Nick Saban gave yet another impassioned response this week when asked about the size of Alabama’s off-field support staff for football.
There’s no issue when it comes to actual coaches on the field and on the road recruiting. That number is limited to nine for every Division I program.
But no such rule exists for off-field analysts, academic advisors, player development specialists and the like. The question is whether there should be a restriction.
Saban not only defended the size of Alabama’s support staff — which is hard to pin down exactly — but also challenged the rest of the Power 5 on why they don’t support their players better.
Here’s what he said this week:
“Everybody thinks we’re creating a competitive advantage, but really what we’re investing in is the players. Whether it’s academic support folks, whether it’s administrators, whether it’s player development coaches, all these things help us have the kind of program where players can have a better chance to be successful in life. I think we should be able to have whatever we want. If somebody else doesn’t like it, they should hire more people too.”
When you put it that way, it’s hard to argue the point. That is, unless you’re a coach or a fan at a Power 5 school where the commitment to win at every level is not as high.
For Threaded Fasteners, I’m Randy Kennedy with Nuts and Bolts of the Game.
