Is Saban the greatest CFB coach ever?
- Thread starter Eric15
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4 National titles in 7 seasons is just crazy. It has gotten to the point that Alabama should never lose. The fact he has won 5 NCs with his QBs as Matt Mauck, Greg McAlroy, AJ McCarron x2, and Jake Coker just shows how in college football you don't need a dominant QB.
Nick Saban is the best college coach of alltime probably. I mean Urban Meyer has 3 NC, Saban has 5 NC, Bear Bryant has 6.
That Bama team has almost as many NFL draft picks as the 2001 Miami team. I mean pretty much their entire D is going to get drafted and Watson made them look average. Watson was special last night and still Bama won.
Nick Saban is the best college coach of alltime probably. I mean Urban Meyer has 3 NC, Saban has 5 NC, Bear Bryant has 6.
That Bama team has almost as many NFL draft picks as the 2001 Miami team. I mean pretty much their entire D is going to get drafted and Watson made them look average. Watson was special last night and still Bama won.
IthacaBarrel
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Yes
Eric15
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I agree that he is, as well. I think the only reasonable argument you could make against him is longevity and the fact that he's still below 200 wins all-time compared to a guy like Bowden who is at 377. But it's hard to argue with five titles especially in today's hyper-competitive landscape with so much parity.
I really don't care about longevity to be honest. You play to win titles. Saban went to the NFL for 2 years as HC and was Belichick's DC in Cleveland and also he didn't have an elite job his whole career he went from Kent State to Michigan State to LSU to Alabama and rebuilt each program.
I think Saban's 5 NCs are more impressive than Paterno or Bowden. Now Urban Meyer has 3 NC he could catch Saban that is possible. Saban is older than Meyer. I would just say right now Saban is in the conservation for GOAT.
Eric15
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How does Billy Donovan compare to Jim Boeheim on your personal all-time CBB coach list?
Macky44
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Exactly my thought.
If Donovan didn't go to the NBA he would have passed JB eventually IMO. I myself would rather have Donovan's career though. I will say both build programs from scratch and Donovan's job is probably easier because of location but both guys have played for 3 NCs and Donovan has 2 and JB has 1.
Trueblue25
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Urban Meyer and OSU woulda slapped Bama in my opinion.
OttoinGrotto
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I have a whole thread elsewhere on the board containing some insightful opinions on Nick Saban you might enjoy.
Macky44
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Donovan played 1 or 2 good conference teams a year tops. SEC basketball is a joke, so regular season wins should be easy. His championships were impressive.
Macky44
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I would argue that due to boosters and the SEC not playing by the rules, that parity is not legitimate right now either.
Eric15
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I know the transitive property is questionable, but for what it's worth, look at their respective results vs. an excellent Michigan State team.
And when has a Saban team in recent memory ever been "slammed?"
oh please.
Prior to 1973, there were no limits on football scholarships. The factories gave them out like candy to corner the market on talent and then beat em up in practice. The talent was concentrated and parity was impossible. Setting the scholarship limit was a massive step in the direction of bringing parity, historically speaking.
What sets Saban apart in my mind, as has been mentioned earlier, is that he has built up 3 different programs. It isn't just the case of attracting the best players and coasting to victory (though he, of course, brings in elite classes). He excels at development and, as if that wasn't enough, he's an elite game planner and game day coach. I think it is rare to have a guy who can recruit, develop, and manage game day, each at a high level, and nobody has done it better in all phases than Saban. Guys like Pete Carroll, for instance, were able to bring in top talent and found success, but Carroll wasn't a great strategist (there's no way Texas beats a Saban coached USC team in 2006).
RoysRunts
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Knute Rockne.Bud Wilkinson,Joe Paterno,Pop Warner,Amos Alonzo Stagg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bud_Wilkinson
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