The Case for Mike Shula

[ShulaFan]

Everyone has opinions and everyone is capable of slanting information for their own purposes. But these are facts.

In 2001, Alabama was hit with the loss of 21 scholarships and two bowl games. That is one of the stiffest penalties levied by the NCAA in college football history. The penalties were so severe, new coach Dennis Franchione immediately started looking for a way out, even considering leaving Alabama for Kansas after his first season at UA.

When Fran left following the '02 season, almost no one wanted the job due to the daunting task of coaching in Tuscaloosa under those sanctions. Mike Price was like the fifth or sixth choice in that search. Everyone else said, 'no'.

Then the Price stripper stuff went down and UA was left looking for a coach in May. The candidates were going to be scarce that time of the year and it was really going to be Shula or Croom, two guys with UA ties that would be loyal in a time of crisis. The job was thought to be impossible at the time and this is really about the only situation ever in UA's history where someone with Shula's lack of experience would be hired.

So he came in May of 2003, some 90 days before the start of fall practice and he had never been a head coach (or even a college coach) a day in his life. So this would be on the job training, in Tuscaloosa, while enduring a harsh set of sanctions. Mike would recruit his first class in Alabama under those sanctions, which limited his first class to only 19 signees. (this followed the two previous classes that were also sanctioned).

As if those problems weren't enough to endure, UA incurred a spate of injuries seldom seen anywhere. They never used the same lineup on offense or defense more than twice in a row and played one of the toughest schedules in the history of NCAA football. I know you think that is an exaggeration but imagine a schedule where you face these QBs in a single season?: Jason White (OKL-Heisman Winner), Matt Mauck (National Champs), David Greene, Casey Clausen, Timmy Chang (NCAA Record Setter), Eli Manning (1st pick in the Draft), Matt Jones, Jason Campbell (first round pick) and Jared Lorenzen. What kind of schedule is that? With all the injuries? No spring practice?

Alabama finished 4-9 but despite all that, they played Oklahoma to the final whistle. It took UT five overtimes to beat UA and they went on the road and beat Miami the following week. Arkansas won in three overtimes. Alabama lost to Northern Illinios (who was a 10 win team that year) and at Hawaii, a tough place to end the season.

But its tough to look at 2003 and those circumstances and say it was a bad coaching job. Just who would win in those circumstances?

In 2004, things looked brighter. Then came a spate of injuries that would make you wonder if Shula was cursed. Alabama lost Brodie Croyle in the first couple of weeks, then lost the backup two weeks later. By the time the end of October rolled around, not only was the entire backfield gone, the backups were gone, too. By the season ending Auburn game, UA started QB #3, a true freshman at RB, a walkon at fullback and a true freshman at TE. (these weren't typical UA true freshman -- remember, UA was recruiting under NCAA sanctions) Play in the SEC with all third team guys on offense? The defense was healthy though. They finished the season the #2 ranked defense in America. Despite all that, UA still finished 6-5 and went to a bowl. Was that a bad coaching job? This was a team far less talented than normal UA standards due to the probation, then lost the first two strings of players at Qb, Rb, Fb and Te. Alabama lost in the final minute in the bowl game to the Minnesota team that featured Barber and Maroney.

In 2005, things had to be better, right? They were. For the first time since he was there, the team stayed relatively healthy. But, of course, its not Shula if something doesn't go horribly wrong -- UA's best playmaker and Heisman Candidate (Prothro) was lost for the year in Game Six and the offense really suffered from that point on, probably like Florida's would suffer without Tebow or Missouri would suffer without Chase Daniel. Lose your best playmaker and anyone would suffer. Yet, finally with a healthy team (yet one ravaged by the sanctions), Alabama blew out Spurrier on the road, killed Florida at home, 31-3, beat Tennessee in a rare win in that series and was 10-0 and ranked 3rd in America in mid November before losing to LSU in overtime. The following week UA would lose to Auburn at Auburn before beating Texas Tech in the Cotton Bowl while holding the Red Raiders to a stunning ten points.

I guess the successes of 2005 made UA fans/administrators/boosters feel the sanctions were now behind them. But simple math showed that was not a reality -- the most hard hit recruiting classes were the 02-03 classes (before Shula arrived). In the 2006 season, those two classes were the oldest on the squad -- the seniors and juniors. Try winning in the SEC when your worst two groups are the oldest two groups. UA was able to win in '05 in large part due to a senior class that was recruited PRIOR TO the imposition of the sanctions. But those players (Croyle, Mark Anderson, etc.) were now gone.

On top of that, UA was breaking in a new QB. And they faced the following road schedule: at Arkansas, at LSU, at Florida, at Tennessee. Prior to the season, the experts saw that schedule and most pegged UA to finish no better than 8-4. Some said 7-5. That's just too tough. New QB, those road games, the loss of 7 defensive starters ...

Alabama did lose all four of those tough road games. But they lost to Arkansas in overtime. They led the eventual National Champions at halftime in the Swamp. They rang up more yards against that LSU defense than any other team they played making that game close. And UA led Tennessee in the fourth quarter. In fact, Alabama led all those teams at one point in the second half. In addition to those losses, Alabama also lost to Auburn again (by 7 points) and then there was the crippling, headscratcher loss to Miss State. That loss doesn't look quite as bad today as it did then but that was at Shula's feet. That UA team should have never lost to Miss State and there is no doubt that was the tipping point for Shula at UA. But it was Shula's first loss to a clearly inferior team probably since his first season. In all other losses, a strong case can be made that UA simply lost to a healthier team with more horses.

Shula was fired after the Auburn loss. The 6-6 season did him in. Notice that Nick Saban, the supposed genius, just went 6-6 with the same team, yet a year older, against a lighter road schedule. Maybe Shula's 6-6 record that season was more about the players and the schedule than it was about him. And again, Mike Shula never coached an Alabama team with HIS juniors and seniors. They were not only a previous regime's players, they were players recruited under some of the most severe NCAA sanctions of all time. And he was expected to win big under those conditions? While Auburn and LSU -- not coincidentally -- are experiencing Golden Ages of success?

Not a single senior made the All SEC teams. Not one. Only three were drafted and two were in the last round, one was the last pick in the whole draft.

There were very, very few arrests or off-the-field stories. Alabama, like Shula, was quiet as a mouse in the offseasons. There was one high profile arrest in four years and most of those charges were dropped. Mike suspended the player for a game.

Mike was not given nearly enough time in Tuscaloosa. He inherited the worst situation in Alabama history and was only allowed three recruiting classes to "fix it". Even during that time, he managed a ten win season, a Cotton Bowl victory and a drubbing of Florida. He never coached a senior that was "his". All his juniors and seniors were products of failed regimes or, worse, products of the probation -- kids UA would normally never recruit.

On top of it all, he is a good man. Tim Tebow cried on national tv when he talked about not having the opportunity to play for Mike, a person he publicly called "the greatest man I ever met". He is a family man, and he is very wealthy (having nothing do with his own coaching career) yet he chooses to coach because he has a passion for it.

He will recruit and he would win here. He will bring a lot of attention and put butts in the seats. On top of it all, he would lead a program everyone would be proud of ...

Find a UA fan (there are millions of them) that has anything bad to say about Mike Shula, The Person. There is not one.

He should be the hire. Steve Logan is a good candidate and he did a good job up the road but has he won multiple SEC games? Heck, you could sensibly argue Shula won more big games with a roster that isn't even what East Carolina's was ... If Shula had rung up the same record at Ole Miss he did at Alabama, he would be a hot name right now. What folks don't realize is that Alabama WAS Ole Miss during his four years there. Yet, he was judged by UA standards, not Ole Miss'.

He should be the hire. He is a perfect fit. Mike was a brilliant, hardworking student at Alabama. He would fit perfectly into this environment. JMO.

[Duvall]

If Duke wanted a good man who struggled to succeed in a difficult situation, they could have kept Ted Roof.

[ShulaFan]

Good point but you could argue Shula actually DID succeed ...

Even in that near impossible situation, the first time he ever had the opportunity to coach a reasonably healthy team, UA won ten games and went to the Cotton Bowl on New Year's Day and beat Texas Tech, holding them to an astounding ten points.

He had a healthy team in 2006, too and that was the season that got him fired. Yet, he lost to four TOP FIFTEEN teams, all on the road, all in close games.

He lost to Auburn and Miss State at home and those were the two games that got him fired. I think that is a far cry from Ted Roof's level of success or not-so-much-success.

[AtlBluRew]

Nice support for Shula. He was my first thought also. He did a terrific job IMO at Alabama and his name brings instant credibility.

[formerdukeathlete]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Shula

The Shula's still have family in the midwest. Don is from Ohio. played football in Cleveland. started out as an assistant with the Cleveland Browns, i believe.

We certainly could use someone with some midwest creds. There is a lot of talent through that way with reasonably good academic standing.

And, it is true that Mike almost landed Tebow, notwithstanding Tebow was from the Jacksonville area and Gainesville close by.

Don Shula is going to help Duke.

Don coached Mike Curtis with the Colts.

There are some ties and rooting interest dating way back when.

[Patrick Yates]

I really feel for Mike Shula. If Tyrone Prothro doesn't suffer what is perhaps the worst broken leg in modern college football, Shula is still coach at Alabama. But, Shula had him in during a blowout, his leg got destroyed, career over. 2 actually. (I hope Belichek is aware of this)

That said, Shula has a smell of failure attached to him. Unlike many here, I do not think Duke needs to pursue a failed coach, I don't care where and what circumstances are attached to failure. Our next coach must be a recruiter par excellance, and Shula's failure will be easy to recruit against. The opposing coach will ask a player why he thinks it will be different this time. The player will have no good answer.

Intellectually speaking, Shula is not a bad choice. I would rather it go to a coach that did not get his first HC job by falling into it by process of elimination, but he can probably do the job. But such a hire would smack of business as usual at Duke by taking the leftovers from a bigger program.

No thanks. I hope the next coach will be a youngish go getter whose team had solid year last year. One who is eager to recruit, and innovative on at least one side of the ball, with an idea for who will be innovative on the other side of the ball.

Patrick Yates

[SoCalDukeFan]

You make a good case for him. Some questions I have:

1. Where did the wealth come from? His father, wife, outside business interest?
If outside business, does he have the time to be the head coach?

2. How will he assemble a staff? If you hire a head coach from another school then he generally brings much of his staff with him. If you hire a name guy then he generally has lots of contacts and is able to put together a staff. Certainly the Shula name is huge and he probably knows lots of people. Might not be a problem.

Clearly Mike is worthy of consideration. I have seen other names on DBR that are also worthy. Will be interesting to see what JA and the committee come up with.

SoCal

[Classof06]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Shula

The Shula's still have family in the midwest. Don is from Ohio. played football in Cleveland. started out as an assistant with the Cleveland Browns, i believe.

We certainly could use someone with some midwest creds. There is a lot of talent through that way with reasonably good academic standing.

And, it is true that Mike almost landed Tebow, notwithstanding Tebow was from the Jacksonville area and Gainesville close by.

Don Shula is going to help Duke.

Don coached Mike Curtis with the Colts.

There are some ties and rooting interest dating way back when.

Don Shula is the most distinguished alumnus of John Carroll University, a small Jesuit D-III school on the East side of Cleveland, literally down the street from where I grew up.

Mike Shula definitely got a raw deal and I wouldn't complain at all if he were to be named Head Coach. I think he'd do a pretty good job.

That being said, I'd really like to get David Cutcliffe, former Ole Miss Head Coach and current Offensive Coordinator at Tennessee. This is what ESPN had to say on its College Football page:

Duke has shown some interest in Tennessee offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe, who's in his second stint with the Vols. Cutcliffe was the head coach at Mississippi from 1999-2004. He took the Rebels to four bowl games and earned a share of the SEC Western Division championship in 2003 before being fired following a 4-7 season the next year. Tennessee may also seek to sweeten Cutcliffe's deal, which pays him $340,000 annually, to entice him to stay in Knoxville.

[grossbus]

you make a good case. my only reservation is if the "curse" comes with him or not? maybe it is attached to alabama (and now nick satan). how to tell?

[Olympic Fan]

I am skeptical -- VERY skeptical -- of coaches who have spent most of their professional careers in the SEC (with the exception of Vanderbilt).

[OZZIE4DUKE]

Don Shula is the most distinguished alumnus of John Carroll University, a small Jesuit D-III school on the East side of Cleveland, literally down the street from where I grew up.

Mike Shula definitely got a raw deal and I wouldn't complain at all if he were to be named Head Coach. I think he'd do a pretty good job.

That being said, I'd really like to get David Cutcliffe, former Ole Miss Head Coach and current Offensive Coordinator at Tennessee. This is what ESPN had to say on its College Football page:

Duke has shown some interest in Tennessee offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe, who's in his second stint with the Vols. Cutcliffe was the head coach at Mississippi from 1999-2004. He took the Rebels to four bowl games and earned a share of the SEC Western Division championship in 2003 before being fired following a 4-7 season the next year. Tennessee may also seek to sweeten Cutcliffe's deal, which pays him $340,000 annually, to entice him to stay in Knoxville.

Don and I both moved to South Florida at the same time - August 1970, and I instantly became a Dolphin fan. My fan status lasted until both Don and Dan Marino retired a few years ago ( I was too far away to worry about rooting for a team I no longer knew anything about).

Duke's football ties to the Dolphins run pretty deep, more so if Mike Shula becomes our coach. We've had several players over the years become prominent players for the 'phins -- the late Bob Matheson (for whom he famed "53" defense was named - it was his uniform number, not the formation) and Charles Bowser come immediately to mind, and I think one of our centers played for them for years, but the name escapes me at the moment. Plus, Nick Buoniconti's son Nick Jr. played for us.

It is nice that we have so many qualified candidates that we're talking about. But how many of them are really interested in the job? That is the list I'd really like to see.

[dukefootball1939]

it was confirmed by his agent that he is quote "very happy with his current job."

[Devilsfan]

Either did the alumni it seems.

[1Devil]

...Shula has a smell of failure attached to him.

More stink of failure would be transferred from Duke Football to Shula than the other way around. If he has interest in the job, he'd be an attractive candidate. A better hire than Duke would have a right to expect.

Does he have the requisite hunger for success?

[Classof06]

Either did the alumni it seems.

That being said, one must remember Alabama football fans (alumni included) are the equivalent of Kentucky basketball fans. They're probably have the most unrealistic expectations in the sport.

FWIW, Shula went 26-23 in 4 seasons at Tuscaloosa. Not exactly mediocre given the situation the program was in.

[RelativeWays]

My dad loves the Tide and even he thinks Mike Shula wasn't given enough time at Alabama. It wasn't unlike the Tommy Amaker situation at Michigan. Its hard at times to bring a program back from probation. I think Shula would be great at Duke.

[Duvall]

My dad loves the Tide and even he thinks Mike Shula wasn't given enough time at Alabama. It wasn't unlike the Tommy Amaker situation at Michigan.

Amaker wasn't given enough time at Michigan?

[grossbus]

ok, let me understand this clearly. are you saying shula had tebow "in the bus?" i don't follow college football recruiting at all, so i don't know from what.

if he did, or was close to, bama must feel doubly stupid for costing themselves that talent.

[ShulaFan]

You make a good case for him. Some questions I have:

1. Where did the wealth come from? His father, wife, outside business interest?
If outside business, does he have the time to be the head coach?

2. How will he assemble a staff? If you hire a head coach from another school then he generally brings much of his staff with him. If you hire a name guy then he generally has lots of contacts and is able to put together a staff. Certainly the Shula name is huge and he probably knows lots of people. Might not be a problem.

Clearly Mike is worthy of consideration. I have seen other names on DBR that are also worthy. Will be interesting to see what JA and the committee come up with.

SoCal

His wealth comes from the business that his father owns but all the kids are beneficiaries of the income that is generated. Obviously, I wouldn't know all the ins and outs. I just know that Mike doesn't have to coach to live a very comfortable life.

As far as Mike hiring a staff, some of his staff that was with him at Alabama might be available would be excellent hires ... To throw out a few names:

Joe Kines was Mike's DC at Alabama all four years. In 04-05-06, a three year period, I am quite certain he might agree to jump back into it. He is currently in an administrative position at UA.

Chris Ball could also be a great DC. He was Mike's DB coach at UA. He is currently the DB coach at Pitt. He is outstanding.

Sparky Woods, longtime SEC assistant, took the year off after Mike's termination. He has been a head coach and off. coordinator in the SEC.

Mike has spent his entire professional life in the NFL other than his four years at Bama. His extensive contacts in the NFL would allow him to put together a high quality staff.

[ShulaFan]

it was confirmed by his agent that he is quote "very happy with his current job."

I also know for 100% certainty that Mike is "content" with his current position in the NFL.

I believe Mike would be very interested in the "right" job as a college head coach. Duke seems like a great fit to me, personality wise. But if he is not interested, he is not interested.

Do you know for a fact the committee called Russ Campbell (Mike's agent) and requested an interview. Or was it just the media calling and asking?

Mike is not going to "campaign" for a job. That is not his style.