Putting the Saban deal to bed, once and for all

[doc longhorn]

Yes, I know we have a head coach and his name is Strong. Hallelujah, I couldn't be happier.

However, and on another site, the argument rages on as to how close Saban was to getting the job.

I'm privy to a little inside info now and then and I HAVE BEEN TOLD that Saban to UT was dead in the water the moment Powers found out a rogue regent and a BMD were attempting a coaching coup, behind his back.

At that point, and if he were still alive and under the same circumstances, Powers would not have allowed Vince Lombardi to be hired.

It IS true that Saban was interested in the job and more than one BMD thought he was going to be delivered because of it. A lot of people were excited about that, but they weren't paying attention to what was coming out of the presidents office, evidently.

It's really no more complicated then that.

Hiring Charlie Strong, because he was black, is a ridiculous (and insulting) rumor as well. I HAVE BEEN TOLD, it was simply not the reason - so that can be put to bed also.

Edited - per bold part.

 

[J.B. TexasEx]

Yes, I know we have a head coach and his name is Strong. Hallelujah, I couldn't be happier.
However, and on another site, the argument rages on as to how close Saban was to getting the job.

I'm privy to a little inside info now and then and I can tell you that Saban to UT was dead in the water the moment Powers found out a rogue regent and a BMD were attempting a coaching coup, behind his back.

At that point, and if he were still alive and under the same circumstances, Powers would not have allowed Vince Lombardi to be hired.

It IS true that Saban was interested in the job and more than one BMD thought he was going to be delivered because of it. A lot of people were excited about that, but they weren't paying attention to what was coming out of the presidents office, evidently.

It's really no more complicated then that.

Hiring Charlie Strong, because he was black, is a ridiculous (and insulting) rumor as well. It was simply not the reason so that can be put to bed as well.

Thanks, Doc

That jibes with everything I've read, too. Coach Strong has been described as "Nick Saban-like" by peers. Bonus that he's 10 years younger. Let's hope he spends at least a decade on the 40 Acres successfully.

Hook 'Em! \m/

 

[Topstarr]

Yes, I know we have a head coach and his name is Strong. Hallelujah, I couldn't be happier.
However, and on another site, the argument rages on as to how close Saban was to getting the job.

I'm privy to a little inside info now and then and I can tell you that Saban to UT was dead in the water the moment Powers found out a rogue regent and a BMD were attempting a coaching coup, behind his back.

At that point, and if he were still alive and under the same circumstances, Powers would not have allowed Vince Lombardi to be hired.

It IS true that Saban was interested in the job and more than one BMD thought he was going to be delivered because of it. A lot of people were excited about that, but they weren't paying attention to what was coming out of the presidents office, evidently.

It's really no more complicated then that.

Hiring Charlie Strong, because he was black, is a ridiculous (and insulting) rumor as well. It was simply not the reason so that can be put to bed as well.

Thanks for the information doc......now it is done and we can walk on down the sidewalk.

 

[TexasFirst1]

So Powers gets his panties in a wad because Tom Hicks made a call to Sexton (not at Saban's request) so Saban should be disqualified forever so that UT can avoid a head coach with a proven track record of winning 4 MNCs and consistently recruiting at the highest level so now we have CS who is a good guy with no track record of winning championships or consistently recruiting at the highest level and who is showing zero sign of attracting the attention of top recruits at UT so everything worked out great??? Got it!!! LOLLLLL

 

[Randolph Duke]

What I don't understand was why Mack chose to act the way he did on his way out the door. If Powers was dead set against Saban, why did Mack get Jamail all fired up and why did Mack end up blowing whatever goodwill he had with the fanbase? His actions on the way out the door cost him millions in endorsement and other business deals. I absolutely do not understand why he acted the way he did.

 

[Randolph Duke]

So Powers gets his panties in a wad because Tom Hicks made a call to Sexton (not at Saban's request) so Saban should be disqualified forever so that UT can avoid a head coach with a proven track record of winning 4 MNCs and consistently recruiting at the highest level so now we have CS who is a good guy with no track record of winning championships or consistently recruiting at the highest level and who is showing zero sign of attracting the attention of top recruits at UT so everything worked out great??? Got it!!! LOLLLLL

I have no doubt that Powers would do whatever he needed to in order to make it clear he was the one in charge and not Tim Hicks or Wallace Hall. There were and are considerations far more important than the football program in play on the 40 acres right now. It makes absolute sense that Powers was going to make a point and Nick Saban as head coach got caught in the power struggle going on between the regents and the university president.

 

[doc longhorn]

So Powers gets his panties in a wad because Tom Hicks made a call to Sexton (not at Saban's request) so Saban should be disqualified forever so that UT can avoid a head coach with a proven track record of winning 4 MNCs and consistently recruiting at the highest level so now we have CS who is a good guy with no track record of winning championships or consistently recruiting at the highest level and who is showing zero sign of attracting the attention of top recruits at UT so everything worked out great??? Got it!!! LOLLLLL

LOL - one of the things about the internet is no one really knows what is the truth or not. I'm getting my information 3rd hand, so there is that.

 

[doc longhorn]

I have no doubt that Powers would do whatever he needed to in order to make it clear he was the one in charge and not Tim Hicks or Wallace Hall. There were and are considerations far more important than the football program in play on the 40 acres right now. It makes absolute sense that Powers was going to make a point and Nick Saban as head coach got caught in the power struggle going on between the regents and the university president.

Pretty astute observation.

 

[java]

What I don't understand was why Mack chose to act the way he did on his way out the door. If Powers was dead set against Saban, why did Mack get Jamail all fired up and why did Mack end up blowing whatever goodwill he had with the fanbase? His actions on the way out the door cost him millions in endorsement and other business deals. I absolutely do not understand why he acted the way he did.

This makes absolutely no sense to me, either. It is why I think it is possible that Mack is prone to adolescent temper tantrums when confronted with situations that he cannot control. However, I doubt we will ever know the truth.

 

[mesoHorny]

I have heard similar reports but the part that is missing from this report that I heard is the fact the Fisher was very interested but Jamail and Mack were going to sue if we hired any Sexton guys. No proof one way or another but it sounds like Mack to me.

 

[PropositionJoe]

Why would Mack care about who the potential coach's agent is?

 

[armadillo slim]

So Powers gets his panties in a wad because Tom Hicks made a call to Sexton (not at Saban's request) so Saban should be disqualified forever so that UT can avoid a head coach with a proven track record of winning 4 MNCs and consistently recruiting at the highest level so now we have CS who is a good guy with no track record of winning championships or consistently recruiting at the highest level and who is showing zero sign of attracting the attention of top recruits at UT so everything worked out great??? Got it!!! LOLLLLL

you sound pretty sharp. i have some first class, ocean front property in arizona i think you might be interested in. no need to go look at it. trust me, its first class stuff.

 

[coolhorn]

Yes, I know we have a head coach and his name is Strong. Hallelujah, I couldn't be happier.
However, and on another site, the argument rages on as to how close Saban was to getting the job.

I'm privy to a little inside info now and then and I HAVE BEEN TOLD that Saban to UT was dead in the water the moment Powers found out a rogue regent and a BMD were attempting a coaching coup, behind his back.

At that point, and if he were still alive and under the same circumstances, Powers would not have allowed Vince Lombardi to be hired.

It IS true that Saban was interested in the job and more than one BMD thought he was going to be delivered because of it. A lot of people were excited about that, but they weren't paying attention to what was coming out of the presidents office, evidently.

It's really no more complicated then that.

Hiring Charlie Strong, because he was black, is a ridiculous (and insulting) rumor as well. I HAVE BEEN TOLD, it was simply not the reason - so that can be put to bed also.

Edited - per bold part.

This makes more sense than any other explanation I've heard. Furthermore, I don't blame Powers for getting his dander up over the back channel negotiations between Saban and those purporting to represent UT. William Powers is the U.T. President, and as such, it's a huge insult to him that a position as important as head football coach at U.T. might be filled behind his back, and with virtually no input from him, and with the present head coach, a successful one to boot, still on the job. I would have said the same thing...Saban does NOT get hired to U.T. on MY watch!

A final note from me on Nick Saban...he's a highly-successful football coach, and a great recruiter, and in my humble opinion, would NOT have been the best choice for U.T. Saban is a hired gun, so-to-speak. Given his age, it's doubtful he would have remained long at U.T. and this whole head coach-hunting process would happen all over again. Maybe he would have had huge success at U.T. during his time there, but maybe not either. Nothing is guaranteed, not even Nick Saban.

Steve Patterson was hired as U.T.'s athletic director, and it falls within his purview to be making coaching hires, with the approval of the President and the school's board. He's a professional at what he does, and I trust his judgment a lot more than I do a board member and a BMD. There's a place and time for big money donors to be offering some input, and I suspect Patterson would give them the courtesy of listening, but when push comes to shove, he, not they, should be making hiring choices.

Reference all the whining about Strong...some are doing so because he's NOT Nick Saban and they refuse to forgive him for that. Others have their own, and perhaps more distasteful agendas. I'm a huge believer in actions, not words, and so far, I'd say that Charlie Strong's next mistake will be his first one. He and his staff have accomplished just short of miraculous work in a ridiculously short time. I'm looking forward to sitting back and seeing what they can get done in the next year or so. Nick Saban ain't walking through the door anytime soon, and to that, I say...so what...we have a very good coach already on the job.

 

[Randolph Duke]

This makes more sense than any other explanation I've heard. Furthermore, I don't blame Powers for getting his dander up over the back channel negotiations between Saban and those purporting to represent UT. William Powers is the U.T. President, and as such, it's a huge insult to him that a position as important as head football coach at U.T. might be filled behind his back, and with virtually no input from him, and with the present head coach, a successful one to boot, still on the job. I would have said the same thing...Saban does NOT get hired to U.T. on MY watch!
A final note from me on Nick Saban...he's a highly-successful football coach, and a great recruiter, and in my humble opinion, would NOT have been the best choice for U.T. Saban is a hired gun, so-to-speak. Given his age, it's doubtful he would have remained long at U.T. and this whole head coach-hunting process would happen all over again. Maybe he would have had huge success at U.T. during his time there, but maybe not either. Nothing is guaranteed, not even Nick Saban.

Steve Patterson was hired as U.T.'s athletic director, and it falls within his purview to be making coaching hires, with the approval of the President and the school's board. He's a professional at what he does, and I trust his judgment a lot more than I do a board member and a BMD. There's a place and time for big money donors to be offering some input, and I suspect Patterson would give them the courtesy of listening, but when push comes to shove, he, not they, should be making hiring choices.

Reference all the whining about Strong...some are doing so because he's NOT Nick Saban and they refuse to forgive him for that. Others have their own, and perhaps more distasteful agendas. I'm a huge believer in actions, not words, and so far, I'd say that Charlie Strong's next mistake will be his first one. He and his staff have accomplished just short of miraculous work in a ridiculously short time. I'm looking forward to sitting back and seeing what they can get done in the next year or so. Nick Saban ain't walking through the door anytime soon, and to that, I say...so what...we have a very good coach already on the job.

Charlie Strong will have every opportunity to create his own success. What people think of him now will be forgotten if he builds a successful program. If (like another coach who shall remain nameless) he builds a culture that leads to drug arrest after drug arrest and sees kids on the wrong track withing weeks of setting foot on campus, he's toast. That sh!t may be ok some places, but not at UT.

As for Powers, the job of president at UT Austin is highly political, but it is also highly respected in the academic world. UT Austin undergrad enrollment is right around 37,000. The cash flow for UT Austin is right at $2.5 billion/yr. For comparison, tamu has a slightly higher undergrad enrollment, but doesn't come close to UT Austin in resources (their annual budget is a bit more than $1 billion/yr less than UT's). Powers is locked in a political battle with a jackass of a governor who wants to fundamentally change the mission of UT. Powers isn't about to let that happen. When hiring the football coach (or any other employee) at UT Austin is the absolute prerogative of the president of the university and his main adversary in his political battle is Wallace Hall (a Rick Perry crony), Powers isn't about to let Wallace Hall "inform" him who his football coach will be.

 

[mesoHorny]

Why would Mack care about who the potential coach's agent is?

I can only speculate that he believed without interference from Sexton he would have been back in 14.

 

[mesoHorny]

This makes more sense than any other explanation I've heard. Furthermore, I don't blame Powers for getting his dander up over the back channel negotiations between Saban and those purporting to represent UT. William Powers is the U.T. President, and as such, it's a huge insult to him that a position as important as head football coach at U.T. might be filled behind his back, and with virtually no input from him, and with the present head coach, a successful one to boot, still on the job. I would have said the same thing...Saban does NOT get hired to U.T. on MY watch!
A final note from me on Nick Saban...he's a highly-successful football coach, and a great recruiter, and in my humble opinion, would NOT have been the best choice for U.T. Saban is a hired gun, so-to-speak. Given his age, it's doubtful he would have remained long at U.T. and this whole head coach-hunting process would happen all over again. Maybe he would have had huge success at U.T. during his time there, but maybe not either. Nothing is guaranteed, not even Nick Saban.

Steve Patterson was hired as U.T.'s athletic director, and it falls within his purview to be making coaching hires, with the approval of the President and the school's board. He's a professional at what he does, and I trust his judgment a lot more than I do a board member and a BMD. There's a place and time for big money donors to be offering some input, and I suspect Patterson would give them the courtesy of listening, but when push comes to shove, he, not they, should be making hiring choices.

Reference all the whining about Strong...some are doing so because he's NOT Nick Saban and they refuse to forgive him for that. Others have their own, and perhaps more distasteful agendas. I'm a huge believer in actions, not words, and so far, I'd say that Charlie Strong's next mistake will be his first one. He and his staff have accomplished just short of miraculous work in a ridiculously short time. I'm looking forward to sitting back and seeing what they can get done in the next year or so. Nick Saban ain't walking through the door anytime soon, and to that, I say...so what...we have a very good coach already on the job.

Longevity is the last reason we should hire a coach. I don't really want a coach more than 10 years anyway. If Saban could have given us even 6 strong years that would have been a successful hire.

 

[RoyalCrowns]

True enough, Strong is our coach. He deserves a unified backing. But, if we had a chance at Saban and didn't make it happen, that's simply shame on us, IMO. Regarding the issue of race, I do think it probably factored in to some degree. Though it can't be proven, I think Strong doesn't get the job without Sumlin's success at aNm. But to bring up race as an issue is insulting to Strong, I think. It doesn't really make a difference at this point.

 

[Sirhornsalot]

Going to agree to most of that, but disagree with some of it.

Saban was indeed in play. Where you're wrong is that Powers had the real ability to stop it. I know there were a carload of very well positioned BMDs who had a chain around Powers neck - pointing to a vote that happened in December. Powers was told if he wanted to hang around, be a good soldier and stand down.

Where the wheels fell off the Saban deal was because Mack made threats of tampering lawsuits against Sexton, hence the reason Patterson really didn't want to hire a Sexton client. Patterson tried to talk to Fisher and skip past Sexton, but Fisher directed Patt back to Sexton instead. That's what killed the Fisher deal.

So Patterson did the smart thing and avoided the possibility of taking Texas into some sort of controversy surrounded by lawsuits, no way to start building a program. Patterson was right. He made the right hire. And he will look like a genius in a year or two.

 

[HornNdriftwood]

Going to agree to most of that, but disagree with some of it.
Saban was indeed in play. Where you're wrong is that Powers had the real ability to stop it. I know there were a carload of very well positioned BMDs who had a chain around Powers neck - pointing to a vote that happened in December. Powers was told if he wanted to hang around, be a good soldier and stand down.

Where the wheels fell off the Saban deal was because Mack made threats of tampering lawsuits against Sexton, hence the reason Patterson really didn't want to hire a Sexton client. Patterson tried to talk to Fisher and skip past Sexton, but Fisher directed Patt back to Sexton instead. That's what killed the Fisher deal.

So Patterson did the smart thing and avoided the possibility of taking Texas into some sort of controversy surrounded by lawsuits, no way to start building a program. Patterson was right. He made the right hire. And he will look like a genius in a year or two.

I agree with your last paragraph.

First, if the guy with the ultimate hiring power (Powers) is never on board, then the hire was never going to happen. It was all speculation and politics. I seriously doubt Wallace Hall ever cared one way or the other if Saban was hired. His agenda is to undermine Powers. Also, there was no vote taken in December.

Mack never threatened lawsuits for tampering. The main reason Fisher was not hired was the timeline. He just wasn't available.

You're right though, all's well that ends well.

LetsRide