Miles will be fully recognized as a great coach when he wins an SEC title. And he will break into the top 5 on the list when that happens. That being said, putting Houston Nutt above Les Miles at this point in time is an absolute joke.
A couple of things come to mind here. A different QB last year and I think Miami would have done better. But, that's just speculation...especially considering I don't follow the NFL, at all. Secondly, Jimmy Johnson. Dave Wannstedt fRan, yes there was a degree of confidence there. Price, a lot of suspicion as to whether his style would work. After his spring camp, that quadrupled. Shula, very cautious optimism. VERY cautious. I could tell you how many times it was said "he's not transitioning to the college game like he should." Of course, that being said, what and who you may read is very likely different that who I talk with. That's one thing I've never said, it's Nick's players. What I've based my thoughts on simply had to do with what he did at OSU and the success came when he let go of the reigns and allowed Gundy to take over the offense. Like you've said, this is a defining season.
Given all the ROI talk about Saban, I would think that this should be considered: Investing for Beginners Past Performance is No Guarantee of Future Results Now with that out of the way..... When Les was hired I was a bit baffled. I never considered him the best X&O guy. After Katrina hit, I thought he deserved a pass for his first year. He didn't need it. One of the best coaching jobs ever. Then he followed it up..... The head coach builds the team, including his staff. If he gets his identity from being a position coach, he is shorting his efforts elsewhere. The owner of a car dealership doesn't spend his day changing oil, even if he can..... This year defines Miles ability to maintain his program. It has been his program since day one, now his staff morphs with new philosophies. The great coaches manage this evolution. Those that can't are the ones who just so happened to catch lightning in a bottle, once. Can Saban coach? Yes. In the SEC, that makes him a peer, not preeminent. Stellar coaches may lose a game or two against top competition, but not to teams they should dominate. Miles hasn't, Saban has. That lack of consistency is why I have my doubts about Saban. Will he have great wins? I have no doubt he will. Does he have what it takes to take a place among the greats? His track record says no. And most of the greats don't hop from job to job. They build and then rule. Don't know why Red Auerbach and Larry Brown just came to mind....... It is Miles' chance to define his program. He hasn't shown any indication that he won't be able to do that.
You could include that game, but overall consistency is what I am looking at. 11 point loss at home to Miss in 2001 24 point loss at Auburn in 2002 31 point loss at home to Bama in 2002 29 point loss at Georgia in 2004 Contest that reflect a team not on top of its game 2001 win against Arkansas 41-38 2002 win against Ky 33-30 2004 win against Oregon 22-21 2004 win against Troy 24-20 At MSU In 98 4 of 6 defeats came from: Colorado State Oregon Minnesota Purdue The 98 year had him on the hot seat, he followed it up with a 9-2, then left. After his 2003 season at LSU it took him one season to get happy feet and look for a new challenge, or is it a lack of confidence that he can sustain a program? You have given a list of one hit wonders who had at least a single 10 game season at Bama. I don't think Saban will ever be a long term answer for any program. I refer back to my Larry Brown statement, he just isn't a dynasty coach. He knows enough football to win, but creates too much turmoil within his own program to advance to the next level. Example: http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blo...blog/index?entryID=2966173&name=feldman_bruce College football's toughest jobs 2. Sports Information Director, Alabama: Doug Walker has worked with more than his share of high-profile coaches. He was with Dennis Franchione at TCU; Butch Davis and Larry Coker at Miami; Ty Willingham and Charlie Weis at Notre Dame; Don Shula's son Mike at Alabama, but none probably are as much of a challenge as Nick Saban, who is notorious for his harsh rep in dealing with staffers. Just a few months into Saban's arrival at Alabama, Walker had a few sticky situations to deal with. This job was actually further down the list until I started looking at the reactions to a little survey I did of people in the SID world. I'd asked which coach would be the toughest to work for in terms of gruffness towards staff and overall 'throw you under the bus' quotient. Of the 28 SIDs who responded, only two coaches drew more than one vote: Charlie Weis, who was nominated twice and Nick Saban, who was named 17 times. Miles may not be the XO guy Saban is, but the post Katrina story says he is a better coach. I did leave some games off the list because of injury factors, and left 2000 off because it was Nick's first year, though Miles doesn't get that same consideration. Even with Katrina being a factor.
