Alabama football coach, Nick Saban is known for having a plan for everything. Check out his thoughts on preparing for the fall season.
Alabama football coach, Nick Saban updated the college football world on Thursday. The Alabama Crimson Tide staff and players are preparing for the fall football season. It is unprecedented preparation with an indeterminate schedule, but as would be expected, Nick Saban has a plan.
The Alabama football staff still has an early morning meeting every day. The difference is none of them are in the same room. Saban said, unlike past Aprils, the morning sessions are devoted to next season’s opponents. Afternoons are spent recruiting. The highest priority is staying in frequent contact with current Alabama football players.
While the work may be as intense as ever, Nick Saban explained the pace is different.
"We’re not in any hurry. We’re kind of taking it slow and so far it’s worked out really, really well. I think, look, we have good continuity with our staff which is a positive but on the other hand we’ve always been able to improvise and do things that we need to do."
Saban cannot predict what kind of schedule the Crimson Tide will implement once players return to campus. No doubt, he is in the conversations about future NCAA decisions. What he hopes is the 14 practice days lost in the spring can be regained and used prior to the start of a fall camp. He was specific those 14 days should be devoted to teaching rather than physical contact.
"If there was some kind of way we could have 14 days of teaching with our players sometime before fall camp happens, I think that probably would be beneficial. … at some point in time in the summer we would have the players back here and we would be able to work with them. I’m not talking about having pads on or anything, but just be able to teach system, teach scheme."
The Saban proposal would not change the length of fall camp. He does not see any value in adding more contact sessions. More contact before fall camp would risk more player injuries.
As he said, he is talking about a hypothetical situation. He normally disdains hypotheticals but with the world, including the Alabama football world, facing so much unknown, planning requires ‘what ifs.’
Nick Saban’s calm resolve should reassure worried Alabama football fans.
"This is a very uncertain time for a lot of people, creates a lot of anxiety. But, what we’ve tried to emphasis to people is not to worry, but to try to make good choices and decisions about what you do so you can try to stay safe. Just hope and pray that we can move out the other end of this sometime in the very near future."
Every college football staff is planning for next season. Everyone is still recruiting hard. Players on every current roster are being carefully monitored. Alabama football has an advantage in such uncertain times. That advantage is Nick Saban and his unwavering attention to detail.