Alabama Football: Nick Saban has a new plan and it’s same as the old plan

Alabama football head man, Nick Saban was very specific on Friday as spring practice began for the Crimson Tide. He intends to re-establish the ‘Alabama Factor.’

Perhaps only in the Tuscaloosa, AL location of college football does a 14-1 team require a rebuild. A rebuild of the Alabama football coaching staff. A rebuild of the Crimson Tide player roster. A rebuild of the understanding of the ingredients essential to success.

Make no mistake all the rebuilds do not indicate a changed Nick Saban. They are consistent with firmly held principles Saban has developed over many years. They come from many influences, the first of which was the lessons he learned from Nick Saban Sr.

Nick Saban frequently seeks out others to learn and in that sense, he is very open to new ideas. Once those ideas are crystallized into principles, Nick makes them teaching points every coach, every staff member and hopefully every player understands and follows.

In spring 2019, Nick Saban says it is time to return those principles. He calls them the Alabama Factor.

"The No. 1 goal and objective for the spring is we have to reestablish the Alabama factor. We’ve always been a team that’s played with tremendous amount of discipline, had a lot responsible and accountable guys that could go out there, do their job and be dependable. Everybody’s always put the team first."

Nick was equally clear about what is to be gained by following the ‘Alabama Factor.’

"The result of that has been we’ve been able to win a lot of games, guys have got a lot of individual accolades, got a lot of opportunities to play at the next level, and we’ve been able to win a few championships."

All of those results were accomplished last year if you remember the Crimson Tide won a SEC Championship. But, as we all know, THE championship was not won. And at Alabama, not winning THE championship is not good enough.

Friday was the first day of the season Nick could coach players on a practice field. Alabama football fans know he has been coaching coaches for several weeks. To help instill the ‘Alabama Factor’ principles, Nick brought back two men who fully understand them – the Sunseri guys, Sal and Vinnie. The complete Alabama football staff must be immersed in the ‘Alabama Factor’ or the players will never be.

There is a strong sense last season, some staff members and some players were not fully bought-in. The guilty parties apparently did not embrace always putting the team first. It is easy to look back to the massive national championship game failure and believe Nick had seen the weaknesses long before Clemson saw how to exploit them.

Alabama football will be super-talented in 2019. It was super-talented in 2018. Nick Saban knows talent is essential. He also knows talent alone is not near enough. Especially at a place that, right or wrong, measures the success of every season by a national championship.

Vinnie Sunseri has returned to Tuscaloosa to follow his father into the coaching profession. He should do well. Even as a graduate assistant, he can make a big impact on current players, buying in fully to every principle of the ‘Alabama Factor.’