Who will Alabama go after as a coach?

[Jerry the Jacket]

This is a very interesting situation. A school with undeniable great tradition and resources, handicapped by being on NCAA restriction for several more years, must come up with a new coach. Most years this would be the premier coaching opportunity in the country with almost anyone in the land willing to listen and most eager to accept the opportunity. In reading the list of early candidates I am quite shocked at the supposed short list:

Mike Riley - a demonstrated mediocre Coach in college and pro ball but one of Bear's boys. This would be a rerun of Ray Perkins and Mike duBose. Not the answer.

Urban Myer - an outstanding young coach with a bright future ahead. Probably would not fit the experience mold most Bama fans are looking for. To me this would be a great hire but I doubt it will happen.

Walt Harris - Pittsburgh coach who has brought that program back to respectability but does not have the charisma I think you would want at Alabama.

George O'Leary - would be a kick butt pick who would whip the team in to shape and set a foundation for a decade of greatness. Too much of a yankee to ever be accepted by the good old boys in Bama.

Here are a few I think would be great:

Jimmy Johnson - his ego would will the Tide to the top.

Houston Nutt - great young coach. A motivator of young men and a good football mind.

Butch Davis - another great coach who is probably frustrated by the BS of the NFL.

It will be interesting to see who emerges. If they take Riley, they will be making a mistake.

Go Jackets!

 

[Father WASP]

Jerry, since A&M fired a coach with over 120 wins and stole one from Alabama, do you think we could take the $1.5 million O'Leary owes us and steal the coach from Wake Forest?

 

[Arkansas Jacket Fan]

Jerry, I doubt that Houston Nutt would leave Ark. I think he is in his dream job now being from Ark and everything, but you never know, money talks sometimes. Living in Arkansas, I am not a huge fan of Nutt, he just seems too much like a politician or used car salesman sometimes

 

[Jerry the Jacket]

Father Wasp!

That is a grand plan. I doubt we will ever see the $1.5 million from Father O'Leary and if the old coot had not turned his back on us, I for one would have welcomed him back. But having shown his true colors he will never darken our door again. Too bad for he certainly was the man who led us out of the wilderness.

Grobe would be a fine coach for the Jackets. Maybe we can approach him in a couple of years after this sad saga plays out.

Go Jackets!

 

[beeware]

Originally posted by Jerry the Jacket:

Grobe would be a fine coach for the Jackets. Maybe we can approach him in a couple of years after this sad saga plays out.

Go Jackets!

<font size="2" face="Arial, Verdana, Sans-Serif">McWhorter, Grobe, Robinson, O'brien....and many others would have been light years better than what we got saddled with.
Any of these coaches would likely have achieved much more with this talented team that was basically squandered while this new staff tried to find their way to the stadium, to the practice field, around the campus, etc.
It wasn't necessary.

 

[bobby dodds ghost]

Alabama and O'Leary would be the ULTIMATE odd couple. Hell hasn't frozen over yet, and that would have to happen first.
.
If O'Leary wants to get back into college football, he will need to look a little further north.
.
.
BOO

 

[wdestinger]

Rumour has it that its between Riley and Torbush. Honestly, no self repecting Div 1A coach will consider a shot at this job, the expectations from the bammer faithful is stuck in the past.

And, God strike me dead, I have to agree 100% with, yes, Lee Corso, who summed it up perfectly: In five years, after two or three consecutive postseason trips to Nashville or exotic Shreveport, who at Alabama would care about the conditions that their coach is faced with? NO ONE. Who at Alabama would show LOYALTY to him then? NO ONE.

I just hope Auburn can take advantage and even up the series and create a dominant recruiting matrix in Al and West Georgia.

Even though Jawja is supposed to be our 'sister' school I'll be rooting for the criminoles this sugar bowl and for y'all every governors bowl. Hope you guys regroup refocus and give us helluva game next season.

War Eagle.

 

[71YellowJacket]

JtheJ,

On 790 the twlight zone, this afternoon, considerable speculation about GO'L and Alabama.

GO'L will need to talk a lot slower

 

[MsTechAnalysis]

FYI..
For those who said Alabama would not look at O'Leary because of his yankee accent ... Coach Fran is a New Jersey guy! Read about his background when he took the AL job.

I could really care about where they are from ... it's all about can they coach and get the job done. By the way, I read somewhere recently that Coach O'Leary would be considered for Michigan State's opening. He would do an outstanding job there just like he did at Tech.

And oh by the way, we have had very successful coaches from the north recently at Tech ... starting with Cremins, O'Leary, Friedgen and now Hewitt!

 

[ahsoisee]

Anyone heard of Joe Gibbs (not sure of first name). An Alabama fan told me he was being considered. I think he is an offensive or defensive coordinator for one of the pro teams. I was told he was an ex defensive halfback from Alabama.

 

[mm42]

Everything seems to indicate Riley is a done deal. They already turned down Bill Parcells when he inquired about the job - that indicates they have a specific short list in mind, if not a decision.

 

[widgetbuzz]

Cut a Deal and send 'em CHAN!!

 

[Buzzfalcon]

Originally posted by ahsoisee:
Anyone heard of Joe Gibbs (not sure of first name). An Alabama fan told me he was being considered. I think he is an offensive or defensive coordinator for one of the pro teams. I was told he was an ex defensive halfback from Alabama.

<font size="2" face="Arial, Verdana, Sans-Serif">Gibbs is a former NFL coach with the Redskins and won three Super Bowls.

He is currently part owner/advisor of the Atlanta Falcons. He ain't goin' to no 'Bama.

 

[ahsoisee]

Thanks Yellowjacket, I was not familiar with Gibbs, just listening to the Alabama fan and his tales. It may have more wishing on his part than any inside information.