Mike, Mike, Mike, & Kalen?

[graydogg85]

At this point knowing what he inherited I’d rank him below DuBose and Shula. He’s got some work to do.

With the utmost respect to you, I’d suggest that you don’t have a keen enough memory of the Shula and Dubose eras. I cut my Bama football teeth during their tenures and remember them vividly.

DeBoer may yet prove to be a complete bust, but let’s consider the following:

Shula and Dubose both posted losing seasons (4-9 and 4-7 respectively) in their first year after inheriting teams that had each won 10 games the previous year. I said this last year - the fact that DeBoer didn’t immediately run us into the ditch was an achievement in and of itself. A low bar to clear, but still pertinent. Sark and Cristobal were 5-7 in their first seasons at UT and Miami, and Sark had a similarly loaded roster.

Dubose changed his offensive philosophy probably 7-8 times during his tenure, with several changes coming mid-season. He could never put together a cogent vision of what style of team we wanted to be. DeBoer at least knows that.

Shula had no prior HC experience and at his highest previous post, OC in Tampa Bay, he was an abject failure. Completely unqualified and it showed over time. Didn’t have the schematic uncertainty of Dubose or the level of off-field scandal, but we handed the keys to a sports car to a kid with a permit. DeBoer at least has a very solid track record.

As far as I’m concerned, DeBoer is still leaps and bounds better that those two. Those really were the dark ages and we haven’t sniffed that yet. We may prove to under DeBoer; given his track record and recruiting prowess I think it’s unlikely. He may not be a championship level coach and if that’s the case we will have to make a business decision at some point, but it’s way too reactionary to treat him as though we hired someone completely unqualified with no track record like the previous Mikes.

Dubose is still the worst we’ve had in my lifetime. Shula was bad, but not for the same reasons. I still think DeBoer looked like the best available candidate at the time we made the hire, assuming you couldn’t get Sark or Kirby (which we couldn’t). He may still not pan out, but we definitely didn’t hire an unqualified noob like those two previous coaches.

 

[tusks_n_raider]

I’ll go ahead and spoil this for everyone because honestly you can see it coming anyway.

Shula (OC) USCe is going to absolutely pants DeBose this year.

 

[RammerJammer15]

He’s lost more games to unranked teams in 14 games than Saban did in 17 years.

He’s lost more games to unranked teams at Alabama in 14 games than he did in 28 games at Washington

 

[selmaborntidefan]

 

[RammerJammer14]

I do hope that he has survival instinct enough to turn it up several notches and the staff does a lot of self examination and reviewing what successful teams are doing on offense and defense in the SEC. My thought has been that successful coaches particularly in the NFL are deeply involved with their coaches in making in game adjustments. A number of them are actively involved in play calling. Giving DeBoer his due I thought that his model of being a GM of Chairman of the Board could work. It clearly doesn't. He has to change and quickly. I actually hope that he does.

He failed his first test of survival instinct when he couldn’t even get the team playing well in the bowl game against a gutted Michigan team. Bowl games are often where you set the tone for the next season. Well, he set it alright.

 

[graydogg85]

I’ll go ahead and spoil this for everyone because honestly you can see it coming anyway.

Shula (OC) USCe is going to absolutely pants DeBose this year.

He could, but I’d be surprised.

Given their personnel losses and Shula’s historical play calling, I expect the USC offense to take a step back this season. Sellers will play well, Shula is a great QB coach, but I bet the QB gets hamstrung by the play calling. I could be wrong, Shula may have changed his stripes but he always called plays like he was trying to edge out the Patriots 20-17 in the 4th quarter.

 

[tusks_n_raider]

View attachment 52505

Left is a 5 Star Michelin Restaurant that Boons an entire Metropolis’s Economy.

Right is an E Coli breakout at a Jack-n-Box in 1992 that hospitalizes the local populace.

 

[Elefantman]

So.....

Which coach had a worse visit to Florida?
2003 Price
2025 DeBoer

At least Price's pathic performance was only witnessed by one.

 

[bamaga]

Don't miss the point. Nick's strategy was get the best players. We did that for his entire tenure. When he realized we could not do that anymore, he retired. We do not have the best players now, especially in the trenches on the O and D lines. Coaching is a problem now yes, but Alabama will not be the same as under Saban because we cannot corner the market on talent like we once could.

I get that’s the popular opinion, but his last 2 classes were two of the 3 best in the history of college football according to 247 composite . With the other being the Texas aTm class. He signed Julian Sayin and Caleb Downs. Recruiting wasn’t an issue . Don’t buy into that narrow minded thinking.

 

[CoolBreeze]

I get that’s the popular opinion, but his last 2 classes were two of the 3 best in the history of college football according to 247 composite . With the other being the Texas aTm class. He signed Julian Sayin and Caleb Downs. Recruiting wasn’t an issue . Don’t buy into that narrow minded thinking.

Yea, but Julian and Caleb came to the University to play for the GOAT, not the money. Once Nick hung it up because of this money, money, money situation, both those dudes bolted.

 

[bamaga]

Yea, but Julian and Caleb came to the University to play for the GOAT, not the money. Once Nick hung it up because of this money, money, money situation, both those dudes bolted.

i was strictly talking about Nick’s ability to recruit. No, I don’t think Coach DeBoer will have that level of success recruiting. Especially if the wheels come off this season.

 

[bamaga]

At least Price's pathic performance was only witnessed by one.

Mike had a good time from all accounts.

 

[CoolBreeze]

i was strictly talking about Nick’s ability to recruit. No, I don’t think Coach DeBoer will have that level of success recruiting. Especially if the wheels come off this season.

I dig. FWIW, I do think there is hope that DeBoer will learn from this and adapt. That was Nick's signature move. Dude has won a lot of games to this point which points to the fact that he has the meddle to make the right changes. Whether he does or not will determine his fate and the rest of this season.

 

[RammerJammer14]

Mike had a good time from all accounts.

All accounts both figuratively and literally

 

[NativeTider]

It's been a long time since I've posted on here. Probably because we were on cruise control with Saban for so long there was nothing controversial to discuss.

I've been around Bama football for decades. I experienced the highs of Coach Bryant, Stallings and Saban and the lows of the others. In my lifetime there are only 3 coaches who had the personality and skillset to coach Bama- Bryant, Stallings and Saban. DeBoer is NOT cut from the same mold. This job is eating him alive in real time. No way he makes it. The next coach needs to be cut from the same cloth as the three I mentioned or our new walk in the wilderness may take a while.

 

[BamaFanInTally]

In addition to a new DC, we need to go get Bo Davis back as D-Line coach. He could flat out coach the D-Line.

 

[10Bama54]

In regards to Saban winning all the first games. They played every game at a neutral site or at home. They didn’t have to play at their opponents home field and have that war chant going on constantly. And top that off we had a first year QB. Now I don’t know what was wrong in the first half with the defense. Could be they were missing Keenan plugging up the middle.

In the games that were lost last year:
Vandy-we lost by 5 points and Jalen threw a pick 6.
Tn-we lost by 7 points and Jalen had 2 picks that stopped drives.
Oklahoma-we lost by 21 points and Jalen had 3 picks that led to points.
MI-we lost by 6 points and Jalen had 1 INT

 

[dabamafan]

I’m going to bring up three things regarding Deboer’s personality. First, the fact that it was pretty obvious it would be a notable contrast between him and Saban. Second, the fact we were the only school not to have a transfer out since Spring. Third, our proactive assumption that in the new NIL/portal era, you were going to have to have someone to balance egos in this new “players era” and be a little softer at the right times to keep team chemistry.

Based on the evidence at hand, Deboer is being successful as what we assumed college ball was going to need in the new landscape. However, it’s not going to take long to prove that assumption wrong if hard traditional coaching isn’t still the game prep/gameday rule of the land. Maybe that kind of duality is hard to pull off genuinely.

Whether this team can come home and find its true mettle, should that exist, will quickly determine if we simply have “the guy after The Guy” or something more.

Either way, he was stacked up with an arsenal of tools that none of the previous Mikes had, particularly Shula - and Price unofficially doesn’t count.

THIS !!!

 

[dabamafan]

With the utmost respect to you, I’d suggest that you don’t have a keen enough memory of the Shula and Dubose eras. I cut my Bama football teeth during their tenures and remember them vividly.

DeBoer may yet prove to be a complete bust, but let’s consider the following:

Shula and Dubose both posted losing seasons (4-9 and 4-7 respectively) in their first year after inheriting teams that had each won 10 games the previous year. I said this last year - the fact that DeBoer didn’t immediately run us into the ditch was an achievement in and of itself. A low bar to clear, but still pertinent. Sark and Cristobal were 5-7 in their first seasons at UT and Miami, and Sark had a similarly loaded roster.

Dubose changed his offensive philosophy probably 7-8 times during his tenure, with several changes coming mid-season. He could never put together a cogent vision of what style of team we wanted to be. DeBoer at least knows that.

Shula had no prior HC experience and at his highest previous post, OC in Tampa Bay, he was an abject failure. Completely unqualified and it showed over time. Didn’t have the schematic uncertainty of Dubose or the level of off-field scandal, but we handed the keys to a sports car to a kid with a permit. DeBoer at least has a very solid track record.

As far as I’m concerned, DeBoer is still leaps and bounds better that those two. Those really were the dark ages and we haven’t sniffed that yet. We may prove to under DeBoer; given his track record and recruiting prowess I think it’s unlikely. He may not be a championship level coach and if that’s the case we will have to make a business decision at some point, but it’s way too reactionary to treat him as though we hired someone completely unqualified with no track record like the previous Mikes.

Dubose is still the worst we’ve had in my lifetime. Shula was bad, but not for the same reasons. I still think DeBoer looked like the best available candidate at the time we made the hire, assuming you couldn’t get Sark or Kirby (which we couldn’t). He may still not pan out, but we definitely didn’t hire an unqualified noob like those two previous coaches.

Completely agree. It is uncomfortable at the moment and and I am nervous.

With the utmost respect to you, I’d suggest that you don’t have a keen enough memory of the Shula and Dubose eras. I cut my Bama football teeth during their tenures and remember them vividly.

DeBoer may yet prove to be a complete bust, but let’s consider the following:

Shula and Dubose both posted losing seasons (4-9 and 4-7 respectively) in their first year after inheriting teams that had each won 10 games the previous year. I said this last year - the fact that DeBoer didn’t immediately run us into the ditch was an achievement in and of itself. A low bar to clear, but still pertinent. Sark and Cristobal were 5-7 in their first seasons at UT and Miami, and Sark had a similarly loaded roster.

Dubose changed his offensive philosophy probably 7-8 times during his tenure, with several changes coming mid-season. He could never put together a cogent vision of what style of team we wanted to be. DeBoer at least knows that.

Shula had no prior HC experience and at his highest previous post, OC in Tampa Bay, he was an abject failure. Completely unqualified and it showed over time. Didn’t have the schematic uncertainty of Dubose or the level of off-field scandal, but we handed the keys to a sports car to a kid with a permit. DeBoer at least has a very solid track record.

As far as I’m concerned, DeBoer is still leaps and bounds better that those two. Those really were the dark ages and we haven’t sniffed that yet. We may prove to under DeBoer; given his track record and recruiting prowess I think it’s unlikely. He may not be a championship level coach and if that’s the case we will have to make a business decision at some point, but it’s way too reactionary to treat him as though we hired someone completely unqualified with no track record like the previous Mikes.

Dubose is still the worst we’ve had in my lifetime. Shula was bad, but not for the same reasons. I still think DeBoer looked like the best available candidate at the time we made the hire, assuming you couldn’t get Sark or Kirby (which we couldn’t). He may still not pan out, but we definitely didn’t hire an unqualified noob like those two previous coaches.

Agreed ! It is uncomfortable right now and I am nervous !

 

[bamamc1]

My brother and his family came up yesterday to celebrate mom’s birthday. My niece dates a West Alabama football player. Subsequently, my brother had the opportunity to talk to several WA coaches after the game. Scarborough, Ragland, Square and each of them talked about how soft we are, practices being moved to 7 AM to avoid the heat, and the fact that our staff is usually out of there each afternoon. Those guys played at Bama and know what it takes to win and the sacrifices that have to be made.

I think a lot of the issues we’ve encountered the past few years started when Scott Cochran left for UGA. The toughness is nowhere near what it used to be. The disciplined play is nowhere near what it used to be. I doubt a LANK coup would have happened because he would have recognized it and snuffed it out. It would have been all about team and not a handful of players hijacking an entire program.

If nothing else, at least we’re not hearing that Lank crap this year.