach started us running after school in February. This we kept doing until spring training. Then we had spring training, took off most of June and started back running and weight lifting July 5. From there we went into two a days and then the season started. We won every game that year and made it into the playoffs. We won the first round and then lost the second round. I vividly remember one of our starting team leading senior players saying during that second week of playoff practices that he just wanted to go home. Now, on the other hand, the coach of Jess Lanier didn't even play his starters in Non Area games. He first of all didn't want to get them hurt nor did he want to burn them out.

 

[Guest]

The process is alive and well, players are leaving because the NFL pays better than college and assistants come and go Aight?

Well Florida and Oklahoma sure did get lucky. All their biggies are coming back. Heck even Ole Miss's Greg Hardy is coming back.

And coaches like Bob Stoops and Urban Meyer are sure having success keeping their staffs together. Yes, I know Dan Mullen left but for a head coaching job - not a lateral move.

To tell me there isn't a problem when our two best assts. leave for a lateral move (and one that is even our biggest rival) is not being realistic. You guys, they're leaving for brand new, unproven coaches. I don't see how you can't be concerned.

 

[Guest]

I might be the one negative apple on here, but here goes. I just can't keep quite on this one.

Possibly our top two assts. go to schools that are lateral moves at best and both are working for young, inexperienced HC's. Mike Shula couldn't have offered a UT asst. a million and gotten him to come, yet Kiffin comes and swoops one of our best remaining coaches. Do I need to go ahead and help Kirby Smart pack?!

When are Gene Chizik and Dan Mullen going to come in and take their pick as well? If I'm a CEO of a large company and my employees keep leaving for competing companies at the same job level you know what I'm doing? You want to know where I start first? With me.

I'm sorry but the hundreds of hours got us that performance against Utah... :x . If true that they were all working til late on Christmas Eve you mean to tell me that's what it got us? Hmmm, that might change my approach next time around.

At 4 million a year I think someone needs to re-evaluate a few things. He's a great coach, but can it do it alone? Don't think so.

:roll:

So I can't question his ways?

 

[TerryP]

The process is alive and well, players are leaving because the NFL pays better than college and assistants come and go Aight?

Well Florida and Oklahoma sure did get lucky. All their biggies are coming back. Heck even Ole Miss's Greg Hardy is coming back.

And coaches like Bob Stoops and Urban Meyer are sure having success keeping their staffs together. Yes, I know Dan Mullen left but for a head coaching job - not a lateral move.

To tell me there isn't a problem when our two best assts. leave for a lateral move (and one that is even our biggest rival) is not being realistic. You guys, they're leaving for brand new, unproven coaches. I don't see how you can't be concerned.

I'd love to know how getting your salary almost doubled is a lateral move.

Even the use of the term right now is only applicable if he was hired as their outside linebackers coach. If he's assigned the LB'ing corps, which I'm sure he will be, that's a step up.

By far, and I mean BY FAR, Thompson and Steele aren't our two best assistants. And, neither has made a move that is lateral by any stretch of the imagination.

 

[rammajamma]

Wouldn't it be funny if Saban hired Bowden, Fulmer, Tuberville, and Croom and called them the "If you can't beat em join em staff?"

 

[TerryP]

Here's the one thing that confuses the hell out of me.

It was known, very well known, that assistants come and go under Saban.

It was very well known as well that when the come in under him a lot end up in better situations down the road.

These coaches like the idea of coaching under him to learn his process.

This isn't unusual, it shouldn't be unexpected.

I'm a little shocked today with the move. I heard the offer was out there just after the Sugar Bowl.

What I'm most shocked about is the amount of money UT is paying right now for their assistant coaches.

 

[Guest]

I'd love to know how getting your salary almost doubled is a lateral move.

Even the use of the term right now is only applicable if he was hired as their outside linebackers coach. If he's assigned the LB'ing corps, which I'm sure he will be, that's a step up.

By far, and I mean BY FAR, Thompson and Steele aren't our two best assistants. And, neither has made a move that is lateral by any stretch of the imagination.

Never even made it to salary, so I guess my bad on that one. You know it wouldn't be about money for me, but that's another topic.

I'll give you the "if" on the title as well. We'll see.

I'll trust you on the best two assistants as well. You know far more than I do. Unfortunately I won't doubt the fact that Thompson was our best recruiter. Tough to let that part go to Tennessee.

 

[BamaGradinTN]

I might be the one negative apple on here, but here goes. I just can't keep quite on this one.

Possibly our top two assts. go to schools that are lateral moves at best and both are working for young, inexperienced HC's. Mike Shula couldn't have offered a UT asst. a million and gotten him to come, yet Kiffin comes and swoops one of our best remaining coaches. Do I need to go ahead and help Kirby Smart pack?!

When are Gene Chizik and Dan Mullen going to come in and take their pick as well? If I'm a CEO of a large company and my employees keep leaving for competing companies at the same job level you know what I'm doing? You want to know where I start first? With me.

I'm sorry but the hundreds of hours got us that performance against Utah... :x . If true that they were all working til late on Christmas Eve you mean to tell me that's what it got us? Hmmm, that might change my approach next time around.

At 4 million a year I think someone needs to re-evaluate a few things. He's a great coach, but can it do it alone? Don't think so.

To start with, it appears that Thompson has doubled his salary. That makes it a whole lot more than a lateral move.

Everyone is replaceable. We are seeing that, if you're an assistangt coach, peopple love to see Nick Saban on your resume.

Sure, Thompson was recruiter of the year. Julio, BJ Scott, Fluker, Richardson...those guys were all from Mobile/Pensacola. Whoever gets assigned that territory will always have the potential to win that award. There is no where near similar talent in the state of Tennessee.

Tennessee fans are not going to be patient with Kiffin. If they go 6-6 the next two years, which is extremely possible given that they pick up Ole Miss next year and LSU the year after that, he will get fired.

 

[Guest]

You're spot on as usual, Terry. When a HC comes into a program with issues like ours have had and turns it around, the assistants become hot commodities at other programs. I didn't notice anyone beating down the doors trying to hire Shula assistants away from us. I'm much happier that people want our assistants than that they do not.

CNS has always had a knack for picking out good assistants, and I am certain that there will be a plethora of highly qualified candidates seeking to join our staff.

 

[TerryP]

I'd love to know how getting your salary almost doubled is a lateral move.

Even the use of the term right now is only applicable if he was hired as their outside linebackers coach. If he's assigned the LB'ing corps, which I'm sure he will be, that's a step up.

By far, and I mean BY FAR, Thompson and Steele aren't our two best assistants. And, neither has made a move that is lateral by any stretch of the imagination.

Never even made it to salary, so I guess my bad on that one. You know it wouldn't be about money for me, but that's another topic.

I'll give you the "if" on the title as well. We'll see.

I'll trust you on the best two assistants as well. You know far more than I do. Unfortunately I won't doubt the fact that Thompson was our best recruiters. Tough to let that part go to Tennessee.

I'm not taking a thing away from him as a recruiter. He's a good one.

But, if you look at last years class and who he brought in you see most of them reside in the Mobile area. I don't have any problem saying what he accomplished down there was spectacular, but wasn't something that another coach couldn't have accomplished as well.

What amuses me is if we look back before he arrived with Saban, Thompson's name wasn't highly regarded. I'd almost go as far to say as his name was "mud" around Central Florida. They didn't think he could coach and weren't that impressed with his recruiting as well.

As a coach, in his last term here, he was solid. Not spectacular as a DL coach, but solid.

Just wait and see...we'll get someone in just as good on the recruiting trail and have a very, very good chance to get someone better as an on the field coach.

Jeremy Pruitt, who we've mentioned here a few times, is likely to be on the road filling the need we have for coaches on the road. He's not a "known" guy in terms of him being talked about on message forums, but I'm comfortable with him holding the reigns.

 

[TerryP]

You're spot on as usual, Terry. When a HC comes into a program with issues like ours have had and turns it around, the assistants become hot commodities at other programs. I didn't notice anyone beating down the doors trying to hire Shula assistants away from us. I'm much happier that people want our assistants than that they do not.

CNS has always had a knack for picking out good assistants, and I am certain that there will be a plethora of highly qualified candidates seeking to join our staff.

Don't blame me. I burnt up several fax machines sending our their resumes.

 

[bamarooski]

Edited:

This was WAY over the line when it comes to board policy.

 

[Guest]

:shock: Step away from the keyboard.

 

[cjaytch]

This dude was unavailable for comment...
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mor3ZBsKINI[/youtube]

 

[joeman546]

Much like Kevin Steele,

Lance Thompson, dont care.

He was doing a good job, but yea, it wont be as though Alabama is any less attractive with him gone.

And with NSD looming, it doesnt seem like itll make a huoge difference, and im sure another coordinator will be in place to start on next season soon enough.

Also, the people on the Christmas Eve and Utah thing need to be congratulated for their 20/20 hindsight, but looking ahead, I want the kind of staff that has as much dedication as Saban does, and im sure any coaches with problems with it should have known what they were getting into beforehand.

 

[bamabarney]

Was Thompson recruiting Richardson? I noticed where he is visiting UT on the 30th.

 

[Guest]

Vigor head coach gonna be his replacement??? What Im hearing anyway

 

[Guest]

Don't forget this point, if you want or value any employee enough, salary can easily can be met. If CNS wanted to keep him around, I'm sure he would have sweetened the pot. Sure he was a great recruiter, but not that hard of a sale with Bama and CNS at the helm. IMO