Alabama Football: Nick Saban gearing up for years to come
By Ronald Evans
Nick Saban intends to win more Alabama football championships. Current coaching staff turnover suggests Nick is building for another several year run.
The Welsh poet Dylan Thomas died in 1953 before young Nick put on his first set of pads. Had the lifespans been different, it is easy to believe the poet would have liked the Alabama football coach. Thomas’ most famous poem included the admonition to “not go gentle into that good night.” Nick Saban, applying that advice to all things, does not ‘go gentle’ into anything.
Less than a week after cementing status as college football’s greatest dynasty, Saban is doing a massive rebuild with his coaching staff. Nick Saban who has a plan for EVERYTHING appears to have a plan to solidify his Alabama football program for more championship runs.
How long might those runs last?
No one, including Nick, can answer that question. To Nick, giving the question any thought would be a waste of time and attention. Fans are left to develop their own clues.
Massive rebuilds of companies, work groups, teams are not easy. Often short-term sacrifices must be made to ensure long-term success. If the focus is on a quick fix, tweaks work better than broad changes. What is currently happening in Tuscaloosa goes way beyond tweaks.
In the space of a few weeks, Alabama football has seen three assistant coaches exit. None were shocking since Jeremy Pruitt, Derrick Ansley and Brian Daboll made career-improving moves. For more than a month there have been insider rumbles of more staff changes.
Alabama football already has two new assistants for 2018, Pete Golding and Jeff Banks. Well before the start of spring camp, the current transition could lead to five more new assistants. If that should happen, the 2018 staff could have seven new assistants.
Will such a massive rebuild occur?
The only honest answer is maybe. The suspected rationale behind a huge rebuild is Nick wants a younger, hungrier staff that can counter claims he will not coach much longer. It is not suggested Nick is pushing out anyone. The toil of working for Nick, plus intense recruiting pressure may create some openings. The current two open slots could grow to five open slots.
Based on nothing but rumor, three current assistants may opt for change. Burton Burns may choose to retire. Karl Dunbar may decide to return to the NFL. Joe Pannunzio may move to an off-field position. The most frequent rumor is Dunbar and the NFL.
Should any of these rumors turn into facts, the decisions would probably come after the recruiting cycle. Could all the known and suspected changes damage 2018 recruiting results? Yes, but Saban, Tosh Lupoi and Mike Locksley have the largest recruiting burden. Pete Golding and Jeff Banks are already able to help. Nick, Tosh and Locks are the closers.
A sudden exit by Locksley could be a major hurdle. That looks less likely after Daboll’s exit. Saban may not be able to pull every string at the precise time. He is only human. But don’t bet against him managing this potential massive transition superbly.
Next: A fan's breakup letter to Jeremy Pruitt
Whether the rumors mentioned above are valid or nonsense, Alabama football is undergoing a transition. The deeper the transition, the more indication Nick Saban is rebuilding with the intent to lead Alabama football for several more years.