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After Pointed Denials, Nick Saban Takes Alabama Job After All

January 3rd, 2007 by Michael Stephens

Nick Saban has officially left the Miami Dolphins for the University of Alabama, despite repeated (and pointed) denials of his intention to do so. After the statements he made in the past two months, the former LSU coach’s decision to return to the college game is all the more dubious:

Nick SabanNovember 2006
“I took this as a challenge. We certainly haven’t seen this through and gotten where we want to go and finished the job here, so why would I be interested in something else?”

December 21
“I guess I have to say it. I’m not going to be the Alabama coach… I don’t control what people say. I don’t control what people put on dot-com or anything else. So I’m just telling you there’s no significance, in my opinion, about this, about me, about any interest that I have in anything other than being the coach here.”

December 27
“I’m just making a rule to never comment on something like that again because every time you comment on it, it just makes for another story. So I’m not going to comment on it five years from now, and I’m not going to comment on it next week.”

Nevertheless, Saban, who was 15-17 in two years with the Dolphins, will be one of the highest paid coaches in college football, singing a deal that is rumored to be for 8-10 years and inheriting a program that is struggling and impatient to get better. In the loaded SEC, he’ll have his hands full getting the tide to a BCS Bowl. Here are the ups and downs of his two-year NFL coaching career…

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Won six consecutive games after a 3-6 start to finish the 2005 season 9-7.
  • Won four consecutive games after a 1-6 start to improve to 5-6 during the 2006 season.
  • Led 34-10 defeat of the Denver Broncos in 2005 debut. It was pretty much all down hill from there, however.

LOWLIGHTS

  • Denied interest in Alabama job, only to entertain the offer a day after the 2006 season and accept it two days later.
  • Passed on signing free agent Drew Brees, who would go on to make the pro bowl, in lieu of trading for Daunte Culpepper, who played four games before getting benched in favor of Joey Harrington. Saban blamed a pre-existing knee injury for Culpepper’s problems, which was perplexing, as he pushed Miami to sign the former Central Florida standout.
  • Despite high expectations, Miami started the 2006 season 1-6 en route to a 6-10 season - Saban’s first losing record in his 13-year career.

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