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Saban Dominance hits New Heights, Can Any Coach Keep Pace?

How can other coaches take this torrid pace of success? (Photo Larry Burton)

By Larry Burton
Syndicated Writer
January 30, 2012

For coaches in the SEC, Saban’s first national title at LSU was a warning shot across the bow. After coming to Alabama and winning two more in just five years, the shells started hitting squarely amid ship but what may sink other coaches and other programs is the fact that he’s combining these championships with top recruiting classes year after year.

Saban is expected to land yet another number one recruiting class this season, his third in four years by most counts and that should ensure that he has plenty of fuel to keep the national championship running at full speed down the tracks.

The fact that no current college football coach has more championship rings than Saban in no way begins to describe his dominance. Not just in wins, but in recruiting too.

Stop and consider for a moment that this year when national signing day results start sinking in to the mindsets of fan bases of each team, that out of the 120 division one teams, Nick Saban will have signed at least 12 of the top 150 players in the class.

And he could do better that that if a late surprise or two hits.

Parity would be each of the 120 teams getting one and 30 others getting a second. But Saban’s getting at least 12 of them.

If you don’t think that number is all that large, consider the rest of the teams in the SEC West Division, who had three of the top five teams for much of the season, won’t have 12 of the top 150 combined .

And if Saban can take a two or three star and turn them into a first round NFL draft choice or an All American first team player, imagine what he’ll do with a stable of four and five star recruits.

No coach and program can long stand under that kind of withering assault.

Since Saban’s arrival on the SEC, Tennessee lost Phillip Fulmer and that program remains in shambles, Urban Meyer couldn’t take the heat and left and Florida is still trying to recover from the Alabama beat downs. Tommy Tubberville, who owned Alabama before Saban got the Bama train steam rolling, left Auburn and except for one bright season, they are now a team struggling to make seven wins and making the bowl season.

Now the question is, who will be next?

Saban has declared war and he has the Alabama battleship underneath him and a bevy of top recruits to keep providing the ammunition he needs to keep firing those killer shots into the other ships hoping to drop anchor in BCS title game.

Larry Burton
Business owner and sportswriter. Credentialed for three years by the University of Alabama and others. Interviews coaches and players regularly after games and in the off season.
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