🏈 Sark - Coach in Waiting?

[50+yeartidefan]

I will leave it to those whose pay grade is well above mine but I wouldn't whine if Alabama offered him the HC when it becomes available, hopefully years down the road but my opinion is based on this snapshot in time. Opinions will change over a few years and who knows? We may all agree by then that he should be "the guy".

Here is a good read written before the SEC Championship. Regardless of what happens with him, I will pull for him personally....

The perseverance of Steve Sarkisian. How this coach and former BYU quarterback fought his way back

The onetime Cougar reached the pinnacle of college football, fell from it, and has gotten to the top again

www.deseret.com

but fans have right to express their opinions...whine..bitch...
That’s because we care...

 

[It Takes Eleven]

Sark must be satisfied at Bama...you know he should be in demand...

what i cant figureisthe DC at Clemson...he should be in demand ...doneheck of a job

Some guys excel as a coordinator and are mentioned for HC spots. The Norm Chows and Bud Fosters of the world - I wonder how they interviewed and expressed their vision of what an entire program would look under their leadership. Foster never did jump, and Chow was unsuccessful at Hawaii.

 

[planomateo]

$2.5mm as an offensive coordinator, what a terrible life.

 

[It Takes Eleven]

$2.5mm as an offensive coordinator, what a terrible life.

I'm sure it's going up right now.

 

[bamafan4ever]

but fans have right to express their opinions...whine..bitch...
That’s because we care...

Didn't say you didn't. I said "I wouldn't", so whine away my friend.

 

[94 Grad]

I think most have read the reports today of him turning down an interview at Auburn, to potentially restructure another contract at UA. Whether or not that is fully true, who knows, but it's exciting to think he could be back on the sidelines at UA with Bryce and the crew next season.

It also brings up a legit question - Could this be a "Coach in Waiting" type of situation? While Auburn isn't a great fit for him on a number of levels, it does represent the fact that he's now a top tier candidate. He's turned down jobs before and it begs the question, what is exactly is he waiting for?

His stock can't get much higher as an assistant after this season. In fact, it can probably only go down. I personally hope this is a C.I.W. type of situation, simply because I can't think of anyone else I'd want more than him. The idea of a specialized defensive minded coach doesn't sound all that enticing, and Sark is probably wired in on everything Alabama from recruiting to fundraising. And most importantly, the dude is kicking ass.

Whether or not he and CNS have had that convo I have no idea, but it would seem that it's pretty reasonable to believe it's come up. I thought CNS would be done in the next year or two, a year or two ago , but I actually think Sark has helped him immensely to continue enjoying this Coaching thing... He looked as happy as ever following the SECCG. Would it not be a perfect situation to have Sark on board until CNS finishes up (whether that's 1,2,3,4,5 or however many years), and hand the reins over for a smooth transition? I do.

RTR

Saban has said he plans to coach as long as he's not a detriment to the program. He's 69 now, so I see at least 10 years if not more as long as his health is good.

Do you think Sark is going to stay on for the next 10ish years to wait for that role? I doubt the coaching landscape will be the same by the time Saban retires... so I doubt the Administration has locked in any type of coach this far out.

 

[bamafan4ever]

Do you think he's going to stay on for the next 10ish years to wait for that role? I doubt the coaching landscape will be the same by the time Saban retires... so I doubt the Administration has locked in any type of coach this far out.

10ish years! I'll sign up for that plan!

 

[94 Grad]

10ish years! I'll sign up for that plan!

I wouldn't think he's expecting anything less, unless his health declines. He's 69 now, so 79 isn't that old anymore. and it's not like he's wanting to retire. Paterno coached into his early/mid 80's. Bowden until he was 80.

 

[Tidestalker]

Sunbelt and C-USA guys are turning down the aubrun job, not sure it's the best available. When you look at some objective statistics (19th in all-time wins, 6th in SEC Championships, considered the 10th most valuable college football operation), I think it appears to be in the top 15 or so jobs in the nation. However, the aubrun sites are blowing up with multiple sources saying they are requiring their candidates to keep Steele and Garner. That makes it a sh!tty job where the coach will not have the control over his program that he needs for accountability and success. The jock-sniffing boosters down there just can't help themselves.

College Football’s Most Valuable Teams: Reigning Champion Clemson Tigers Claw Into Top 25

Clemson’s on-field dominance has been paying off—the No. 1 team in the country now generates nearly $80 million per year in revenue, ranking the Tigers among the sport’s most valuable teams for the first time.

www.forbes.com

Here's the thing - It's fine to have the opinion that it's not the best job available, but to support it, don't you have to name a better one?!

Same with the premise of who to follow Saban. I completely understand why some wouldn't believe Sark is the perfect guy, but who's the better one? (I like the Rhule assertion, btw)

 

[Tidestalker]

but fans have right to express their opinions...whine..bitch...
That’s because we care...

Always remember - If not for the passion of fans... Which can be good AND bad... These million dollar contracts don't exist.

Some coaches seem to forget that when they face adversity and are quick to call out fanbases, but are happy to cash those checks on payday. There's a word for that - Disconnect.

 

[94 Grad]

Here's the thing - It's fine to have the opinion that it's not the best job available, but to support it, don't you have to name a better one?!

Same with the premise of who to follow Saban. I completely understand why some wouldn't believe Sark is the perfect guy, but who's the better one? (I like the Rhule assertion, btw)

Just depends on what you think a good job is.... if it's just about money, yes Auburn is a good job. If you want control and a chance to run your own program the way you want to... no, it's not. History has proven that time and time again.

As for Sark... I don't think it really matters... I highly doubt the Admin has told him he's coach in waiting. I don't think a Saban retirement is eminent, so that is something that I doubt has been put in place. Unless the Admin knows something we don't. Does the Admin have a list of people they would interview/offer if Saban was to retire or health decline, absolutely and I would expect Sark is on that list, but that list changes every year.

 

[Tidestalker]

Saban has said he plans to coach as long as he's not a detriment to the program. He's 69 now, so I see at least 10 years if not more as long as his health is good.

Do you think Sark is going to stay on for the next 10ish years to wait for that role? I doubt the coaching landscape will be the same by the time Saban retires... so I doubt the Administration has locked in any type of coach this far out.

Great question.

10 years, highly doubtful.

4-5, maybe?!

2... Absolutely!

 

[94 Grad]

Great question.

10 years, highly doubtful.

4-5, maybe?!

Do you have evidence to the contrary ? Saban has stated he doesn't plan to retire until he's a detriment to the program. He has no interest in doing anything else. Or are you saying Sark not willing to wait more than 2 years?

 

[tide92]

Comparing Malzhan and Sark is like comparing hotdogs to steak or whatever mismatched analogy you want to make. Malzahn was always in over his head once teams adjusted to what he was doing and had as good or better athletes than him. He had NO counter moves once his gimmicky offense was exposed.

I’m not comparing Sarks offense genius to Malzahn’s flash in the pan success. What I’m saying is that it would be hard to pull double duty as the HC and OC. But that is hypothetical anyway. Maybe he would be fine with giving the keys to the offense to a new driver, idk. It just seems to me that if that’s his niche, then it would be hard to not want to run it.

 

[OldPlayer]

Valid points.

Which conf championship or better coach do you suggest then, @OldPlayer ?

I'm not. It doesn't make sense to pick a target coach now. Two years ago everyone was targeting Dabo as Saban's replacement. That's changed. Alabama shouldn't be trying to outbid another school for a coach. Whoever the next coach is, they'll know that there is a financial, facility and administration commitment to winning. Whoever the next coach is, won't be making Saban money at the start.

 

[It Takes Eleven]

Here's the thing - It's fine to have the opinion that it's not the best job available, but to support it, don't you have to name a better one?!

Same with the premise of who to follow Saban. I completely understand why some wouldn't believe Sark is the perfect guy, but who's the better one? (I like the Rhule assertion, btw)

That's a fair position to take. True, some major jobs - Michigan, Texas, Tennessee, VaTech - didn't end up coming open, or haven't yet. The aubrun job, without an ability to hire your own staff and having to placate boosters waddling along the sideline, is a worse job than Arizona, Illinois and South Carolina if given full control of the program. That's my point: if the job comes with major strings attached, it's not a major job.

RTR,

Tim

 

[Tidestalker]

That's a fair position to take. True, some major jobs - Michigan, Texas, Tennessee, VaTech - didn't end up coming open, or haven't yet. The aubrun job, without an ability to hire your own staff and having to placate boosters waddling along the sideline, is a worse job than Arizona, Illinois and South Carolina if given full control of the program. That's my point: if the job comes with major strings attached, it's not a major job.

RTR,

Tim

That makes sense!

I guess the bigger point is - Wouldn't Sark get an interview if not offered a job @ those schools if they did open up?

So in my view, his value is through the roof at this point!

 

[TerryP]

That's a fair position to take. True, some major jobs - Michigan, Texas, Tennessee, VaTech - didn't end up coming open, or haven't yet. The aubrun job, without an ability to hire your own staff and having to placate boosters waddling along the sideline, is a worse job than Arizona, Illinois and South Carolina if given full control of the program. That's my point: if the job comes with major strings attached, it's not a major job.

RTR,

Tim

I understand Cubelic phrased it along the lines of "...boosters who'd rather walk along the sidelines with a 7-5 team versus boosters who'd stay in the press box and watch an undefeated team."

While I still believe it'll come out the way I suspect, consider this.

How much better would Auburn look, and their fans feel, if they'd just pulled the trigger with Steele last weekend?

On another note, it's funny to me seeing "head coaching offers" now being defined similarly as recruiting offers: committable or not? I understand this lesson was taught on JOX this morning. Is it a good thing when you offer a chance to interview, your interviewee sends demands before anything is formal, and you're already saying "no?"

 

[It Takes Eleven]

I understand Cubelic phrased it along the lines of "...boosters who'd rather walk along the sidelines with a 7-5 team versus boosters who'd stay in the press box and watch an undefeated team."

While I still believe it'll come out the way I suspect, consider this.

How much better would Auburn look, and their fans feel, if they'd just pulled the trigger with Steele last weekend?

On another note, it's funny to me seeing "head coaching offers" now being defined similarly as recruiting offers: committable or not? I understand this lesson was taught on JOX this morning. Is it a good thing when you offer a chance to interview, your interviewee sends demands before anything is formal, and you're already saying "no?"

I think Kirby also did that with aubrun, last time around.

 

[planomateo]

Priorities can shift quickly in life, especially at 69 years young.

Honestly, just gonna enjoy this run as long as I can.

Sark is already getting paid almost the same amount he was making at Washington...