Nick Saban says NIL made him ask, "Why are we doing this" Ted Cruz YouTube

[05_never_again]

Less than 3 years after transfer and NIL he is calling it quits. Like I said, he sees the writing on the wall. I have no doubt it has been harder over that time span, and with the NCAA getting weaker and weaker as every year goes by, he knows his days are numbered. In a situation where talent is equalized (NFL) it is shown that he can’t get it done. Saban even acknowledged himself when he was hired…”you are getting a **** coach, but nobody will have a more talented team than me”.

As for hell of a recruiter, how do you explain almost every top recruiting coach in the Saban era at Bama is all of a sudden pedestrian at other stops? And for that matter, where was the run of #1 recruiting classes at Mich St…or even LSU matching what he did at Bama? He is a great/elite recruiter, not denying that, and a better than average coach…but the Bama machine and political top cover deserves more of the credit IMO. It’s amazing how average coaches look on an even playing field, and that is right around the corner. In some instances, Bama may even be at a disadvantage in the near future.

It has been posted here more times than I can count the stories, pics, instagram posts, etc of the Bama players flashing cars, cash, etc. there was an entire post on another site clearly detailing everything going on and how it worked. There was and is zero concern about consequences. We don’t need inside info, it’s all right there on the web.

I get it, Saban is a great college coach with what he can do at Bama. I just don’t think he could have done that anywhere else. You think it is all due to him being Saban, the Bama machine is no different than a half-dozen other schools. I just think that is incredibly naive.

He's also 72. I doubt he taps out if he was 42 or 52. If you've already worked through a bunch of stuff in your career, and you are old and tired, at some point most people don't want to work through the next "thing." If Saban was in his 70s when hurry-up offenses became a thing, I bet he would have retired then.

You seem to think him paying players is unique - I don't know how else to further explain that he was hardly unique in doing that. Why are a lot of his assistants pedestrian at other stops? Because they aren't Nick Saban, and usually those assistants try and be like him without having the reputation (like Pruitt). And the assistant he was closed to (Kirby) is unfortunately on his way to 2+ titles at UGA.

Saban could have achieved what he achieved at other big football schools, the ones with similar tradition, brand, money, etc. to Alabama. Michigan St does not fit that profile.

We're talking about CFB, not the NFL. The entire point of college coaching is to not play on a level playing field (i.e., have better players than your opponent). Coaches who routinely take the field with under-talented teams are not sticking around long at any job unless they are Bill Snyder, who is probably the most underrated coach in the history of football. Saying Saban wouldn't be a good coach if his teams weren't talented is like saying Dale Earnhardt wouldn't have been a good racer if he had to race with 3 wheels. It's a true statement, but kind of a silly one.

 

[rjd970]

He's also 72. I doubt he taps out if he was 42 or 52. If you've already worked through a bunch of stuff in your career, and you are old and tired, at some point most people don't want to work through the next "thing." If Saban was in his 70s when hurry-up offenses became a thing, I bet he would have retired then.

You seem to think him paying players is unique - I don't know how else to further explain that he was hardly unique in doing that. Why are a lot of his assistants pedestrian at other stops? Because they aren't Nick Saban, and usually those assistants try and be like him without having the reputation (like Pruitt). And the assistant he was closed to (Kirby) is unfortunately on his way to 2+ titles at UGA.

Saban could have achieved what he achieved at other big football schools, the ones with similar tradition, brand, money, etc. to Alabama. Michigan St does not fit that profile.

We're talking about CFB, not the NFL. The entire point of college coaching is to not play on a level playing field (i.e., have better players than your opponent). Coaches who routinely take the field with under-talented teams are not sticking around long at any job unless they are Bill Snyder, who is probably the most underrated coach in the history of football. Saying Saban wouldn't be a good coach if his teams weren't talented is like saying Dale Earnhardt wouldn't have been a good racer if he had to race with 3 wheels. It's a true statement, but kind of a silly one.

I don’t know how else to say the same thing. Not once have I said that Saban paying players is unique. I’ve said the scale, size, and top cover he has enjoyed is unique. That he took the Bama machine to a different level. I get that you disagree with that, but it is right there to see.

And I’m not talking about assistants that became head coaches at other stops necessarily. Look at the top recruiters that were position coaches. Sal Sunseri was a crack recruiter for Bama. Are you saying his complete and utter fall when he came to UT was just because he was always a crap coach and recruiter and Saban was able to make that up for him? How much of that was Saban, and how much of that was the booster network with Chargers and cash making him look good?

And of course, Saban would be a good coach no matter where he coached, but in no way does he have the same run he had at Bama at other stops. He may win a few NC’s and consistently dominate the conference he is in, but not like what happened at Bama with a carte blanche to cheat.

…and I wouldn’t be totally surprised if he wasn’t behind the Ole Miss Freeze investigations after he lost two years in a row, or that the NCAA come calling at our doorstep again after losing to us on the field and with NIL…not even a year after NCAA citing us as the model for cooperation and self-reporting. Something really stinks about all that.

 

[SpookyAction]

Read about Paul W. Bryant Jr.
He made hundreds of millions of dollars as an entrepreneur, then was leader of the University of Alabama Board of Trustees for a term. He is well-known to be the source of the wealth used to build the team and staff that has dominated the conference for the better part of two decades.

Bryant is also the man behind the death of the UAB football program (not a secret down there). He saw their limited success as a threat.

Bama had their Dooley/Jones, Pruitt phase with that clown show in the 2000s, and their Board of Trustees (hand-picked by Bryant) used their resources to build that Machine. Step one was get the coach who can build it, offer him impressive, unreported partnerships, and forget the understood limits on paying players and their families. Now public pricing of players' NIL rights exposes Bama's prior pay for play system as inadequate and behind the times.

NIL is a struggle for Bama football because much of their financial backing has been off the books. Business and political leaders do not want methods or past contributions to be exposed. The people and entities who would be natural NIL sources know their involvement is a clue if reporters or investigators care to look.

 

[n_huffhines]

 

[SpaceCoastVol]

Saban didn't like Everyone else getting top players like He had since 2006. He was happy as long as He was the only one Buying Talent. Nutshell.

THIS is the right answer.

 

[SpaceCoastVol]

View attachment 629011

I'll bite on this one. Everyone wants to talk about this like it is hypocritical. In a way it is, but the CEO of a corporation also makes more decisions that affect that corporation than anyone else in that company. Nick deserved more money than ANY of those players and one could argue that he deserved than any combination of those players. The question that will be answered in the coming years is 'was he really worth it'? If DeBoer keeps the fires stoked and the nattys coming, then maybe he was overpaid. If they drop off... maybe not. But as good as Bryce Young was, he was definitely replaceable. They have had other running backs since Derrick Henry.

I think the portal is proving that Terry is right. I don't know about ya'll, but do you think the love for UT by/from the players is going to get stronger in the coming years or will it weaken? We are fans. We have a little different perspective, and with time even the fan base's feelings on this issue are going to soften. Win at all cost. Senior day needs to go away. That is the future.

Oh, and what she said is in poor taste, but she isn't necessarily wrong.

Braced for impact.

 

[Godfatha]

I'll bite on this one. Everyone wants to talk about this like it is hypocritical. In a way it is, but the CEO of a corporation also makes more decisions that affect that corporation than anyone else in that company. Nick deserved more money than ANY of those players and one could argue that he deserved than any combination of those players. The question that will be answered in the coming years is 'was he really worth it'? If DeBoer keeps the fires stoked and the nattys coming, then maybe he was overpaid. If they drop off... maybe not. But as good as Bryce Young was, he was definitely replaceable. They have had other running backs since Derrick Henry.

I think the portal is proving that Terry is right. I don't know about ya'll, but do you think the love for UT by/from the players is going to get stronger in the coming years or will it weaken? We are fans. We have a little different perspective, and with time even the fan base's feelings on this issue are going to soften. Win at all cost. Senior day needs to go away. That is the future.

Oh, and what she said is in poor taste, but she isn't necessarily wrong.

Braced for impact.

I see it this way. Say a CEO has a near monopoly on talent with unique skill sets and that the acquisition and retention of that talent is absolutely critical to the success of the business. The CEO can dictate the terms of employment because of that monopoly. Rules changes allow other companies to compete for that talent, which means that CEO no longer has the monopoly on that talent, and his company is forced to pay more. Because the CEO doesn't like this new arrangement, he lobbies congress to enforces rules that sets a cap on how much that talent can make, even though he is not saying anything about how much money he has made off of that talent. Those rules would be against free market capitalism.

It is hypocritical for a guy making multi-millions of dollars to belly ache and moan about others getting theirs. If someone can point me to Saban bemoaning the amount that coaches make, including himself, and his offer to make less money, I will gladly retract that.

 

[Volunteer_Kirby]

Nick Saban tells Congress what wrong with NIL. Says "who ever pays most money gets best players and has best chance to win" he talks about freedom of transfer and how NIL is effecting all sports even sports that doesn't earn money.
Will Congress fix NIL or make it worst?
Nick Saban said his wife said( players don't care what they had to offer them. They just cure How much money their going to get.)
Nick Saban and wife have dinners for players that's where his wife got to talk to players.
Side note Im liking all on comments in this thread
Thanks for your input on this thread

Can anyone translate this for me? I am not fluent in the language of the boomer Facebook crowd.

Did this actually occur on Ted Cruz YouTube?

 

[LieutenantNeyland]

F*@# Nick Saban

End thread

 

[Brawlvol]

Bama has paid players illegally for years before NIL came along, now that NIL is here he knows he want be able to compete for all the 5 stars like he once did, therefore he ups and retires.
Sick of Bama, hope they suck forever. They cannot stand the competition for premium players.
Texas will soon pay big $'s for the 5 stars, oil tycoons and millionaire alums from Texas far outnumber most states.
Is change to NIL needed? yes
Does any reporter have the guts to ask Saban, "why are you so against NIL, didn't Alabama pay for players for years prior to NIL", wasn't that an advantage over other schools, and yes the NCAA overlooked all the crookedness at bama and few others. Wonder where Jeremy Pruitt learned his under the table payment plans from, you guessed it, Alabama.

Go Vols!!!

 

[General Jack]

I'll be damned. Always thought those bama players bought their own Dodge Chargers, $2,000 suits and deep sea fishing trips.

 

[pimo1]

Bama has paid players illegally for years before NIL came along, now that NIL is here he knows he want be able to compete for all the 5 stars like he once did, therefore he ups and retires.
Sick of Bama, hope they suck forever. They cannot stand the competition for premium players.
Texas will soon pay for the 5:stars, oil tycoons and millionaire alums from Texas far outnumber most states.
Is change to NIL needed? yes
Does any reporter have the guts to ask Saban, "why are you so against NIL, didn't Alabama pay for players for years prior to NIL", wasn't that an advantage over other schools, and yes the NCAA overlooked all the crookedness at bama and few others. Wonder where prior learned his under the table payment plans from, you guessed it, Alabama.

Go Vols!!!

So did every other coach in America? Not sure what your point is. This and that are not the same. I personally think NIL is a good thing and it will eventually normalize as everyone figures it out. But, until then, coaches are gonna have a hard time with it. It removes a lot of the power coaches have over the sport. Old-school coaches are going to have a hard time. Especially now as its new. It is a lot more like the pros where players get to choose where they play and are not stuck. It is a bit out of control right now and will likely get a bit worse before it gets better but it is what it is. A new breed of coaches is coming who will embrace it (like Prime, Kiffin etc) even good ol OSU finally bit the apple this offseason.

 

[OrangeBeachVol]

So did every other coach in America? Not sure what your point is. This and that are not the same. I personally think NIL is a good thing and it will eventually normalize as everyone figures it out. But, until then, coaches are gonna have a hard time with it. It removes a lot of the power coaches have over the sport. Old-school coaches are going to have a hard time. Especially now as its new. It is a lot more like the pros where players get to choose where they play and are not stuck. It is a bit out of control right now and will likely get a bit worse before it gets better but it is what it is. A new breed of coaches is coming who will embrace it (like Prime, Kiffin etc) even good ol OSU finally bit the apple this offseason.

Yes these are the reasons Saban retired. He didn't like the NIL and said that from the beginning. I was going to say what you did, every college coach that had donor $ paid players under the table, including TN. NIL just made it above board. Least we forget, Pruitt was fired for paying players under the table. He was just a yr too late.

 

[fossilfiction]

Who cares. Give Bush back his trophy and all that mess. Every team cheated. The dumb ones got caught.

 

[Brawlvol]

The point is, he is being 2 faced. Just like cheaters in marriage accuse the spouse of cheating when they are the one cheating, and if the spouse retaliates and cheat oh boy how jealous or spiteful is the original culprit.
Buck fama and their cheating ways, yes we have paid for it, never sure why Bama didn't. Money game I'm sure.
Go Vols

 

[unfrozencvmanvol]

Saban was continuing to recruit at the highest level up to his retirement, despite NIL. Maybe he thought he was too old to keep putting in the work (we all get there), but he literally had the most talented roster in CFB per the 247 talent composite his final season (which includes transfers in and out), and had the # 2 incoming class when he retired. I hate Bama as an institution as much as anyone here, but the narrative that Saban's recruiting was being hurt by NIL is simply false.

 

[pimo1]

The point is, he is being 2 faced. Just like cheaters in marriage accuse the spouse of cheating when they are the one cheating, and if the spouse retaliates and cheat oh boy how jealous or spiteful is the original culprit.
Buck fama and their cheating ways, yes we have paid for it, never sure why Bama didn't. Money game I'm sure.
Go Vols

He isn't being 2 faced. NIL/Portal is a totally different creature.

To further explain in the 'old' way he never had to get directly involved and it was on the front end. Kid gets slipped some cash and benefits they come to your school then they are pretty much trapped there for all intents and purposes.

With NIL/Portal you literally have to re-recruit your whole team yearly.. Other schools are constantly tampering because some of this stuff wasn't thought out and they haven't put in checks and balances yet. For instance, lets say one individual/group represents players across lots of schools. Let's call him Agent X who represents athletes across the SEC so even though they can't be 'recruited' until they hit portal.. a school can hit up agent X and 'suggest' that if said player hits the portal a big check is waiting for them. What can you do about that?

I smoke cigarettes. I believe smoking in public (outdoors, bars) is my right as an American...at the same time I think people that light up in enclosed spaces around non-smokers are buttholes and those stupid vapers messing things up for everyone blowing smoke rings to look cool. Does that make me 2 faced or does it mean I can differentiate?

 

[butchna]

Yes these are the reasons Saban retired. He didn't like the NIL and said that from the beginning. I was going to say what you did, every college coach that had donor $ paid players under the table, including TN. NIL just made it above board. Least we forget, Pruitt was fired for paying players under the table. He was just a yr too late.

Pruitt tried to do it like he had been TAUGHT at Bama, FSU and UGA. Shockers that it didn’t fly by with the NCAA’s blessing in Knoxville.

 

[05_never_again]

Saban was continuing to recruit at the highest level up to his retirement, despite NIL. Maybe he thought he was too old to keep putting in the work (we all get there), but he literally had the most talented roster in CFB per the 247 talent composite his final season (which includes transfers in and out), and had the # 2 incoming class when he retired. I hate Bama as an institution as much as anyone here, but the narrative that Saban's recruiting was being hurt by NIL is simply false.

Yep. As badly as this board wants to bash him, I think his retirement was more of a "I don't want to" as opposed to a "I can't."

 

[brockytop]

Nick Saban tells Congress what wrong with NIL. Says "who ever pays most money gets best players and has best chance to win" he talks about freedom of transfer and how NIL is effecting all sports even sports that doesn't earn money.
Will Congress fix NIL or make it worst?
Nick Saban said his wife said( players don't care what they had to offer them. They just cure How much money their going to get.)
Nick Saban and wife have dinners for players that's where his wife got to talk to players.
Side note Im liking all on comments in this thread
Thanks for your input on this thread

Is this the same Nick Sabin that bragged to the Texas High School Football Coaches Association how much his starting QB was making from NIL? What a hypocrite and fraud.

The ONLY reason he doesn’t like NIL is because as time passed it wasn’t benefing him and his program.

 

[Alto1]

Saban didn't like Everyone else getting top players like He had since 2006. He was happy as long as He was the only one Buying Talent. Nutshell.

This^
Saban is the HYPOCRITE of hypocrites!!!

 

[wmcovol]

Saban had a great myth going…he was the only one who could develop you for the NFL. He took only 4 & 5 star guys, ran half off, developed some of the others into stars (they were great to begin with) & claimed “Look at me”.

 

[05_never_again]

Saban had a great myth going…he was the only one who could develop you for the NFL. He took only 4 & 5 star guys, ran half off, developed some of the others into stars (they were great to begin with) & claimed “Look at me”.

I don't think anybody thought he was the only guy who could get you into the NFL. Plenty thought he was the best at getting you ready for the NFL. And it's hard to argue with that because Alabama had the most players on NFL rosters almost every year for about the last 15 years. If memory serves occasionally LSU or Ohio St would have one or two more but it was Alabama almost every year.

 

[freedom fighter]

He was the greatest cheater in the modern college football era, Drunk Bear was too. To hell with bama.

 

[HarderKnox59]

Get Saban far away from college football. What an ass. Just go away, go play golf.

The biggest take my ball and go home dude ever.

Second only to little Steve Spurrier.