NICK SABAN: MAN OF NATIONAL INTRIGUE
January 8th, 2017
Nick Saban, a national man of political intrigue? Indeed. He has manipulated the scenario and dealt out the hand with the deftness of a character from an Ian Flemming novel. How so?
When Saban needed a new offensive coordinator (OC) a few years ago he tapped Lane Kiffin to fill the post. This raised eyebrows at the time, since Kiffin was indignantly dismissed during his last season as the head coach (HC) at USC. Pretty much everyone agreed that Kiffin had a track record of being an outstanding play caller and OC. That is what Saban wanted and he certainly didn’t need any help figuring out how to be a HC. If anyone in college football could take a talented young coach with an ego and harness his talents while still maintaining his status as the master, it is Nick Saban. He also correctly assessed that no other big name programs would be sniffing around in hopes of hiring Kiffin after only one or two years because of Kiffin’s checkered past.
Saban then made a another shrewd tactical move by bringing in Steven Sarkisian (another former USC HC with a checkered past) as an offensive analyst during the 2016 season. Have no doubt that this was part of the master plan. Sark was brought in to learn the offense and have some interaction with the players and other coaches so that they were comfortable with him. If during this trial period as an analyst Sarkisian were to exhibit any of the shenanigans which got him fired from USC, Saban would simply wave his hand and Sark would be summarily escorted from the premises. Or perhaps one spray of the Sark-Be-Gone would do the trick.
Ah, but Sarkisian kept his nose clean and appeared ready and able for the next phase of Saban’s devious plan. With the honeymoon over for Kiffin in Tuscaloosa, Saban must have told him that it was time to move on. Why the week between the Peach Bowl semifinal game and the National Championship Game (NCG)? This would seem an odd time to make a switch at OC? The brilliance of promoting Sarkisian to OC for the NCG is that if Alabama loses, well then, it must have been the disruption caused by that coaching transition. Sarkisian becomes the patsy. But if Alabama wins then Nick Saban is a supra-genius for making the switch. Of course! Either way, Saban’s hands remain clean.
Nick Saban, National man of mystery and intrique. It may be difficult at first to envision Nick Saban with a Dr. Evil style shaved head whilst walking the sideline stroking Mr. Bigglesworth’s hairless ears. But if all goes his way, I’m sure he would prefer to be addressed as National Championship Man of Mystery and Intrique.