The “D”-Word: Nick Saban and High Tide
Monday night’s BCS Championship Game was a veritable yuck-fest. Well, it was for virtually everyone except Notre Dame fans and their investors. I suspect the television ratings for the second half slid markedly, so perhaps some broadcast executives or those who booked ad space deep into the game weren’t particularly thrilled, either.
At one point, Brent Musberger added this gem. “If this was a prize fight, they’d stop it.”
The social media world blew up with a number of storylines to follow during the game, making it a far more watchable broadcast.
- SEC supporters puffed out their chests.
- Notre Dame detractors logged schedule and conference barbs.
- People did advance scouting reports on “The Bachelor” contestants.
I’ll let others put up their lines about the crowd shots and the booth’s infatuation with such. I can’t do the one-liners justice and, well, it’s played out mid-morning.
I want to run back to that larger issue lurking in the background, the issue tied to the first bullet on the list.
Nick Saban has built a dynasty in Alabama.
You may not like him. You may be tired of hearing about Saban, the SEC and Alabama football. You may deride his short run as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins.
We talk about great programs and historic runs in college sports. We talk about consistency, recruiting dominance and “blue-chip” athletes. The word “Legend” is now part of the discussion, and Saban’s place in NCAA history is being examined.
Since joining the Crimson Tide, Saban has produced a record of 63-13, including three BCS Championships. Think about the fact that six of those losses came in his first year as head coach (2007).
Last night’s drubbing of Notre Dame marked Saban’s fourth national title. He won his first as the coach of the LSU Tigers by defeating Oklahoma in 2003. Saban went 48-16 as the coach of the Tigers.
The quick math says that Saban owns a ridiculous .793 winning percentage during his SEC tenure.
His overall collegiate coaching record is 154-55-1 (34-24-1 as the coach of the Michigan State Spartans before taking over at LSU and 9-2 at Toledo).
Saban’s name has been tossed about regarding NFL coaching jobs, most notably the Browns and Eagles. Barring a late reversal, it appear that Saban is set on returning to try and earn his third straight national title.
Start the trademark process now on your catchy slogans and practice your 140-character Twitter gems.
