CrunchTime
FinHeaven Elite
- Joined
- May 29, 2004
- Messages
- 16,998
- Reaction score
- 0
Steve Spurrier knows what Nick Saban is feeling right now.
Saban, like Spurrier, has won Southeastern Conference championships. He's won a national title. He's regaled in one of the college football's most passionate places.
And now the NFL is calling.
"He's won it all in Baton Rouge," Spurrier said Thursday about the Miami Dolphins' courtship of Saban, LSU's hot head coach. "You can't do much better than a national championship. And now he's probably going to have a chance to double his pay in the pros. That's tough to turn down."
Spurrier didn't turn it down when the Washington Redskins waved $5 million a year at him, and it sounds like he doesn't expect Saban to turn it down either.
And why would he? In fact, why would any college coach turn down the riches and recognition of coaching in the NFL -- when there's absolutely no risk involved.
Sure, Saban's got a great gig at LSU, but he can have that gig -- or a similar one -- anytime. That's the beauty of it. Even if he fails in the NFL, he can parachute safely back into college football. Just like Spurrier. Just like Pete Carroll. Just like all of them.
The point is this: If you're a hot college coach, why not cash in while you can? College coaches make millions; pro coaches make tens of millions.
The fact is, Saban can name is price with Wayne Huizenga, the Dolphins' billionaire owner who desperately needs to make a big splash with this coaching hire. And except for a couple of hot college coaches -- Saban and Bob Stoops -- there are absolutely no sexy names available.
Unlike Spurrier, Saban has been an NFL assistant coach and knows the intricacies of coaching in the league and the importance of making informed personnel decisions. Spurrier went in naïve, thinking his system could succeed with a bunch of his former college players he collected off the NFL scrap heap.
Saban will be much more prepared and will demand final say on the personnel decisions -- a responsibility Spurrier meekly ceded to meddling owner Daniel Snyder and his boot-licking GM Vinnie Cerrato.
"In hindsight, I think a pro coach has to be in charge of the players he has on his team," Spurrier says now.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/orl-sptbianchi17121704dec17,1,134529.column?coll=orl-sports-headlines
The message is clear.The NFL is very attractive to college coaches because of the money and the prestige but there are very few of them that actually make a succesful transition.Yes I know Saban has previous NFL experience but that was ten years ago when the cap did not exist.The game has changed since then.If you dont believe it ask Joe Gibbs.
However I trust Saban will be the exception to the rule and I am ready for a new era of glory for the Fins.:up:
Saban, like Spurrier, has won Southeastern Conference championships. He's won a national title. He's regaled in one of the college football's most passionate places.
And now the NFL is calling.
"He's won it all in Baton Rouge," Spurrier said Thursday about the Miami Dolphins' courtship of Saban, LSU's hot head coach. "You can't do much better than a national championship. And now he's probably going to have a chance to double his pay in the pros. That's tough to turn down."
Spurrier didn't turn it down when the Washington Redskins waved $5 million a year at him, and it sounds like he doesn't expect Saban to turn it down either.
And why would he? In fact, why would any college coach turn down the riches and recognition of coaching in the NFL -- when there's absolutely no risk involved.
Sure, Saban's got a great gig at LSU, but he can have that gig -- or a similar one -- anytime. That's the beauty of it. Even if he fails in the NFL, he can parachute safely back into college football. Just like Spurrier. Just like Pete Carroll. Just like all of them.
The point is this: If you're a hot college coach, why not cash in while you can? College coaches make millions; pro coaches make tens of millions.
The fact is, Saban can name is price with Wayne Huizenga, the Dolphins' billionaire owner who desperately needs to make a big splash with this coaching hire. And except for a couple of hot college coaches -- Saban and Bob Stoops -- there are absolutely no sexy names available.
Unlike Spurrier, Saban has been an NFL assistant coach and knows the intricacies of coaching in the league and the importance of making informed personnel decisions. Spurrier went in naïve, thinking his system could succeed with a bunch of his former college players he collected off the NFL scrap heap.
Saban will be much more prepared and will demand final say on the personnel decisions -- a responsibility Spurrier meekly ceded to meddling owner Daniel Snyder and his boot-licking GM Vinnie Cerrato.
"In hindsight, I think a pro coach has to be in charge of the players he has on his team," Spurrier says now.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/orl-sptbianchi17121704dec17,1,134529.column?coll=orl-sports-headlines
The message is clear.The NFL is very attractive to college coaches because of the money and the prestige but there are very few of them that actually make a succesful transition.Yes I know Saban has previous NFL experience but that was ten years ago when the cap did not exist.The game has changed since then.If you dont believe it ask Joe Gibbs.
However I trust Saban will be the exception to the rule and I am ready for a new era of glory for the Fins.:up: