Alabama Football: How much do analysts add to Crimson Tide staff

With the addition of Charlie Strong to the Alabama football staff, how much will he and other analysts impact the Crimson Tide staff?

There are two opposing sides to a former head coach becoming an Alabama football analyst. One is the opportunity to learn from the game’s best in Nick Saban. The other is being viewed by outsiders as an odd appendage. There is seemingly no end to jokes about former Tennessee Volunteer, head coach Butch Jones washing Nick Saban’s car.

That joke and other jabs are part of being a Nick Saban reclamation project. Even when funny, the jokes are rather unfair. Butch Jones, Major Applewhite, Mike Stoops and now Charlie Strong are serious about football. Each of them brings to Tuscaloosa a skill set of value. Hoping to use their time working for Nick Saban as a springboard to future on-field opportunities is smart.

Plus, they can share the off-field workload that otherwise might over-burden the on-field, assistant coaching staff. Off-field gigs worked out well for Steve Sarkisian and Mike Locksley. While he was never a Tide analyst, Lane Kiffin had a multi-week job interview process where he evaluated the Tide offense as Nick Saban evaluated him. To the extent the other guys were (are) reclamation projects, so too was Kiffin.

Nick Saban appreciates bright minds and ideas different from his own. That means any assistant working for Nick must do the same. Current, Alabama football Defensive Coordinator, Pete Golding should learn all he can from Mike Stoops and Charlie Strong. At times in their careers, both men were pretty well respected defensive minds. Both have twice experienced the failure of firings. Anyone (including Golding) thinking a young DC can’t learn from them is being ridiculous.

No Crimson Tide assistant coach or analyst will ever fundamentally change a Nick Saban defense. They must all work within Nick’s system. Inside that constraint is plenty of room for tweaks. Having those extra, experienced minds analyzing opposing offenses is of great value.

If Pete Golding has the super-sharp, young mind Nick Saban thinks he has, he will welcome Charlie Strong ‘s experience. The coaching association could pay off for both of them.