Posted on 01/03/2007 8:12:33 AM PST by Terpfen
Nick Saban has accepted an offer from Alabama to coach the Crimson Tide and left the Miami Dolphins on Wednesday, two weeks after declaring "I'm not going to be the Alabama coach."
Saban told team owner Wayne Huizenga of his intentions via telephone and then informed all of his coaches by speakerphone that he was leaving to accept the Alabama position, a source told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Alabama made its formal offer to Saban on Monday after rumors swirled for weeks that the Crimson Tide were pursuing the former LSU coach. The offer, believed to run from eight to 10 years, is worth $35 million to $40 million, and includes many variables, ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported Monday.
Saban had issued repeated denials that he was interested in coaching at Alabama, one of the most high-profile and high-pressure college coaching jobs in the country. He leaves the Dolphins with three years left on a deal worth approximately $4.5 million a year.
Alabama began looking for a coach after firing Mike Shula on Nov. 27. The Tide finished the season 6-7, losing to Oklahoma State in the Independence Bowl.
(Excerpt) Read more at sports.espn.go.com ...
Time to get Cam Cameron, Wayne.
NFL ping fodder.
Makes sense. Success in the NFL has become a perverse thing with the salary cap and draft, ensuring your future failure. Winning back to back national championships in college is an entirely different animal, guaranteeing your status as an icon in the state where you coach.
The money in the NFL may be better, but Division I football sounds like a much better place to have a career.
What really impressed me about this story was that Alabama took a novel approach, or maybe Saban required that they take the novel approach, of waiting until his season with the Dolphins was over before they interviewed him and made offers to him.
Sorta consistent with Hillary's denials of running for President, isn't it? No....no.....no......and when the time is ripe, YES.
Doesn't make his leaving any better to me.
At least it's better than having him leave with two games left on the schedule.
What a jerk. Two seasons and he quits?
Nobody will take a chance on him again.
Bring in Bill Cowher.
I think he would've quit even if the team went 12-4 both seasons.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.