Pete Thamel is reporting Caleb Downs beginning process to enter portal.

[MOAN]

Y’all do realize that no matter when Saban announces that this 30 day portal opens right? Unless you are firing a coach then I don’t really see any true benefit from picking a specific date between ESD and NSD to retire. You are still going to deal with what we are as a program.

Had CNS retired after NSD it would be far worse than what it is now. Because 1) you are going to have to convince someone to come and really hit the ground running and 2) the spring will be a disaster made from hell.

This how I understand it but I am usually wrong. When a head coach leaves then the school he is leaving has a 30 day portal open for players to leave too if they choose. How can Georgia, Texas, FSU accept our transfers and yet we can't accept transfers from other schools that head coaches left and portal opens for 30 days? Say Washington transfers wanting to come to Bama? I am not understanding something most likely lol!!

Coach Deboer took Washington to the national championship game so I figure he would have been a hot commodity to get another job as we have witnessed. If not Bama somewhere!! I think coach Saban and AD Byrne knew the sooner they got their man the better and I think Deboer was their first choice, at least someone that they hoped to get, a championship caliber head coach!! If he waits then who knows if he would have been available especially with all the pro job openings.

I ain't worried about the players that leave, just the ones who stay!! Can't worry about something you don't have, or at least you shouldn't! I imagine wherever Downs goes there is a player on that team not so happy!! Of course when the next portal opens for everyone you will be seeing lots of them jumping in the portal and that is our chance then.

Maybe I just cleared up my confusion for myself. We can't steal Georgia, FSU and Texas players, others as well, until the next portal opens but we can take players who is in the 30 portal from schools that coaches have left. I don't know as I said I am not understanding lol!!

 

[colbysullivan]

So how is timing the issue?

Saban literally didn't know if he was going to retire 5 minutes before he told the team. Not enough time was dedicated to making a plan.

 

[81usaf92]

This how I understand it but I am usually wrong. When a head coach leaves then the school he is leaving has a 30 day portal open for players to leave too if they choose. How can Georgia, Texas, FSU accept our transfers and yet we can't accept transfers from other schools that head coaches left and portal opens for 30 days? Say Washington transfers wanting to come to Bama? I am not understanding something most likely lol!!

Coach Deboer took Washington to the national championship game so I figure he would have been a hot commodity to get another job as we have witnessed. If not Bama somewhere!! I think coach Saban and AD Byrne knew the sooner they got their man the better and I think Deboer was their first choice, at least someone that they hoped to get, a championship caliber head coach!! If he waits then who knows if he would have been available especially with all the pro job openings.

I ain't worried about the players that leave, just the ones who stay!! Can't worry about something you don't have, or at least you shouldn't! I imagine wherever Downs goes there is a player on that team not so happy!! Of course when the next portal opens for everyone you will be seeing lots of them jumping in the portal and that is our chance then.

Maybe I just cleared up my confusion for myself. We can't steal Georgia, FSU and Texas players, others as well, until the next portal opens but we can take players who is in the 30 portal from schools that coaches have left. I don't know as I said I am not understanding lol!!

The idea behind it was for student athletes not to be trapped with a new staff when transferring was very strict. But like everything and anything the NCAA has been a part of for the past 15 years they have refused to evolve from the Obannon case. So it’s basically a free for all.

 

[81usaf92]

Saban literally didn't know if he was going to retire 5 minutes before he told the team. Not enough time was dedicated to making a plan.

Saban can say that all he wants, but it really doesn’t make it true once you consider the BOT and the AD knew of the possibility since December. Again this is trying to take the blame of any potential fall out off Byrne and a new coach.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

There is no longer a good time to retire from being a CFB coach. It does not exist.


If you announce it before the season, you lose recruits AND now guys to the portal.

If you do it after the SEC title game - and you lose the playoff, you get blamed.

If you do it after winning a title, your successor is a month behind everyone else and then gets more portal wounds inflicted.

If you name the successor and it's anyone not on staff, you have distractions.

Think like this: if Coach Bryant announced his 1982 retirement in December 1979.......what happens?

The days when a Tom Osborne could announce his retirement prior to the bowl in a lame effort to engender a Lifetime Achievement national title ring he didn't deserve is as long gone as VHS tapes.

Saban was screwed on this no matter when he announced it and so are we

 

[Cruiser]

Hearing he is headed to Ga for $1 million+

 

[thunderz7]

All the "poor oppressed" entering the portal from Bama need to spend about 30 minutes with Martin Houston and learn about legacy and what that script A will mean years down the road.

 

[TexasBama]

There is no longer a good time to retire from being a CFB coach. It does not exist.


If you announce it before the season, you lose recruits AND now guys to the portal.

If you do it after the SEC title game - and you lose the playoff, you get blamed.

If you do it after winning a title, your successor is a month behind everyone else and then gets more portal wounds inflicted.

If you name the successor and it's anyone not on staff, you have distractions.

Think like this: if Coach Bryant announced his 1982 retirement in December 1979.......what happens?

The days when a Tom Osborne could announce his retirement prior to the bowl in a lame effort to engender a Lifetime Achievement national title ring he didn't deserve is as long gone as VHS tapes.

Saban was screwed on this no matter when he announced it and so are we

the solution is to coach posthumously

 

[NoNC4Tubs]

Saban literally didn't know if he was going to retire 5 minutes before he told the team. Not enough time was dedicated to making a plan.

DeBoer was vetted before that five minutes...

 

[Tidelines]

Georgia can have Downs for a million. We'll take 2 DLs for $250,000, a center for $200,000, and another CB for $300,000. Gotta spread the wealth around.

 

[LA BamaCarl]

College football is a completely different sport now. Nothing more than an NFL minor league with unlimited free agency. College championships don't mean the same anymore. I'm afraid college sports interest will be declining in the coming years.

 

[bamamc1]

Hearing he is headed to Ga for $1 million+

They can have him.

 

[BAMAVILLE]

All the "poor oppressed" entering the portal from Bama need to spend about 30 minutes with Martin Houston and learn about legacy and what that script A will mean years down the road.

Ok ... I'm going to bite ... what will it mean? Especially in this day and age of NIL for scholar athletes?

I graduated with a degree from UA so I understand the legacy part ... but as far as the financial part, how does it work?

 

[JohnD]

Ok ... I'm going to bite ... what will it mean? Especially in this day and age of NIL for scholar athletes?

I graduated with a degree from UA so I understand the legacy part ... but as far as the financial part, how does it work?

Exactly! The average student will not earn as much money in 10 years that a lot of these players will make off one NIL deal for 1 season.

The notion of being a "Student Athlete" is a farce now.

 

[davefrat]

This is a bad loss.

 

[theballguy]

Any truth to this?

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1747622169415225440

Yep and good riddance if you don't want to play at Bama.

 

[B1GTide]

There is no longer a good time to retire from being a CFB coach. It does not exist.


If you announce it before the season, you lose recruits AND now guys to the portal.

If you do it after the SEC title game - and you lose the playoff, you get blamed.

If you do it after winning a title, your successor is a month behind everyone else and then gets more portal wounds inflicted.

If you name the successor and it's anyone not on staff, you have distractions.

Think like this: if Coach Bryant announced his 1982 retirement in December 1979.......what happens?

The days when a Tom Osborne could announce his retirement prior to the bowl in a lame effort to engender a Lifetime Achievement national title ring he didn't deserve is as long gone as VHS tapes.

Saban was screwed on this no matter when he announced it and so are we

The best time to leave a team to minimize damage to the program is in the middle of a season. Few players will transfer during the middle of a season, so the transfer portal is removed from the equation.

 

[B1GTide]

Downs is the best defensive player in college football. If he isn't staying at Alabama, I hope he comes to OSU, because he is freaking awesome and I don't want to have to play against him.

 

[Tidelines]

The best time to leave a team to minimize damage to the program is in the middle of a season. Few players will transfer during the middle of a season, so the transfer portal is removed from the equation.

We'll call it the Steve Spurrier plan.

 

[TideEngineer08]

Downs is the best defensive player in college football. If he isn't staying at Alabama, I hope he comes to OSU, because he is freaking awesome and I don't want to have to play against him.

I would rather him be there than Georgia.

But still...