Here's the facts:
1. Saban had NFL experience before coaching at LSU because he coached for the Cleveland Browns with Bill Belichick. Butch has never had NFL experience except for an internship with Tampa Bay in the 80's.
2. Saban had coached at Michigan State with a record of 34-24-1 (58.6%) and never won a bowl game, NOR did he ever finish higher than 5th in the conference except for his last year, in which he bolted. He went 9-2 at Toledo, but did not inherit a mess there, he inherited a team whose coach retired and was already preseason favorites to win the conference.
Butch in his 3 years at Central Michigan went 27-13 (67.5%) and never finished less than 2nd in the conference, also losing both of his bowl games. At Cincinnati, he went 62.1% (23-14), finishing 7th in conference his first year, and then winning it the next two, going 1-0 in bowl games he coached in. So, overall, before Butch was hired to the SEC, he was 65% as a head coach, compared to Saban's 61%.
When Saban was hired at LSU, a lot of people were upset because he wasn't exactly a "proven" coach.
And you think that Saban didn't have his losses of Vandy caliber or get upsetted?
In his first (and only) year at Toledo, his team got beat by a Navy team that went 5-6.
In his first year at Michigan State, he got drilled 45-14 by a Wisconsin team that only won 4 games that year.
In his second year, he lost to a Louisville team that finished 5-6.
In 1997, his team started 5-0, only to lose 4 straight (VolNation would have exploded, wouldn't they?) That skid included a loss to 5-7 Northwestern,
In 1998, he took a step back to 6-6 from the previous year's 7-6, losing to a 5-6 Minnesota team.
In his first year at LSU, he lost to UAB and 6-6 Arkansas.
So, Saban has had his embarrassing losses as well.
3. Saban has been placed in more advantageous situations than Butch. This is indeed fact. Saban demanded that in order to be LSU's and Alabama's coach, he would have complete control. He demanded that LSU build a football operations building next to the practice field, and that a academic building be built for athletes. LSU not only offered him a $1.25M contract out of Michigan State, but they agreed to build (and did build) both of these. Not only that, but in the state of Louisiana, Saban had a wealth of high school football talent and very little competition for such.
Butch walks into Tennessee, which is no slouch in the facilities department, but after his most pivotal year, is sitting with a lame duck AD, and no movement towards a replacement at a time when he is trying to lure assistants.
Not only that, but Butch of course has to recruit nationally, as Tennessee talent (while improving) is not a hotbed of high school football. Most of LSU's early recruiting classes in Saban's tenure were composed of Louisiana guys. In 2000, 21 players were from LA, 2001 had 14 LA guys including TE turned DL Marcus Spears. 2002 he had 18 Louisiana guys, 2003 he had 15 LA guys, including LaRon Landry, and in 2004 he had 16 LA guys, including Glenn Dorsey, Early Doucet, Jacob Dorsey. Tennessee simply does not compare to the talent resources that Louisiana has.
In no way am I saying that Butch will be Saban. But looking more into Saban's career made me pump the brakes on the "fire Butch" train and just gave me hope that he's doing things the right way and will get there. The facts just support that it's not as bad as it seems, but it is a process truly. Saban did not become who he is overnight. A lot of stumbles and bad situations and losses along the way. But he worked his butt off and stayed true to his process, hired good assistants who worked as hard as he did, and had total support from his universities, and he has won ballgames.
