Insanity in Bama.

[NWLB]

ESPN is saying that Nick Saban will be offered 40 to 50 million dollars, with a 5 million dollar signing bonus, to take the head coaching job at Alabama.

This is insane. No man, coach, or demigod, is worth that much money. If this is true, they could never earn that money back, never come close to getting that kind of cash in return for anything he could do at the school. We debate schools spending on sports from time to time. But this is a school selling itself like a whore, just to win a football game or two. It would go a long way towards confirming negative views on what people in that state must think of education in general.

[Falconboy]

ESPN is saying that Nick Saban will be offered 40 to 50 million dollars, with a 5 million dollar signing bonus, to take the head coaching job at Alabama.

This is insane. No man, coach, or demigod, is worth that much money. If this is true, they could never earn that money back, never come close to getting that kind of cash in return for anything he could do at the school. We debate schools spending on sports from time to time. But this is a school selling itself like a whore, just to win a football game or two. It would go a long way towards confirming negative views on what people in that state must think of education in general.

Just where the heck does Alabama get that kind of money to even offer a coach that kind of dough?? Unbelievable. Are all of their big donors offering to mortgage their homes to pay for this guys salary?

[Jacobs4Heisman]

ESPN is saying that Nick Saban will be offered 40 to 50 million dollars, with a 5 million dollar signing bonus, to take the head coaching job at Alabama.

This is insane. No man, coach, or demigod, is worth that much money. If this is true, they could never earn that money back, never come close to getting that kind of cash in return for anything he could do at the school. We debate schools spending on sports from time to time. But this is a school selling itself like a whore, just to win a football game or two. It would go a long way towards confirming negative views on what people in that state must think of education in general.

Just where the heck does Alabama get that kind of money to even offer a coach that kind of dough?? Unbelievable. Are all of their big donors offering to mortgage their homes to pay for this guys salary?

It's "only" 4 mil a year. It's not the salary that's unprecedented as much as it's the length.

[hammb]

The school will not be paying most of that salary, I'll bet (if he even accepts).

Alabama has a very rich football heritage. They are also in a football obsessed state. We love our football up here, no doubt, but in Alabama it is flat out the only sport that matters (besides NASCAR).

I honestly cannot name any of the big donors, but Alabama has an amazing donor base. They've got some big time boosters that are willing to pay anything to see Alabama return to what they were when Bear Bryant was there. Unfortunately for them their boosters are so rich they make it tough to find a coach. The AD down there has almost no control over the football program. The boosters tell him who to hire, who to fire, and how much to pay them/buy them out with. If they're offering $4-5 million it is because the boosters have told the AD that they want Saban and they're willing to pay for it.