Was Saban sending a message to Smart?
Just listened to audio of Nick Saban’s final press conference in Pasadena today before he and the national champions flew back to Alabama.
Thought you’d be interested in Saban’s comments pertaining to assistant coaches making lateral career moves.
You could certainly interpret the remarks as pointed advice to Kirby Smart that he shouldn’t leave the defensive-coordinator job at Alabama for the same job at Georgia.
Said Saban:
“I’m always happy and interested for our coaches to be able to advance professionally, especially if it is a professional advancement in terms of a guy being a coordinator who can go be a head coach in a situation where he has a chance to be successful. . . .
“I’m not pleased when guys make lateral moves because it’s a little bit human nature to think, like my dad used to say, the grass is always greener on top of the septic tank. You always think it’s better someplace else. You kind of let your ego get involved, and you make moves that you shouldn’t make and really aren’t in your best interests for a career standpoint. So I’m not happy when guys do that. But anybody on our staff who can move up, we would like to help them do that.”
There were reports Thursday, including one during the telecast of the national-title game, that Texas Tech planned to interview Smart for its vacant head-coaching job. But Texas Tech’s president and athletics director denied the reports Thursday and again Friday.
Click here for a blog from earlier today on how long it had been since Georgia was unranked in the final polls.
And please follow me on Twitter for the latest UGA news and notes.
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425 comments Add your comment
nemov
January 9th, 2010
6:00 pm
TideSports.com Reporting: Smart offered UGA job
http://www.tidesports.com/article/20100109/NEWS/100109537/1011?Title=Smart-offered-UGA-job
Dama O'Bama
January 9th, 2010
6:06 pm
Kirby can’t wait to get away from Satan. Bama looks down on outsiders(remember Bill Curry). He had a good record while at Bama, struggled vs. Auburn and was not wanted. Another reason was because he was a Tech man.Oh and by the way, Alabama has twice the trailers as does the great state of Georgia. Story confirmed by Goodyear Tire Co., mobile home division.
Dama O'Bama
January 9th, 2010
6:13 pm
Who cares what Satan thinks, anyway. Let him comment on leaving one job for another. Yessir, if any body knows a good poker face it’s Mr. Chuckles himself.( No, I have not been contacted by Miami………)
Tech Real Fans Are...
January 9th, 2010
6:15 pm
Scared to death Georgia gets their man
Tech Real Fans Are...
January 9th, 2010
6:16 pm
Scared to death they WON’T get their man
Tech Real Fans Are...
January 9th, 2010
6:17 pm
Scared when they get a woman
Tech Real Fans Are...
January 9th, 2010
6:18 pm
Scared it might be a man
Tech Real Fans Are...
January 9th, 2010
6:18 pm
Scary………..
Ten-a-sissy Fan Here .........
January 9th, 2010
6:21 pm
lovin Lame.Glad to know he can get us laid////
South FL Chapter of the Bulldog Nation
January 9th, 2010
6:42 pm
SC Dawg….i just saw the the Dawgs went down by 8. did they really have that big of a lead on UK? that’s good and bad. good that they were able to get up that big but sucks that they couldn’t hold them off! oh well…they put up a good fight! Go Dawgs!
Matt
January 9th, 2010
7:58 pm
Going to Bama from Miami is not a regression. Bama is paying him more so how is that a regression. Dawg fans just pissed that Richt can’t give them a national title and Saban did it in 3 years! Saban is the mastermind behind that defense any ways, not Smart.
BleedRedandBlack
January 9th, 2010
8:09 pm
South FL,
Dawgs were up by a point at half after being behind by 11. They played a helluva game and had a shot to tie it with less than a minute left with 3 big men already fouled out. This was a great effort against the #3 team in the land who have won 16 straight at their house.
Gotta love the fight and this new coach!
Go Dawgs!
Steve
January 9th, 2010
8:13 pm
Saban is a total a-hole. Seriously. Imagine that idiot telling people under him not to make lateral moves.
Saban’s career in chronological order:
– Defensive Asst at Kent St – 2 yrs
– Defensive Asst at Syracuse – 1 yr (lateral)
– Defensive Asst at West Virginia – 2 yrs (lateral)
– DB coach at Ohio State – 2 yrs
– Defensive Asst at Navy – 1 yr (took a step backwards)
– DB coach/DC at MSU – 2/2
This isn’t even considering his head coaching career.
This kind of crap is exactly why Smart should leave Saban asap, whether it be UGA or not. The guy is a self-absorbed ego freak. He might occasionally say the right things about his players, but he treats people working with him like children who can’t think for themselves.
Louie
January 9th, 2010
8:57 pm
Who would leave a NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP team and go to mutt-central?
ANSWER- N O D A M N O N E !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Matt
January 9th, 2010
9:21 pm
Saban did jump around but I really do think when he got to the NFL he realized it wasn’t for him and college is where he wanted to be. I really think he will be at bama for the long haul and will rack up the championships
Dandydon
January 9th, 2010
10:22 pm
Enter your comments here
Dandydon
January 9th, 2010
10:24 pm
Saban – The move of DC at Bama to DC at UGA is and upgrade!
Matt
January 9th, 2010
11:05 pm
Haha you funny dandydon. Alabama is the Dallas cowboys, the New York Yankees, the LA Lakers of college football. Don’t get me wrong, i pull for the dawgs as long as they are not playing Alabama, but moving from Bama to UGA is not an upgrade. Smart will go to UGA to get out of Sabans shadow so he can get a head coaching job after next season. That is if his move doesn’t backfire and the dawgs have another sucky season.
Saban Thinks UGA is a Septic Tank… « Dawg Day Afternoon
January 10th, 2010
9:49 am
[...] confident UGA was going to land Kirby Smart as their new defensive coordinator, but after reading these comments made by Saban after the Tide’s National Championship I’m almost certain Smart to [...]
toofless in alabamer
January 10th, 2010
2:04 pm
UGA is leagues above ua as an institution. Everything is better, including the recruiting. Georgia high school football>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>sissy alabamers. Saban even thinks it’s a better place to live, that’s why he has a spread on Burton. Hahaha, you bammers, second rate state and university. Bow down chumps!!
DannyinDC
January 10th, 2010
4:55 pm
Wonder how Nick would characterize his move from Michigan State to LSU or his move from the Dolphins to Bama. Come on home, Kirby !!
matt
January 10th, 2010
9:18 pm
your right toofless. Why isn’t UGA winning any NC’s with those recruits???? Bama will counter any offer UGA presents to Smart.
Kirby Smart to be named DC today? « Red, Black and Three Sheets to the Wind
January 11th, 2010
3:49 am
[...] Smart on? Or will he let him go without even a counter-offer? Saban’s post-Rose Bowl game comments didn’t indicate that he would be very happy about any of his assistants seeking lateral moves. [...]
matt
January 11th, 2010
6:06 pm
Smart really is SMART. Staying with the Tide!!!!
just say NO
January 11th, 2010
7:03 pm
Saban didn’t make any lateral moves. He moved on to a better job each time. Michigan State to LSU? It’s the SEC! Better job. LSU to Miami? It’s the NFL. Better job. Miami to Alabama? It’s ALABAMA!