OT: Alabama recruiter extraordinaire Tosh Lupoi leaving for NFL
Per Bruce Feldman: Tosh Lupoi, ace recruiter and defensive coordinator at Bama, is taking a DL coach job with the Browns. This is a serious blow to Bama’s recruiting efforts (yes, yes, bagmen and all that). Was the primary recruiter for a lot of familiar names here including Najee, Alex Leatherwood, Dylan Moses among many many others.
https://twitter.com/brucefeldmancfb/status/1085692169711607808?s=21
January 16th, 2019 at 8:29 PM ^
After they realize he can only recruit in 1-2 years, maybe he can come to Michigan!!!
January 16th, 2019 at 8:29 PM ^
The ship is sinking
January 16th, 2019 at 11:31 PM ^
Remember all of the freakout when we were losing coaches?
There were articles in the paper, it was all Harbaugh...Harbaugh is toxic, he's running guys off, no one wants to work with him.
How many coaches have we lost this offseason? How many has Bama?
January 17th, 2019 at 9:21 AM ^
That is a poor comparison. Saban and Bill Belichick have coordinators leave all the time...and they leave because Saban and Belichick have had record breaking success. No one believes for one second that their coordinators leave because Saban and Belichick are difficult to work for (even though that may be true). Their Coordinators have left because success breeds opportunity.
Furthermore, as long as Saban is there, they will always have a Top 5 recruiting class regardless of who the coordinators are or who are the "recruiters".
January 17th, 2019 at 9:28 AM ^
and Saban is a defensive coach in which they run his system. The DC basically runs his scheme. Nothing has changed.
January 16th, 2019 at 8:30 PM ^
The tide is turning.
January 16th, 2019 at 8:51 PM ^
The tide is rolling?
January 16th, 2019 at 9:16 PM ^
Over?
January 16th, 2019 at 9:49 PM ^
I hate to be another "the dynasty is over" guy, but....turning over almost your entire staff (shout out to the TE coach -- the sole survivor) in two seasons can't be good for a program. They are still absolutely loaded with talent, but it does feel like there are some cracks in the armor now.
January 17th, 2019 at 8:34 AM ^
True enough, but I have sneaky suspicions that Saban will reload the staff and carry on ...
January 17th, 2019 at 11:54 AM ^
Another year, another hand full of claims about how Bama is no more. People don't learn.
January 17th, 2019 at 9:44 AM ^
And they lost an incredible QB this year in Hurts. Doesn't matter a ton unless Tua gets injured, but still.
January 17th, 2019 at 11:12 AM ^
Technically Tua is already hurt. Isn't there a steel wire holding his ankle together?
January 16th, 2019 at 8:31 PM ^
Could it be that Nick Saban is not exactly the most pleasant person to work for? Maybe, just maybe, Alabama's high staff turnover is due to the fact that people generally don't like being around Nick Saban. If so, that would SHOCK me, I tell you...
January 16th, 2019 at 8:43 PM ^
He’s probably been in an extra pissy mood lately.
January 16th, 2019 at 8:49 PM ^
Low Test(osterone) levels will get you everytime!
January 16th, 2019 at 8:53 PM ^
Getting blown out in a high-profile, season-defining game will do that.
January 16th, 2019 at 9:03 PM ^
Saban's checked out. he is 67 now. He is now eligible for full social security. . .
Now that he will get that check every month he is thinking about retiring now and not worried about his staff.
January 16th, 2019 at 9:11 PM ^
Fwiw Saban was born in 1951 and therefore was eligible for his full benefit at 66 ;)
January 16th, 2019 at 9:43 PM ^
He has to be 70 to get full bebefits
January 16th, 2019 at 10:47 PM ^
With the money he has made, I highly doubt whether he is worried about SSI being a full or reduced benefits, let alone getting them at all. Still a good joke.
January 17th, 2019 at 12:58 AM ^
If he was born between 1943 & 1954, his full retirement age is 66.
January 17th, 2019 at 8:27 AM ^
Nope. He has to be 70 to get maximum benefits. His “full” benefit, or the amount promised to him at Full Retirement Age, came for him at age 66. That means he could be taking his benefits right now without reduction despite his rather generous salary.
He can increase his benefit by delaying taking it up to age 70.
January 16th, 2019 at 9:19 PM ^
Or maybe it has to do with coaches on his staff cashing in on success and getting promoted in other orgs to better secure their financial future.
January 17th, 2019 at 12:45 PM ^
Sure, but the sheer scale and frequency of the turnover on Saban's staff (coupled with the fact that curiously few of his former assistants speak glowingly about their time with Saban) leads me to believe that his prickly personality is also a factor. I don't see Dabo Swinney's assistants leaving Clemson in droves.
January 17th, 2019 at 12:48 PM ^
It was a good thing I was sitting down when I first heard about that.
January 16th, 2019 at 8:32 PM ^
And somehow I think they will be fine.
January 16th, 2019 at 11:02 PM ^
The cycle of life may be imposing itself on Alabama.
January 17th, 2019 at 6:26 AM ^
Nasequenya
January 17th, 2019 at 9:38 AM ^
Baba de chee baba
Or however you spell the sounds that come out if my mouth when I watch that movie with the kids...
January 17th, 2019 at 7:46 AM ^
I'll believe that when they stop signing top 5 classes.
January 16th, 2019 at 8:34 PM ^
I thought so
January 17th, 2019 at 10:11 AM ^
You forgot to say "Hook Em".
Never gets old.
January 16th, 2019 at 8:33 PM ^
Why do bad things happen to such good, clean programs?
January 16th, 2019 at 8:34 PM ^
They will always have good teams but damn, Saban must be considering retiring soon. This must be exhausting for him.
January 16th, 2019 at 9:47 PM ^
Donors are running the program, or at least recruiting anyway. They may be deciding on hires too at this point. Would explain the Kiffin type hires anyway.
January 17th, 2019 at 10:52 AM ^
Nick "Control Freak" Saban allowing donors to decide on coaching hires? I'm skeptical.
I think the Kiffin-type hires come because Nick feels that if he can keep them under control he's getting a bargain.
January 16th, 2019 at 8:34 PM ^
Tosh Lu.O?
I’ll show myself out.
January 16th, 2019 at 8:36 PM ^
I think Alabama’s dynasty is about done, will still be very very good next year but Maybe Saban is not as great to work for anymore it seems...
is that the 4th or 5th coach lost now?
January 16th, 2019 at 8:57 PM ^
LOL. Saban is great to work for - because everyone who works for him gets a promotion! That's why people put up with him. Tosh Lupoi, moving on to the NFL. Mike Locksley, now a head coach at Maryland. Jim McElwain became head coach at Colorado State and then Florida. Lane Kiffin became a head coach at FAU. Kirby Smart became head coach at Georgia. Pruitt got the head coaching gig at Tennessee. Brian Daboll went from co-OC at Alabama to OC for the Buffalo Bills. The co-OC/WR coach became the OC at Michigan.
January 16th, 2019 at 9:13 PM ^
And Bobby Williams... stayed Bobby Williams.
January 17th, 2019 at 8:40 AM ^
Some people just hit their peak.
January 16th, 2019 at 9:28 PM ^
And unfortunately he gets every best 5-star to have the #1 recruits every year. Is it about X's and O's or Jimmy and Joes ? Until we get more elite players we ain't going to beat Bama.
January 16th, 2019 at 9:45 PM ^
Clemson did...
January 16th, 2019 at 9:31 PM ^
Please explain how the Lupoi move is a big advancement. Same with the guy who went to GA Tech. Not to mention Gaddis. There is something going on.
January 16th, 2019 at 11:15 PM ^
....as well as Gattis.
January 17th, 2019 at 8:02 AM ^
I don't get why he would leave a 7 figure job to coach DL in the NFL.
I work with a freelance writer ran track at MSU years ago and who currently covers MSU and the Lions at times. He says he knows someone who knows Dan Enos. He says he was told that Enos was fired. He didn't just leave for Miami on his own.
January 17th, 2019 at 5:57 AM ^
Whatever happened to their insane S&C dude? Remember him from that documentary on Bama and he was .... different.
January 16th, 2019 at 8:40 PM ^
Lupoi is/was a dirty recruiter. He arrived at Alabama with a cloud over his head.
This is a huge loss for Saban.