Dolphins coach Saban leaves for Alabama

[Scurrilous]

<snip>

"Nick Saban resigned as head coach of the Miami Dolphins on Wednesday in order to return to the college ranks with the University of Alabama.

Saban, 55, left Miami two years into a five-year contract. Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga did not elaborate on the reasons for his departure but told a news conference it was "not a money decision".

Huizenga said he was Saban's "biggest fan," even though Miami failed to reach the playoffs during his reign.

"I'll be cheering for him," Huizenga said of his former coach's new job with the Crimson Tide. "I like Nick a lot and I think he could have won here."

Saban's contract with Alabama is for eight years, according to media reports."


http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=sportsNews&storyID=2007-01-03T181450Z_01_L03080310_RTRUKOC_0_US-NFL-DOLPHINS.xml&WTmodLoc=NewsHome-C3-sportsNews-2



Le Batard: Saban leaves as a loser, weasel

<snip>

"The punctuation on the Nick Saban Error is greasy and greedy. You know what he was as Dolphins coach? A failure. A loser. A gasbag. And one of the worst investments Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga has ever made. He was less of a success than Dave Wannstedt and more of a traitor than Ricky Williams. There has been very little in franchise history that came with more expectations and fewer results than this hypocrite who at the end avoided the hard questions one last time.

Talk like a warrior. Behave like a weasel.

Maybe Saban would be better off in college. Because, in the pros the last few days, he has looked like a complete and utter amateur.

He will be remembered in these parts as a quitter and a liar. He leaves the franchise in last place, with what used to be his good name somehow far lower than that. And for this he'll get a $25 million raise and more job security in Alabama. Makes you wonder what USC's Pete Carroll or Ohio State's Jim Tressel are worth, doesn't it?

Larry Coker, a decent man, gets fired for his one championship. Saban, a duplicitous one, gets the most lucrative job in college football.

Saban could have fixed his reputation today if he had that mental toughness he is always sermonizing about. We have the meandering spiel memorized by now. About ''competitive character'' and ''overcoming adversity'' and blah, blah, blah. You preach it, Nick. But you don't live it. Not when it's easier to run away and hide."

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/16374957.htm

[k_jerome]

1. good riddance. screw Saban...nt

[jus_the_facts]

2. He's been dubbed Nick SATAN by LSU fans....

...HE SUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCKS!

[Awsi Dooger]

3. Third best day in Dolphin history

Behind only the two Super Bowl wins. LeBatard's only fault in that Herald column was he didn't go far enough. From day one in Miami, Saban was nothing but a mealy mouth little wannabe dictator whose facial expressions were even more revolting than the accompanying words. As I wrote last night, he belongs in a small market where the reporters are intimidated by him and don't dare question anything. Saban can feign bravado in a setting like that. In a big league setting he was exposed as a laughable flimsy hypocrite.

[k_jerome]

5. great post. right on. nt.

[IDemo]

4. Saban called Boise State's offensive coordinator last night

to offer him a job, and coach Bryan Harsin told him no thanks. He made the right choice in my opinion, but I'm a little biased! The story was titled 'wrong tide' on the news this evening.

Bryan Harsin