For all you naysayers, who berated our coaching staff most of the year:

MaceoP · Dec 14, 2024 at 7:17 PM

chemgator said: ↑

I disagree, somewhat. While it is great to have players that knew how to win returning for the next coach, there is a downside to bringing in a new coach who does things differently. Zook noticed that in his first season when Rex started calling audibles away from the bubble screens to go downfield, often without success. If the players don't buy in to what the new coaches are selling, it can be a disaster, regardless of how much talent there is and how good the new coach is. Alabama might be experiencing that adjustment this year. However, if the old coach was not that great, the players should be willing to pick up the terminology and tactics of a new coach to have a better chance of winning. A lot comes down to the salesmanship and discipline of the new coach. When Urban arrived, he sold the team on his vision, kicking off 11 players who did not buy into it, and even the players recognized that they were heading for a championship. And remember, it was generally not Zook's great recruiting that produced the 2006 championship, it was Meyer's coaching. Only nine players from Zook's vaunted (and large) 2003 class were there to see the trophy in January of 2007.

I will admit that recruiting dropped off under Mullen, which was likely due to the A.D. trying to save money and thinking that showing recruits the fancy new building would reel in the 5-star players (which it didn't--almost every SEC school has nice facilities). Other schools had fancy customized meal programs for each group of athletes--linemen, WR's, LB's, DB's, etc. Relatively speaking, Florida was feeding its players greasy prison food. Other schools had all kinds of analysts, advisors, and recruiting specialists, while Florida pinched its pennies. We had a backwards, underfunded program--something FAU or FIU (the schools we were "stealing" recruits from) might be proud of. That is a fact.
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I don't know what you are disagreeing with. I didn't discuss Meyer taking over Zook's recruits. What i said was Zook had a lot more to work with following SOS than CBN had to work with following Mullin. Since Zook couldn't build on that with team buy in and team chemistry, the results weren't so great. Further to that, you make the case, which I agree with, that CBN had to do a total rebuild include S&C, FOOD, staff etc.
I just think you cannot go on w-l record alone when comparing Zook with CBN, as some have tried to do.

gatordavisl · Dec 14, 2024 at 8:35 PM

chemgator said: ↑

Spurrier took over a team that won 6-7 games in each of the previous four seasons, and one that had the star running back (Emmitt) give up his last year of eligibility to go pro, which was a rarity in those days. He immediately started having 9- and 10-win seasons. An excellent coach can win quickly. Urban took over a team that had won 7-8 games each of the previous three seasons, and started by winning nine games in season #1, and a title in season #2. And he did it after running off 11 players before the first game, including multiple 4-star players (from H.S. rankings).

Zook was a failure because he didn't understand discipline or offense. He was too close to the players, and not close enough to the playbook.
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Don't forget, though, that Spurrier inherited a strong defense. That side of the ball was ready; he only needed to get the offense going. I don't think comparisons to Spurrier & Meyer are fair, though.

willymayshayes · Dec 14, 2024 at 8:49 PM

10 pages and counting ...

Gatorswag94 · Dec 15, 2024 at 9:28 AM

gator_n_sc said: ↑

Let me add some love for the forgotten guys too. In that recruiting points total includes the #1 Kicker, #1 longsnapper and a kohls 5 star combo kicker who we signed as our punter. Importance of a great special teams can not be understated.
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Sweet! How will that stop our head coach from running out 12 men and losing the game?

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