When reporters questioned if he would leave the Miami Dolphins to be the new head coach at the University of Alabama, Nick Saban looked directly into the cameras and said, “I’m not going to be the Alabama coach. I shouldn’t even have to comment on this. I think I’ve said this over and over and over again.”
Two weeks later, Saban bolted the NFL after just two seasons and three years remaining on his contract to make a return to College Football, where he will be paid $32 million over eight years to coach Alabama.
How could this happen? How could Saban emphatically deny any interest in coaching Alabama and then leave Miami? Doesn’t his word mean anything? I love how Saban and other coaches of his ilk are constantly preaching loyalty, yet they have no loyalty to a team, its organization or its fans. Instead, they are devoted to the almighty dollar; to hell with ethics.
In the college game, Saban went 48-16 in five seasons with LSU and was widely perceived as a football genius. But in two seasons with the Dolphins his 15-17 record showed that he was just an average NFL coach.
Apparently Saban isn’t so smart. Let’s not forgot that he messed up Miami’s quarterback situation by choosing Daunte Culpepper over Drew Brees. Big mistake. Culpepper lasted just four games before undergoing additional knee surgery, while Brees rebounded from a shoulder injury to become an MVP candidate after leading the league with 4,418 passing yards and the New Orleans Saints to the NFC South division.
Now, there’s a big difference between genius and average, so I can understand why Saban would choose to return to the familiarity of the college game and receive a huge pay raise. Heck, I even wish the guy good luck, but would it have killed him to be honest?
