The job descriptions for Alabama Offensive and Defensive Coordinators should define one necessary skill: Ability to cope with intense, negative scrutiny from fans. Coaching requires a thick skin. But coaches are human and not bulletproof against criticism.
Alabama OC Ryan Grubb either regretted or was told to regret his comment about Alabama fans booing in the Florida State game. Grubb wisely recanted. Hopefully Grubb learned an important lesson: 'Ignore fans'. Not all fans, and certainly not even most fans, but to the minority who are the loudest and most negative, Crimson Tide Coordinators should pay no mind.
Alabama legend Gene Stallings once said, "Listen to fans in the stands, and you wind up sitting with them."
Coordinator support from Alabama fans
There are few exceptions to Alabama Coordinators not drawing the ire and almost hatred of Crimson Tide fans. Before the Offensive Coordinator title became common, Mal Moore, Alabama's quarterback coach, was frequently blamed for Crimson Tide losses. In that same era, Ken Donahue got little heat from Alabama fans because he was an outstanding coach, and because Bear Bryant called Donahue a genius. Bill Oliver did not finish his college career loved by all Alabama fans, but he was revered as Gene Stallings' DC who throttled Miami in a National Championship Game.
Homer Smith was widely respected as one of football's greatest-ever offensive minds. Alabama fans were sometimes quick to doubt Smith. Even Kirby Smart, effective as he was after being tutored by Nick Saban, was sometimes called 'Third and Kirby' when Alabama allowed first downs.
Going back to when Moore and Donahue coached for Bryant, the only Alabama Coordinators consistently respected by Crimson Tide fans have been Donahue, Jeremy Pruitt, and Steve Sarkisian. Oliver's plan against Miami got equal praise and Jim McElwaine's fan reviews were mostly positive. Lane Kiffin was often admired despite Saban's in-game explosions about a Kiffin call. In the end, Lane burned too many bridges in Tuscaloosa.
The norm for an Alabama Coordinator is that the OC or DC, or both, will be blamed and disdained in every Alabama loss. If the loss is a National Championship Game, good reputations are almost never recovered.
For Ryan and Kane, if you can't ignore, never admit to any impact from Alabama, malcontent fans.
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