Myth: Saban Failed at Miami

Courtesy of BamainBham from www.tidefans.com


This has been propagated by some in the media and often picked up by the casual observer. But consider the facts:

Saban took a 4-12 team and went 9-7, one of the biggest turnarounds in NFL history, splitting with NE, just missing the playoffs and getting serious consideration for NFL Coach of the year.

Miami then became a trendy pick for unseating NE in the AFC East, a sure bet for the playoffs, with a few deluded pickers, SI I think, choosing them to make the Super Bowl. Saban then demoted Muschamp from DC, who then went to AU. Miami went from 18th to 4th in total defense. But the problem was at QB. Saban wanted Brees, but the medical staff thought that Culpeppers' leg problem was less risk for a QB than Brees' shoulder problem. The result was that Joey Harrington became Miami's best option at QB. The NFL is a QB-centric league. It is almost impossible to win without a good one - Harrington is awful. Thus, Miami went 6-10, even with a great D. They shut out NE, with Brady hilariously yelling, "they're stealing our signals". Btw, that was NE's last regular season loss for over a year, till last week. Miami went 1-15 the year after Saban.

Legitimate NFL insiders know and say that Saban did a very good job at Miami. It's just some in the media who want to push their anti-Saban agenda, who say otherwise. Remember the year before and after he was there the record was 5-27, the 2 years he was there, 15-17. Saban did a very good job at Miami.

Btw, Nick Saban is far and away the best coach in college football and it's not even close. Pete Carroll and even others have accomplished more at this point, but as I have said on more than one occasion here, Carroll cannot hold Saban's jock as a coach. George Perles, his HC at MSU, said, 'with Nick you get everything'. There is nothing related to coaching at which he does not excel: organization, administration, PR (the kind he wants), player evaluation (Gil Brandt said he was the best in all of football), recruiting, player development, motivation, game stategy, tactics, clock management, etc. He is highly intelligent and gifted - and maniacally driven. It can't get any better than Nick Saban. He makes mistakes like everyone, but anyone who complains is a fool.