After the recruiting bonanza over the last week, going back to back days without any new news feels a bit rough. There’s nothing new in the world of Alabama football that’s happened since yesterday, but there are a few stories to talk about.
Talty on Sunday named the 25 worst college football coaching hires of the 21st century. Former Crimson Tide coach Mike Price earned a tie with the Pitt Panthers’ Michael Haywood as the worst hire since 2000.
The only game Price “coached” at Alabama was the 2003 A-Day event.
As Talty points out:
“It is impossible to make a worse hire than having to fire your coach before he ever coaches a game as both Alabama and Pittsburgh had to do. Price, who came from Washington State, was a bad fit from the start and was infamously fired after inappropriate behavior at a charity golf tournament that involved strippers. Alabama president Robert Witt said at the time of his firing, ‘His mistake has severely hurt our university, and will hurt our university for years to come.’”
Good ole Mike Price, who never even made it to his first season. Coach Kalen DeBoer, also from a Washington school, has made it WAY longer so far. May he keep that up.
Lott Impact Trophy Watch List: linebacker Deontae Lawson and defensive lineman LT Overton named to the watch list on May 28
Alabama’s last winner: Will Anderson Jr., 2022
Speaking of DeBoer, he was recently added to the Bobby Dodd Trophy watch list. Most of the awards don’t have their lists out yet, but Deboer is joined by Lawson and Overton on the list for the Lott Impact Trophy
“And I think there are a lot of shows like that on TV that are let’s just argue about something. It’s a debate, even if you don’t believe it.”
Herbstreit points to the respect each member of the panel has for one another as the main reason why.
“I just say what I think,” Herbstreit said. “I do a ton of homework. I talk to a million people. I watch a ton of film, and I have opinions. If Nick Saban agrees, great, if he doesn’t, great,” he said.
I agree with Herbie here. One of the big things that I think sets Gameday apart from many of the other major talk shows is that they don’t seem to manufacture arguments and drama. It all seems pretty genuine from each of the members.
Alabama (Kalen DeBoer): Who would have imagined Alabama facing a critical revenge game being against Vanderbilt in Tuscaloosa? That comes on Oct. 4 and certainly is important. It comes the week after the Crimson Tide’s much anticipated trip to Athens to take on what likely will be the pre-season SEC favorite Georgia on Sept. 27. Must win for Alabama, however, is the season-opener on Aug. 30 against Florida State in Tallahassee. (And, yes, I’ve seen the Alabama shirts and buttons extolling “Beat Everyone!”)
I like this. It would be easy to point to the UGA or Tennessee games, or even the Vandy rematch. But pointing out the season opener against Florida State is a big one for Alabama. Laying a beatdown on the Seminoles could establish a path for Alabama to show their dominance – but squeaking out a win or even losing the matchup could signal to the world that the Tide is continuing what they did the last few years.
The Compensation Committee of the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees met on Monday, July 7, and approved contracts for five head coaches and two basketball assistants.
Brian Adams, who joined Nate Oats’ staff last offseason, received a contract extension through April 30, 2027, that will pay him $400,000 annually. Recent hire Chris Fleming, who replaced Ryan Pannone, earned a 2-year contract worth $400,000. UA athletic director Greg Byrne said Fleming’s contract will be a “slight offset” from his remaining term with Portland.
Congrats to all of the basketball coaches! Getting paid is always a big deal, and while we don’t often spend much time talking about the hoops assistant coaches, they play an important part in keeping the program going.
That’s all for today. Roll Tide!
