Is Saban the best ever?
- Thread starter TCurtis75_rivals88839
- Start date
Saban or Urban Meyer. Both have been successful at different schools.
Both really made their names at schools with monstrous histories.
Both really made their names at schools with monstrous histories.
I think Bobby Bowden has to be included in the conversation. 14 years in a row with top 5 finishes and 2 titles (and played for I think at least 2 others). All-time winningest coach (or did Joe Pa pass him finally?). Saban's great and an all-timer but I'm not ready just yet to crown him GOAT.
Agree with the difference in eras point - Bryant could offer unlimited schollys and a lot fewer teams took football seriously.
Agree with the difference in eras point - Bryant could offer unlimited schollys and a lot fewer teams took football seriously.
Bryant gets bonus points for having success both before and after integration (not easy). Saban gets bonus points for winning in scholarship limit era (also not easy).
This whole unexpected chapter of Saban turning the offense over to Lane Kiffin (and Lane Kiffin hitting it out of the park ... with two average QBs in Coker and Sims) I find incredibly impressive. Alabama (Alabama!) wins a national championship executing an offensive gameplan designed by not just Lane Kiffin, but Lane Kiffin and Chip Kelly (Chip Kelly!). Aren't very many coaches period, let alone legends of the game, who are that adaptable and open to experimentation.
Bill Belichick and Coach K come to mind, but it's a rare trait.
This whole unexpected chapter of Saban turning the offense over to Lane Kiffin (and Lane Kiffin hitting it out of the park ... with two average QBs in Coker and Sims) I find incredibly impressive. Alabama (Alabama!) wins a national championship executing an offensive gameplan designed by not just Lane Kiffin, but Lane Kiffin and Chip Kelly (Chip Kelly!). Aren't very many coaches period, let alone legends of the game, who are that adaptable and open to experimentation.
Bill Belichick and Coach K come to mind, but it's a rare trait.
Bryant probably should have won a MNC at UK, but no titles were awarded at the time by any entity. It was at least half-a-century later that some individual on the internet decided to play what if and go back and retroactively claim UK champs that season. Regardless that seeming injustice, I think the Bear is still widely considered the best of all time. However, Saban can make a great argument. He has won 5 titles at 2 schools and has only 1 less than Bryant. He has as many or more NC's than such legendary coaches as F. Leahy, B. Wilkinson, W. Hayes, J. McKay, D. Royal, and T. 0sborne, all of whom won or shared at least 3 widely-recognized national championships.
I guess it depends if we're looking at a certain time period or the entire career. Saban's 4 titles in 7 years is certainly impressive. Bowden's 14 year run is impressive. I'd throw in Tom Osborne's 60-3 record with 3 titles in 5 years as well (and played for a 4th).
Actually that is a little incorrect the AP awarded the National Championship before any bowl games were played in which Oklahoma finished #1 I believe
Nonetheless, that was the policy for polls until the early 70's. As I stated, Bryant probably should have won a title at UK, but that is only if one retroactively applied current standards to when the final poll was released. It is possible to go back over the years and make the same argument for a number of teams in a similar situation. It doesn't lessen the accomplishments of Bryant while at UK. And NC's are but one measure in comparing coaches. Further, it is difficult to compare coaches or players from different eras, in part due to differences in several areas.
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