Nick Saban: Alabama's God of the Gridiron
Alabama head football coach Nick Saban is no demigod. I am nearly 100 percent sure he is mortal. Nevertheless, his coaching success, especially at the college level, can be considered nothing less than otherworldly.
His time spent grazing the sidelines in the NFL be damned. Nick Saban has brought the culture of dominance back to the University of Alabama recently after bringing a culture of dominance to Louisiana State. Two National Championships, three SEC titles and two AP National Coach of the Year awards later and Nick Saban is better at what he does than most of us are at what we do, a figurative definition of excellence.
Some will argue that his time spent as coach of the Miami Dolphins proves he is no historic coach and yet the two sports, professional football and college football, are hardly comparable from a coaching standpoint. Others will bring up the handful of vacated wins at Alabama under his tutelage to prove he can’t win without bending the rules and yet his indiscretions were minor compared to many, many of his peers. The fact remains that Coach Saban is at the top of his craft.
After losing their senior starting quarterback, their Heisman Trophy-winning tailback, their talent-rich wide receiver and many of their key cogs on the defensive side of the ball, how else could we explain Alabama’s recognition as one of the premier teams heading into 2011? The roster needs to be adjusted and retooled; the one constant from their title team, Saban, is the reason they must still be feared. Because of his coaching and recruiting prowess, Alabama, who in 2009 won what was their first title in over 15 years, is back to stay where they used to roam, at the top of the polls, vying for a championship win. Roll Tide.
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