Saban, New coach, New success?

[Wildbill3]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/8849289

Analyze This: New coaches, new success?

(Sept. 15, 2005) -- At first glance, the NFL's opening-weekend schedule spelled trouble for the San Francisco 49ers and Miami Dolphins. Yes, both were playing at home, but after going a combined 6-26 in 2004, they were both facing teams that made the playoffs a year ago and were heading in with new coaches trying to install new schemes.

But, lo and behold, San Francisco and Miami pulled off two of the biggest surprises of Week 1, with Mike Nolan's 49ers edging the Rams and Nick Saban's Dolphins routing the Broncos. The other first-year head coach, Romeo Crennel in Cleveland, watched his team lose to the Bengals, but the success of Nolan and Saban stood out in a topsy-turvy opening weekend.

So, is it reasonable to expect first-year coaches to have immediate success?


"Apparently so, if the professional debuts of Mike Nolan and Nick Saban are any indication. It was a complete turnaround of both teams. There are some mitigating factors such as the return of injured players or free agents, but the overriding difference in style, philosophy and belief in winning stems from the head coach. You could see that from the first snap in both the 49ers' and Dolphins' games. They were both more confident and better football teams than they were a year ago." - Chris Collinsworth

 

[PHINSfan]

I agree with Chris assessment. With Nick at the helm we will be a better team. I predict an 8-8 season this year, and next year watch out!

 

[Nublar7]

Saban just seemed like a veteran coach from day one. I don't no why, but he never seemed like a rookie coach to me, because of the way he was so organized and bringing the winning attitude. Nolan on the other hand I can't explain. That win last week I believe was just a fluke.