Coach?
Who was it? If any?
- Ray Perkins (1983-1986)
The successor of Bear Bryant, probably a position noone was going to be able to be successful at: replacing the Bear. Compiling a 32-15-1 record he went bowl games 3 out of his 4 years at Bama, but also had the first losing record at Alabama since the year before Bear Bryant took over. Perkins' Alabama teams went 8-4 (1983), 5-6 (1984), 9-2-1 (1985), and 10-3 (1986). He was 3-0 in Bowl Games with wins over SMU in the Sun Bowl in 1983, USC in the Aloha Bowl in 1985, and Washington in the Sun Bowl in 1986. All of his bowl teams blew out their bowl opponents, and none scored more than 7 points against the Tide defense (28-7 vs. SMU, 24-3 vs. USC, and 28-6 vs. Washington). Perkins was 2-2 against Auburn, 1-2-1 against LSU, 1-3 against Tennessee, and 14-9-1 overall against SEC opponents. Probably most known for leaving Alabama after 4 seasons despite being the hand picked successor of Coach Bryant and supposedly (in his own words) telling Bryant that he would "walk all the way to Tuscaloosa" to get the job. Perkins had a disastrous tenure with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFL after leaving Alabama.
- Bill Curry (1987-1989)
Much like Perkins, Curry may be more known for the way he left Alabama than what his teams did on the field, because on the field Curry's coaching record was a solid 26-10 with an SEC Championship and bowl berths in all 3 years. He also won the 1989 SEC Coach of the Year and 1989 Bobby Dodd National Coach of the Year for his first and only SEC Championship year. Despite all that success Curry simply couldn't beat Auburn (0-3) and also struggled in Bowl Games (1-2) as well. Alabama posted a 7-5 record with a loss to Michigan in the Hall of Fame Bowl in Curry's first year in 1987. In 1988 Alabama bounced back with a 9-3 record and a thrilling Sun Bowl victory over Army in which Senior QB David Smith led Bama in a come from behind victory in a record setting 412 yard passing day (with 2 TDs). Smith led Alabama on 2 late drives in the 4th Quarter to put Bama over the top and give Curry his only bowl victory at Alabama. In his final year at the helm in Tuscaloosa Curry's 1989 squad posted a 10-2 record winning a share of the SEC Championship (along side Tennessee & Auburn). Despite such a good season it was also a big disappointment as Alabama had spent the majority of 1989 as a National Champion contender winning it's first 10 games before a heart breaking loss to rival Auburn in the season finale, and an even more heart breaking loss to USC Miami in the Sugar Bowl. Despite his teams getting better each year and winning a share of the SEC Championship in 1989, Curry left Alabama for Kentucky of all places (the general rule is you don't leave Alabama for Kentucky...you leave Kentucky for...any place else). Curry had grown frustrated at several provisions put into a new contract offer from Alabama which included having no power to hire and fire assistants as well as no pay raise. Many Alabama fans remember him for this, as well as his inability to beat Auburn, but some could also argue that Billy Curry's recruiting set Alabama well on it's way to winning the National Championship that Gene Stallings eventually did in 1992.
- Mike DuBose (1997-2000)
After Bama fans seem to finally have their coach in hard nosed, almost Bear Bryant clone, Gene Stallings he retired following his 7th season in 1996. Longtime Alabama Defensive Coordinator (and former Bama player) Mike DuBose was selected as Stallings' successor posting a 24-22 record in his 4 years. H didn't endure himself to the Bama faithful early on, posting a horrendous 4-7 record including a 27-0 shutout from LSU as well as Alabama's first loss to Kentucky (Tim Couch leading Kentucky to dropping 40 points on the Tide defense along the way) since 1922 and an embarrassing loss to Louisiana Tech. Despite the terrible start, Alabama bounced back in 1998, primarily on the legs of All American Tailback Shaun Alexander. Alabama posted a 7-5 record and a return to a bowl game (though it was a blow out loss to a Pre-Michael Vick Virginia Tech in the Motor City Bowl) and a victory over Auburn but his best season came in 1999. Alabama posted a 10-3 record and won it's first SEC Championship since Stallings' 1992 team with a blowout win over Florida in the SEC Championship (it's second win over Florida that year, the first being in the Swamp ending Florida's 5-year home winning streak in a thrilling OT win). The Tide even beat Auburn for the first time in Auburn's Jordan-Hare Stadium and led by All Americans Shaun Alexander & Chris Samuels made it to it's first ever BCS game (an OT loss against Tom Brady and his Michigan squad). Despite a sex scandal DuBose was named the 1999 SEC Coach of the Year and things only seemed to be getting better as Alabama started the 2000 season with an early National Champion contender, a top 5 team, and with yet another Heisman candidate in exciting Junior Wide Receiver Freddie Milons (who had wowed the nation the previous season with exciting play after exciting play). But the core of that SEC Championship team (primarily Stallings recruited players by the way) was gone and the Tide embarassingly lost to UCLA in the season opener in the historic Rose Bowl Stadium. Alabama went on to win only 3 games that year and suffer embarassing losses to Southern Miss (shut out) and Central Florida, as well as being shut out by Auburn in a muddy Iron Bowl. Not only was Alabama not producing on the field but controversy grew off the field as well as Alabama was being investigated for recruiting violations which eventually crippled Alabama for a few years. Gene Chizik is probably the only other coach in the history of the SEC to fall so far so quickly.
- Mike Shula (2003-2006)
In 2003 Mike Shula inheritted a dysfunctional team marred by continuing SEC sanctions and the fact that Shula was Alabama's 3rd coach in less than a year following the controversies of the Franchione-era and the Mike Price debacle. The young Shula likely wasn't ready for this type of job and with all of the controversy and sanctions surrounding the program he posted a 26-24 record and an uncanny inability to win games in November & December (3-12 in November & December including 5 straight losses in the month of November from 2005-2006). Shula's first year was about as disastrous as DuBose's as Alabama went 4-9 including an embarassing lost to Northern Illinois. 2004 as a bit better as Alabama was able to break even going 6-6 and enjoying (sort of) it's first bowl game since 2001 though it was a misserable loss to Minnesota in the Music City Bowl. 2005 was Shula's best year, boasting the best defense in the country led by future NFL stars like DeMeco Ryans, Roman Harper, Mark Anderson, and Charlie PePrah and a finally healthy Brodie Croyle. Alabama went 10-3 with it's first bowl game victory since 2001 over the #1 ranked offense in the country, Texas Tech, in the Cotton Bowl. Alabama was actually a legit National Championship contender heading into November after winning it's first 10 games, but the November curse struck again as Alabama fell to LSU and Auburn in back-to-back weeks. Alabama posted it's 2nd losing record under Mike Shula in 2006 going 6-7 and losing to Oklahoma State in the Independence Bowl (though Shula had already been fired by this point). Alabama lost all 3 games in November (to LSU, Auburn, & MSU) and Shula ended his Alabama career never beating LSU (0-4) or Auburn (0-4). Despite the misserable record and many, many misserable Saturday Shula was able to drag Alabama through a very tough time in it's history after the NCAA sanctions and the Franchione & Price debacles. He was also, somehow, able to bring Alabama another 10 win season in 2005. Shula shares a pretty unique relationship with the first coach on this list (Perkins) as well as it was Shula that was Perkins' best QB and Perkins also drafted Mike Shula with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Perkins then cut Shula from the team and gave him get his first coaching job (he was a strong supporter of Shula's as coach of Alabama).
If it seems like I was giving it to DuBose the worst, thats for good reason lol
Who was it? If any?
- Ray Perkins (1983-1986)
The successor of Bear Bryant, probably a position noone was going to be able to be successful at: replacing the Bear. Compiling a 32-15-1 record he went bowl games 3 out of his 4 years at Bama, but also had the first losing record at Alabama since the year before Bear Bryant took over. Perkins' Alabama teams went 8-4 (1983), 5-6 (1984), 9-2-1 (1985), and 10-3 (1986). He was 3-0 in Bowl Games with wins over SMU in the Sun Bowl in 1983, USC in the Aloha Bowl in 1985, and Washington in the Sun Bowl in 1986. All of his bowl teams blew out their bowl opponents, and none scored more than 7 points against the Tide defense (28-7 vs. SMU, 24-3 vs. USC, and 28-6 vs. Washington). Perkins was 2-2 against Auburn, 1-2-1 against LSU, 1-3 against Tennessee, and 14-9-1 overall against SEC opponents. Probably most known for leaving Alabama after 4 seasons despite being the hand picked successor of Coach Bryant and supposedly (in his own words) telling Bryant that he would "walk all the way to Tuscaloosa" to get the job. Perkins had a disastrous tenure with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFL after leaving Alabama.
- Bill Curry (1987-1989)
Much like Perkins, Curry may be more known for the way he left Alabama than what his teams did on the field, because on the field Curry's coaching record was a solid 26-10 with an SEC Championship and bowl berths in all 3 years. He also won the 1989 SEC Coach of the Year and 1989 Bobby Dodd National Coach of the Year for his first and only SEC Championship year. Despite all that success Curry simply couldn't beat Auburn (0-3) and also struggled in Bowl Games (1-2) as well. Alabama posted a 7-5 record with a loss to Michigan in the Hall of Fame Bowl in Curry's first year in 1987. In 1988 Alabama bounced back with a 9-3 record and a thrilling Sun Bowl victory over Army in which Senior QB David Smith led Bama in a come from behind victory in a record setting 412 yard passing day (with 2 TDs). Smith led Alabama on 2 late drives in the 4th Quarter to put Bama over the top and give Curry his only bowl victory at Alabama. In his final year at the helm in Tuscaloosa Curry's 1989 squad posted a 10-2 record winning a share of the SEC Championship (along side Tennessee & Auburn). Despite such a good season it was also a big disappointment as Alabama had spent the majority of 1989 as a National Champion contender winning it's first 10 games before a heart breaking loss to rival Auburn in the season finale, and an even more heart breaking loss to USC Miami in the Sugar Bowl. Despite his teams getting better each year and winning a share of the SEC Championship in 1989, Curry left Alabama for Kentucky of all places (the general rule is you don't leave Alabama for Kentucky...you leave Kentucky for...any place else). Curry had grown frustrated at several provisions put into a new contract offer from Alabama which included having no power to hire and fire assistants as well as no pay raise. Many Alabama fans remember him for this, as well as his inability to beat Auburn, but some could also argue that Billy Curry's recruiting set Alabama well on it's way to winning the National Championship that Gene Stallings eventually did in 1992.
- Mike DuBose (1997-2000)
After Bama fans seem to finally have their coach in hard nosed, almost Bear Bryant clone, Gene Stallings he retired following his 7th season in 1996. Longtime Alabama Defensive Coordinator (and former Bama player) Mike DuBose was selected as Stallings' successor posting a 24-22 record in his 4 years. H didn't endure himself to the Bama faithful early on, posting a horrendous 4-7 record including a 27-0 shutout from LSU as well as Alabama's first loss to Kentucky (Tim Couch leading Kentucky to dropping 40 points on the Tide defense along the way) since 1922 and an embarrassing loss to Louisiana Tech. Despite the terrible start, Alabama bounced back in 1998, primarily on the legs of All American Tailback Shaun Alexander. Alabama posted a 7-5 record and a return to a bowl game (though it was a blow out loss to a Pre-Michael Vick Virginia Tech in the Motor City Bowl) and a victory over Auburn but his best season came in 1999. Alabama posted a 10-3 record and won it's first SEC Championship since Stallings' 1992 team with a blowout win over Florida in the SEC Championship (it's second win over Florida that year, the first being in the Swamp ending Florida's 5-year home winning streak in a thrilling OT win). The Tide even beat Auburn for the first time in Auburn's Jordan-Hare Stadium and led by All Americans Shaun Alexander & Chris Samuels made it to it's first ever BCS game (an OT loss against Tom Brady and his Michigan squad). Despite a sex scandal DuBose was named the 1999 SEC Coach of the Year and things only seemed to be getting better as Alabama started the 2000 season with an early National Champion contender, a top 5 team, and with yet another Heisman candidate in exciting Junior Wide Receiver Freddie Milons (who had wowed the nation the previous season with exciting play after exciting play). But the core of that SEC Championship team (primarily Stallings recruited players by the way) was gone and the Tide embarassingly lost to UCLA in the season opener in the historic Rose Bowl Stadium. Alabama went on to win only 3 games that year and suffer embarassing losses to Southern Miss (shut out) and Central Florida, as well as being shut out by Auburn in a muddy Iron Bowl. Not only was Alabama not producing on the field but controversy grew off the field as well as Alabama was being investigated for recruiting violations which eventually crippled Alabama for a few years. Gene Chizik is probably the only other coach in the history of the SEC to fall so far so quickly.
- Mike Shula (2003-2006)
In 2003 Mike Shula inheritted a dysfunctional team marred by continuing SEC sanctions and the fact that Shula was Alabama's 3rd coach in less than a year following the controversies of the Franchione-era and the Mike Price debacle. The young Shula likely wasn't ready for this type of job and with all of the controversy and sanctions surrounding the program he posted a 26-24 record and an uncanny inability to win games in November & December (3-12 in November & December including 5 straight losses in the month of November from 2005-2006). Shula's first year was about as disastrous as DuBose's as Alabama went 4-9 including an embarassing lost to Northern Illinois. 2004 as a bit better as Alabama was able to break even going 6-6 and enjoying (sort of) it's first bowl game since 2001 though it was a misserable loss to Minnesota in the Music City Bowl. 2005 was Shula's best year, boasting the best defense in the country led by future NFL stars like DeMeco Ryans, Roman Harper, Mark Anderson, and Charlie PePrah and a finally healthy Brodie Croyle. Alabama went 10-3 with it's first bowl game victory since 2001 over the #1 ranked offense in the country, Texas Tech, in the Cotton Bowl. Alabama was actually a legit National Championship contender heading into November after winning it's first 10 games, but the November curse struck again as Alabama fell to LSU and Auburn in back-to-back weeks. Alabama posted it's 2nd losing record under Mike Shula in 2006 going 6-7 and losing to Oklahoma State in the Independence Bowl (though Shula had already been fired by this point). Alabama lost all 3 games in November (to LSU, Auburn, & MSU) and Shula ended his Alabama career never beating LSU (0-4) or Auburn (0-4). Despite the misserable record and many, many misserable Saturday Shula was able to drag Alabama through a very tough time in it's history after the NCAA sanctions and the Franchione & Price debacles. He was also, somehow, able to bring Alabama another 10 win season in 2005. Shula shares a pretty unique relationship with the first coach on this list (Perkins) as well as it was Shula that was Perkins' best QB and Perkins also drafted Mike Shula with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Perkins then cut Shula from the team and gave him get his first coaching job (he was a strong supporter of Shula's as coach of Alabama).
If it seems like I was giving it to DuBose the worst, thats for good reason lol
