I'm bored, and it's offseason so I got to thinking about some of the Tide teams and players from the '80's. That got me to wondering what was the deal behind Curry. Why wasn't he liked, and did he resign under pressure? Or was being the HC for Bama just too much for him? Personally, I liked the guy, but I'm not old enough to remember all the history from that era. I've heard there was more to the infamous "brick through the window" incident than what was reported. The guy seemed to be a good recruiter, ran a clean program, and had a good record while at Bama. I do give him credit for bringing in Homer Smith, and letting him do his thing. The '89 offense was the best I've seen on a Bama team to this day. The next year, with almost the same personnel, we had trouble scoring points after leading the conference in scoring the previous year. The only drawback to Curry was he couldn't beat Auburn; however, he was going up against some of the most talented AU teams in their history and we just walked into a buzzsaw in '89. Anyway, just curious as to what the deal was.
Was Bill Curry fired, or did he "resign"?
- Thread starter bamahuey1
- Start date
- Status
I don't think the brick through the window ever actually happened, but it's one of those things that still gets told as truth.
There are better historians of Bama football than me, but I recall that Curry was going to interview with Kentucky after he had a very good season and his stock was rising. I heard that the powers that be told him if he went for the interview that he would not be welcomed back. He interviewed and got the job. The rest is history. I don't blame Alabama for not wanting its coach to "shop around" after posting a good season. He never beat "the school down the road" while at Georgia Tech or Bama.
bamanut_aj said:
I understand that if someone could hurl a brick through that window the coaches would have chased him down to offer a scholarship.
The "brick"...
still gripes my butt. Curry has worked it to death, along with "the last player drafted." I had friends on the team at that time, and they say the brick was a joke. Besides, it would have been a physical impossibility. Over the years, we've had a few post that they KNEW the brick was real, but the sources always come down to a brother-in-law of a third cousin.
still gripes my butt. Curry has worked it to death, along with "the last player drafted." I had friends on the team at that time, and they say the brick was a joke. Besides, it would have been a physical impossibility. Over the years, we've had a few post that they KNEW the brick was real, but the sources always come down to a brother-in-law of a third cousin.
The short answer is, he resigned.
Having been living in T-town at the time, I seem to recall that Dr. Sayers and Hootie Ingram DID offer Curry a contract extension after the 10 win season in '89, but he simply refused it and took the offer from CM Newton instead to be the head coach at a basketball school, where he knew he would never be under any real pressure to be successful.
Having been living in T-town at the time, I seem to recall that Dr. Sayers and Hootie Ingram DID offer Curry a contract extension after the 10 win season in '89, but he simply refused it and took the offer from CM Newton instead to be the head coach at a basketball school, where he knew he would never be under any real pressure to be successful.
*CM deserves a place in the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame for hiring Curry.
*One of the more interesting stories I've heard is hearing the center at that time, Roger Schultz, talking about how Curry addressed the team before the pressor to tell them he was leaving. In a blue jacket, mind you.
*One thing that is seldom mentioned with respect to Curry is there were discipline problems along with decreasing graduation rates among the football program. I remember hearing Baumhower talk about it a few years ago...saying, even though he knew first hand of the problems he still supported Curry as he would any head coach at Alabama.
*Both Curry and Perkins were in a unique situation...they were at the helm when coaches were beginning to make a lot of money.
One has to give both Sayers and Ingram their dues here because they saw the shifting climate in salaries and began making the necessary adjustments to coincide with these changes. Coaches were just beginning to see a lot of income "outside the program." (TV, radio, shoe contracts, appearance fees, etc.) In Curry's original contract the University was literally responsible for the entire salary that Curry was receiving. However, when the new contract came up in it's 2nd, 3rd, 4th....revisions, a good portion of his income was based on these outside revenue sources. To say the least, Curry didn't like that. In terms that are a little more simple...if the University were to have severed ties with Curry, they would be responsibe for the entire amount of his salary.
In retrospect, I'd bet Curry kicks himself in the rear because he didn't realize that the contracts were moving in that direction...and eventually we'd see all schools doing the same thing. Oh, not to mention the fact he would have ended up making more money.
*Barry Allen made a comment some years ago that was along the lines of..."Some people think Curry didn't win because he didn't beat Auburn. It's probably not a fair assessment, but that was the standard set years ago. If you don't win them all, you didn't win. That's just the way it is here."
*You want to know how well Stallings was accepted? Sayers said when word started getting out (right before the bowl game that year) about Kentucky he received between 150-200 letters, both pro and con, about this breaking situation. In Stallings first year, he received one.
*Did I mention CM Newton should be in the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame...
*One of the more interesting stories I've heard is hearing the center at that time, Roger Schultz, talking about how Curry addressed the team before the pressor to tell them he was leaving. In a blue jacket, mind you.
*One thing that is seldom mentioned with respect to Curry is there were discipline problems along with decreasing graduation rates among the football program. I remember hearing Baumhower talk about it a few years ago...saying, even though he knew first hand of the problems he still supported Curry as he would any head coach at Alabama.
*Both Curry and Perkins were in a unique situation...they were at the helm when coaches were beginning to make a lot of money.
One has to give both Sayers and Ingram their dues here because they saw the shifting climate in salaries and began making the necessary adjustments to coincide with these changes. Coaches were just beginning to see a lot of income "outside the program." (TV, radio, shoe contracts, appearance fees, etc.) In Curry's original contract the University was literally responsible for the entire salary that Curry was receiving. However, when the new contract came up in it's 2nd, 3rd, 4th....revisions, a good portion of his income was based on these outside revenue sources. To say the least, Curry didn't like that. In terms that are a little more simple...if the University were to have severed ties with Curry, they would be responsibe for the entire amount of his salary.
In retrospect, I'd bet Curry kicks himself in the rear because he didn't realize that the contracts were moving in that direction...and eventually we'd see all schools doing the same thing. Oh, not to mention the fact he would have ended up making more money.
*Barry Allen made a comment some years ago that was along the lines of..."Some people think Curry didn't win because he didn't beat Auburn. It's probably not a fair assessment, but that was the standard set years ago. If you don't win them all, you didn't win. That's just the way it is here."
*You want to know how well Stallings was accepted? Sayers said when word started getting out (right before the bowl game that year) about Kentucky he received between 150-200 letters, both pro and con, about this breaking situation. In Stallings first year, he received one.
*Did I mention CM Newton should be in the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame...
bamahuey1 said:
Not trying to bash Curry or put him down, but I think the '89 offense and the points they scored had more to do with Homer Smith than Bill Curry. But as you pointed out, Curry did bring him in and let "him do his thing."
The prevoius offensive coordinator that we had under Curry was Rip Sherr (SP?????). The offense was horrible before Homer Smith arrived.
If memory serves me correctly, I believe the '89 season was the offenses second season under Smith and things really started clicking. I think we had a great QB, Gary Hollingsworth, to run Smith's offense.
The '90 season was Stallings first year at Alabama and the offense struggled without a doubt. However, this was the players first year in this offense and for wahtever reason, Alabama seems to always struggle offensively in a new head coach's offense. Stallings offense was not even close to the same offense the '89 team ran.
Back to Curry, I believe he was 0-11 against All-barn in his career when he left Alabama. He played All-barn while the head coach at Georgia Tech as well. IMO this was one reason he was not a very popular coach at Alabama. Let's face it, you have got to beat All-barn if you plan on being the head coach at Alabama long term.
Also, Curry was not a very good X's and O's coach at all in my IMO.
Last edited:
TerryP said:
You're right about the blue jacket, Terry. The local tv stations went "wall to wall" covering Curry's last address to the team and i can still remember him leaving the athletic building in that kentucky blue windbreaker like it was yesterday.
Funny thing, CM now lives(at least part time) in Tuscaloosa. Talk about irony....
bamabryan said:
When Curry was at Georgia Tech, he was tutored by former coach Bobby Dodd. They reviewed the games and Dodd mentored Curry on how to be a better game day coach.
Incorrect, Jordan, my friend...Their records were close, but not the same.
Fran 17-8 .680 winning percentage
Curry 26-10 .722 winning percentage
Fran 17-8 .680 winning percentage
Curry 26-10 .722 winning percentage
Last edited:
jordan92 said:
I think I see your point, and agree--their tenures were very similar, and brief. btw, I was incorrect about Fran's overall record and have corrected my last post. His WP was .680...
char·ac·ter ('kar-ik-t&r)jordan92 said:
The combination of qualities or features that distinguishes one person, group, or thing from another. Moral or ethical strength.
jordan92 said:
Besides the W/L record, about the only thing the two had in common was being paranoid.
When Sayers brought Hootie in as AD his contract was laid out precisely...as in "these are your duties, responsibilities." The new contract that was given to Curry also had clauses in it that described what he would responsible for, etc. There was a feeling he feared he was losing control...another one of the "power struggles" we've seen over the last 30 years.
- Status
Trending content
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Thread 'Good luck dealing with a pandemic, depending on this administration...'
- TIDE-HSV
Replies: 8K
Latest threads
-
Defensive Woes Prove Costly in Alabama’s 6-3 Loss at South Alabama- Started by Diamond Tide
- Replies: 0
-
ESPN: IU's Cignetti to drive pace car for May's Indy 500- Started by TideFans Reporter
- Replies: 0
-
Right Field Terrace at Sewell-Thomas Stadium Open to All Fans for Florida Series
- Started by Diamond Tide
- Replies: 0
-
-
ESPN: Matt Leinart on unretiring USC No. 11: 'Not for sale'
- Started by TideFans Reporter
- Replies: 0
-
ESPN: Cutcliffe retires from special assistant role in SEC
- Started by TideFans Reporter
- Replies: 0