| FTBL Will Shula be the first to return as a formally HC?

If curry would’ve gotten full support from the old farts, he’d have had a ring or 3…..

He was sabotaged from within!!
Those same stupid old farts had Bobby Bowden in the palm of their hand at that time as well and were pious because "We were Alabama". While Bowden wasn't without fault. Through the 90's he not only won 2 MNC's, he went 6-6 against Spurrier. I would have taken that in a heartbeat.
 
While Shula wasn’t the best long term solution, he was our only solution at the time. No coach wants to come in after spring practice to 1) assemble a qualified coaching staff; 2) try to install an offense and defense; 3) deal with a recruiting class that doesn’t match your offensive/defensive schemes; and 4) initiate a recruiting plan with a cloud over the program. I give Shula credit that he took on the challenge even though the odds were stacked heavily against him. He didn’t do bad, but he didn’t do good enough.
 
While Shula wasn’t the best long term solution, he was our only solution at the time. No coach wants to come in after spring practice to 1) assemble a qualified coaching staff; 2) try to install an offense and defense; 3) deal with a recruiting class that doesn’t match your offensive/defensive schemes; and 4) initiate a recruiting plan with a cloud over the program. I give Shula credit that he took on the challenge even though the odds were stacked heavily against him. He didn’t do bad, but he didn’t do good enough.

While I have beat this to death in the past. It was stupid to hire Shula. We were on probation and not going anywhere or doing anything. Having said that, I would go through it all again to get Saban and the 17 years of greatness we got.

The smart thing to have done after canning Price was to promote Joe Kines as interim for that year. Would have been continuity of staff and I don't think the season would have been worse than the 5-7 debacle that ensued in 2003. After that season, Butch Davis and Steve Spurrier left the NFL. At the time, I think any one of us would have happy to have had one of them leading Bama. Spurrier had tried to hire Brother Oliver several times while he was at UF. I bet Oliver would have been willing to come to Bama and work with the Ol' Ball Coach one last go around had that happened.
 
While I have beat this to death in the past. It was stupid to hire Shula. We were on probation and not going anywhere or doing anything. Having said that, I would go through it all again to get Saban and the 17 years of greatness we got.

The smart thing to have done after canning Price was to promote Joe Kines as interim for that year. Would have been continuity of staff and I don't think the season would have been worse than the 5-7 debacle that ensued in 2003. After that season, Butch Davis and Steve Spurrier left the NFL. At the time, I think any one of us would have happy to have had one of them leading Bama. Spurrier had tried to hire Brother Oliver several times while he was at UF. I bet Oliver would have been willing to come to Bama and work with the Ol' Ball Coach one last go around had that happened.
Speaking of the Ole Ball Coach, I remember rumors flying on campus before Saban was hired towards Spurrier. Specifically, I remember the book store sold out of crimson visors. Side note, I didn't buy one, visors are for Ole Miss first boys.

Anyway, I appreciate all that Shula did. He stepped into an impossible situation and almost turned the pile of shi* that the UA program was into something respectable. Almost. Like, one Tebow signing away from sticking around a few more years.

All that said, I hope that Shula is welcomed with open arms. He is an alum and helped his alma mater out of a tough situation. Just my two cents.
 
A few years after Mike was fired, I found an old photo I had made of him and my son near Denny Chimes when his hand prints and foot prints were placed in the concrete as a captain. I forget where he was at, maybe the Panthers, but I found an address and mailed the photo to the organization.

I asked if he would sign it and mail it back in an self addressed, postage paid envelope I included with the photo. About six weeks later, after not hearing from him, I figured he had just thrown it away or got lost or neglected. Instead, about two months after I sent it, I received the picture back just as you see it here. Framed, matted and signed! He signed it, not entirely visible in this photo: To Joshua, Roll Tide! Mike Shula

That was an act of pure class and I will always appreciate him for it.

IMG_5519.JPG
 
Man the Vandy loss really has us in such a stupor that we’re discussing alternative scenarios that could have prevented an era that surpassed that of the Bear. Lol. Like someone already said in this thread, I’d endure everything all again exactly as it happened to get Saban being swarmed at the airport and kissed by that crazy lady! Like an addict who needs to hit rock bottom before recovery, Bama had to be brought down so low to come to terms with itself in the mirror and humble itself enough to truly turn the corner. The story of Mal Moore’s pursuit of Saban is a story of desperation as much as it is a story of renewed clarity, vision and determination.

Oh and to the starter of this thread, it’s former head coach, not formally.
 
While I have beat this to death in the past. It was stupid to hire Shula. We were on probation and not going anywhere or doing anything. Having said that, I would go through it all again to get Saban and the 17 years of greatness we got.

The smart thing to have done after canning Price was to promote Joe Kines as interim for that year. Would have been continuity of staff and I don't think the season would have been worse than the 5-7 debacle that ensued in 2003. After that season, Butch Davis and Steve Spurrier left the NFL. At the time, I think any one of us would have happy to have had one of them leading Bama. Spurrier had tried to hire Brother Oliver several times while he was at UF. I bet Oliver would have been willing to come to Bama and work with the Ol' Ball Coach one last go around had that happened.
We can make lots of lists of who would have been better, but add the qualifier of would they accept the role. That’s the disqualifier for Davis, Spurrier and many, many more. Nobody wanted to join a team on probation. Nobody wanted to walk into a program that fired multiple coaches for improper behavior (Price, DuBose).
 
While I have beat this to death in the past. It was stupid to hire Shula. We were on probation and not going anywhere or doing anything. Having said that, I would go through it all again to get Saban and the 17 years of greatness we got.

The smart thing to have done after canning Price was to promote Joe Kines as interim for that year. Would have been continuity of staff and I don't think the season would have been worse than the 5-7 debacle that ensued in 2003. After that season, Butch Davis and Steve Spurrier left the NFL. At the time, I think any one of us would have happy to have had one of them leading Bama. Spurrier had tried to hire Brother Oliver several times while he was at UF. I bet Oliver would have been willing to come to Bama and work with the Ol' Ball Coach one last go around had that happened.
Absolutely on promoting Joe (we got to stop that inside trap) Kines to run the show for a year. Bama was f'ed already so why make it worse.

I like Mike Shula.

Dave Rader is now a state senator for Oklahoma.

Anybody beside me at that USF game in Legion in 2003?
 
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