What if Alabama hired new head coach?
Would that bring success...
Right off the bat let me say that I am not advocating the firing of Anthony Grant. There is so just so much hatred and animosity built up within the fan base. Maybe we should all take a breathe and consider what happens if Grant leaves. The opinion piece is not about why or why not Grant should stay or leave. Let's just pretend that some day, perhaps soon, that Bill Battle wants to go in a different direction. Would hiring a new coach be a magical move to insure success. Of course not, it might be even worse. Success isn't like putting on a new coat and tie you just bought down at the local clothing store. Sure, it might look nice, but how will it look in a couple of years. Let's look at this scenario for the sake of argument.
April 2016 - Anthony Grant announces he is leaving Alabama. Failing to get a team in either the '15 or '16 NCAA Tournament led Grant to make the decision. " I want to thank all the wonderful people who gave me this opportunity to coach at the University of Alabama. The community welcomed our family and we grew to love Tuscaloosa. The terrible tornado that ripped into our hometown gave my family a strong sense of belonging. I am regretful that we were unable to provide the type of teams the fans wanted and deserved. There comes a time when regardless of how much you want to succeed we fall short. I fell short, but gave it my best effort. Thank you for your support."
April 2016 - Fans are placated with the departure of Anthony Grant. Speculation runs wild about who will be the next head coach. Everyone has an opinion, but no one actually knows who the next coach might be. It will be difficult to find the right man.
May 2016 - The Board of Trustees, having already named a search committee, meets with that group to talk about the candidates. They also will report, as part of their mandate, what it will take for Alabama to be successful. That encompasses more than just a hiring change. John Smith, head of the Committee starts his report with this reminder. "You selected me, and this committee to make serious recommendations for both a coach and the road to success for Alabama basketball. We have taken this job seriously. There has been spirited debate among the Committee as to who our next coach will be, how much should he be paid, is the candidate the right to lead us into the next era of basketball at the Capstone? Some of what I say will not be popular. Some may not be feasible at this time, but everything we recommend is necessary to meet your goals." With that being said, John Smith, turns the floor over Mike Jones, an ex-player, and successful businessman. "as it relates to hiring a new coach there seemed to be three distinct paths to follow: 1. Do we hire a big name coach with a similar reputation as Nick Saban? 2. Do we find a current coach who is successful at his current job and pay him enough to come to Alabama?" 3. Do we find a bright young head coach at a lower level who we think can win at the SEC level? All of these choices have their good and bad points. If we hire a coach in the first category we will have to pay that individual a minimum of five-million dollars a year for a five year contract, and no buy out clause.
You might ask us why we should pay that type of money for basketball? The answer is three-fold. 1. that kind of money is needed to attract a top coach. 2. That amount of money is not a lot higher than some coaches make now. 3. The basketball program has descended into a state of irrelevance, and will require a lengthy period of time to recover regardless of who we name.
A top coach will have a national recruiting base as opposed to a regional basis as matters stand now, Alabama is simply not an attractive destination to young men wanting to further their careers at the next level. It will take someone with a national reputation to re-establish our program. That is a sad but honest appraisal. He will not come cheaply, and he will demand an increase in his recruiting budget, and some better facilities. We will address that later. College basketball has evolved to a point of lesser regional loyalty. We can longer assume or expect top local prospects to come to the University due to growing up in Alabama or the South. The new campus in America is ESPN and all their reporting, and game telecasts. As ESPN and like networks expand their coverage they are going to look at perennial winners, and larger markets. Exposure is guaranteed with a big name coach. So does the likelihood of success.
We also think that from a cost benefit analysis basis such a hire will be less expensive. Game day revenues will expand, merchandise is more marketable, and large donors will give more to a defined winning program. Each of us should remember the effect that Saban had on our revenue stream. Alabama is a brand name. There is no reason not cash in on that brand in basketball as well. The initial expense will be high. The end result will be higher
He went on to say, "it's all about a serious decision to elevate basketball at Alabama or not". In essence he went on to say that Alabama had merely paid lip service to basketball over the past decade or so. "To be a real contender in basketball you have to have a total commitment to the process", he said. The renovation of Coleman Coliseum was a monumental error in judgment" he added. "If you serious want to contend for the SEC Championship, NCAA Tournament, and go after the really big recruits you'll have to publically make an announcement of your intent.' Football produces enough revenue to make that happen. We can do that without jeopardizing the football program." To conclude his comments on option one - "there is no middle ground. We have to jump in the deep end of the pool. We are not just Alabama football, but are Alabama period, and that includes basketball." The room became very quiet. A few mummers were heard, and then a trustee raised his hand and said, "do you realize how much that would cost us?" The member replied "do you know how much it cost us to not do that in terms of revenue and national brand." We are no longer relevant in college basketball. There is simply no other way to express that regardless of how it sounds". We are not sure we can find such a coach unless he is convinced we can put our money where our mouths have been for far to long."
"We need to build a new facility just for basketball. I'm not talking about 15-20 thousand seats. We need maybe 10-12K. Demand will cause revenue to soar as the team wins. We have to do that or we fail. And it to put it bluntly - our arch-rival has done it why can't we". Getting top name coach will not be easy at a football school. But I don't believe it is an issue of having one at the expense of the other. We have all seen what has happened at Auburn after they hired Bruce Pearl. To put it bluntly, they are the best basketball program in the State, and will continue to be until we make a decision to end that run. But we need to do that with more than an ad hoc approach. We need to build, fund, supply, promote, and support our basketball program with the same type vigor as we do football. Attracting the head coach we need will simply not happen because we are Alabama. We need someone who will take up the challenge of making Alabama tantamount Alabama football, or as close as he can make that happen. Thank you your attention and love for our University. Roll Tide.
My point is hiring a really great coach will not solve all of our problems in basketball. It is a great start, but why not commit to something even greater. Something with a vision to the future.
Tomorrow: The Florida game
Later this week: The additional two approaches to rebuilding Alabama football
Would that bring success...
Right off the bat let me say that I am not advocating the firing of Anthony Grant. There is so just so much hatred and animosity built up within the fan base. Maybe we should all take a breathe and consider what happens if Grant leaves. The opinion piece is not about why or why not Grant should stay or leave. Let's just pretend that some day, perhaps soon, that Bill Battle wants to go in a different direction. Would hiring a new coach be a magical move to insure success. Of course not, it might be even worse. Success isn't like putting on a new coat and tie you just bought down at the local clothing store. Sure, it might look nice, but how will it look in a couple of years. Let's look at this scenario for the sake of argument.April 2016 - Anthony Grant announces he is leaving Alabama. Failing to get a team in either the '15 or '16 NCAA Tournament led Grant to make the decision. " I want to thank all the wonderful people who gave me this opportunity to coach at the University of Alabama. The community welcomed our family and we grew to love Tuscaloosa. The terrible tornado that ripped into our hometown gave my family a strong sense of belonging. I am regretful that we were unable to provide the type of teams the fans wanted and deserved. There comes a time when regardless of how much you want to succeed we fall short. I fell short, but gave it my best effort. Thank you for your support."
April 2016 - Fans are placated with the departure of Anthony Grant. Speculation runs wild about who will be the next head coach. Everyone has an opinion, but no one actually knows who the next coach might be. It will be difficult to find the right man.
May 2016 - The Board of Trustees, having already named a search committee, meets with that group to talk about the candidates. They also will report, as part of their mandate, what it will take for Alabama to be successful. That encompasses more than just a hiring change. John Smith, head of the Committee starts his report with this reminder. "You selected me, and this committee to make serious recommendations for both a coach and the road to success for Alabama basketball. We have taken this job seriously. There has been spirited debate among the Committee as to who our next coach will be, how much should he be paid, is the candidate the right to lead us into the next era of basketball at the Capstone? Some of what I say will not be popular. Some may not be feasible at this time, but everything we recommend is necessary to meet your goals." With that being said, John Smith, turns the floor over Mike Jones, an ex-player, and successful businessman. "as it relates to hiring a new coach there seemed to be three distinct paths to follow: 1. Do we hire a big name coach with a similar reputation as Nick Saban? 2. Do we find a current coach who is successful at his current job and pay him enough to come to Alabama?" 3. Do we find a bright young head coach at a lower level who we think can win at the SEC level? All of these choices have their good and bad points. If we hire a coach in the first category we will have to pay that individual a minimum of five-million dollars a year for a five year contract, and no buy out clause.
You might ask us why we should pay that type of money for basketball? The answer is three-fold. 1. that kind of money is needed to attract a top coach. 2. That amount of money is not a lot higher than some coaches make now. 3. The basketball program has descended into a state of irrelevance, and will require a lengthy period of time to recover regardless of who we name.
A top coach will have a national recruiting base as opposed to a regional basis as matters stand now, Alabama is simply not an attractive destination to young men wanting to further their careers at the next level. It will take someone with a national reputation to re-establish our program. That is a sad but honest appraisal. He will not come cheaply, and he will demand an increase in his recruiting budget, and some better facilities. We will address that later. College basketball has evolved to a point of lesser regional loyalty. We can longer assume or expect top local prospects to come to the University due to growing up in Alabama or the South. The new campus in America is ESPN and all their reporting, and game telecasts. As ESPN and like networks expand their coverage they are going to look at perennial winners, and larger markets. Exposure is guaranteed with a big name coach. So does the likelihood of success.
We also think that from a cost benefit analysis basis such a hire will be less expensive. Game day revenues will expand, merchandise is more marketable, and large donors will give more to a defined winning program. Each of us should remember the effect that Saban had on our revenue stream. Alabama is a brand name. There is no reason not cash in on that brand in basketball as well. The initial expense will be high. The end result will be higher
He went on to say, "it's all about a serious decision to elevate basketball at Alabama or not". In essence he went on to say that Alabama had merely paid lip service to basketball over the past decade or so. "To be a real contender in basketball you have to have a total commitment to the process", he said. The renovation of Coleman Coliseum was a monumental error in judgment" he added. "If you serious want to contend for the SEC Championship, NCAA Tournament, and go after the really big recruits you'll have to publically make an announcement of your intent.' Football produces enough revenue to make that happen. We can do that without jeopardizing the football program." To conclude his comments on option one - "there is no middle ground. We have to jump in the deep end of the pool. We are not just Alabama football, but are Alabama period, and that includes basketball." The room became very quiet. A few mummers were heard, and then a trustee raised his hand and said, "do you realize how much that would cost us?" The member replied "do you know how much it cost us to not do that in terms of revenue and national brand." We are no longer relevant in college basketball. There is simply no other way to express that regardless of how it sounds". We are not sure we can find such a coach unless he is convinced we can put our money where our mouths have been for far to long."
"We need to build a new facility just for basketball. I'm not talking about 15-20 thousand seats. We need maybe 10-12K. Demand will cause revenue to soar as the team wins. We have to do that or we fail. And it to put it bluntly - our arch-rival has done it why can't we". Getting top name coach will not be easy at a football school. But I don't believe it is an issue of having one at the expense of the other. We have all seen what has happened at Auburn after they hired Bruce Pearl. To put it bluntly, they are the best basketball program in the State, and will continue to be until we make a decision to end that run. But we need to do that with more than an ad hoc approach. We need to build, fund, supply, promote, and support our basketball program with the same type vigor as we do football. Attracting the head coach we need will simply not happen because we are Alabama. We need someone who will take up the challenge of making Alabama tantamount Alabama football, or as close as he can make that happen. Thank you your attention and love for our University. Roll Tide.
My point is hiring a really great coach will not solve all of our problems in basketball. It is a great start, but why not commit to something even greater. Something with a vision to the future.
Tomorrow: The Florida game
Later this week: The additional two approaches to rebuilding Alabama football
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