Coach Bear Bryant

Here are a few I know of;
The Last Coach
The Life of Paul Bear Bryant
I Remember Paul Bear Bryant
Bear: The Hard Life and Times
Legends of Alabama Football
Don't Play For A Tie

I believe he changed Alabama football, collage football and SEC football more than anyone in my life time, Steve Spurrier would be next in SEC football. I've never met anyone who could walk into a room and all talk stopped and all eyes were on him by both his admirers or detractors. He was a very complex person, he changed Alabama football by playing Southern Cal in Al. and getting beat after that it opened the door for black players at Al. Sam Cunninham did a job on them with his play that day and he was black. But the next year he went to Texas and learned the wishbone from Coach Royal and put it in and beat Southern Cal. When you played his teams, they were rather small but fast, many of his players were HS running backs that he turned into DL, OL, LB, DB. He saw HS QB and RB as the best players in HS ball of his day for the most part, so he went after many of them and changed their position.

 

Nicholas, how can you say ANYTHING respectful about a BAMMER? :laugh:

The Bear was great. Coached some great teams. What Kentucky did to him was atrocious. The Bear cared about the 3rd Saturday in October, so I can't do anything but respect that.

Bob - how has Spurrier changed college football? Just curious.

 

Tom, I said in the SEC. When he came in for the most part the SEC was defence for the most part. He is credited by many for changing the way the SEC teams play offense. His offence was a pass centered offense in contrast to the grind-it-out, ball control, run-the ball-first offense that was traditionally played in SEC football . His offenses cause many in the SEC to change their offensive and defensive mind set. With that said, up to now at South Carolina he hasn't got the offensive going for the most part.

 

Ah.
I happen to disagree. Spurrier always used the run extensively and his defenses were classic SEC defenses. He did use some unusual formations, but his "fun and gun" has accurately been said to be missing a word...run. He even said as much.

Rich Rodriguez is being heralded as an usher of a new type of offense to the Big Ten. But Illinois, Iowa, and Indiana already play that style of offense. Minnesota does to an extent. But Rich has the media hype, so he's the "genius"

Often, coaches like Spurrier in the 90s, and Meyer in this decade, are credited with revolutionizing offenses, defenses, the like. I think this stuff is cyclical. Remember that the schemes that Spurrier, Meyer, and all these other revolutionaries use are also used by teams that go 2-10. My point? Schemes are only as good as the athletes that use them. My broader point is that the Paris Hilton sports media types are too quick to coronate someone a guru. Mike Martz in the NFL is a good example.

That is not to diminish their contributions. But they are not as pioneering as we think, even by their own admission.

 

Tom, You are free to disagree. Yes he had good defenses, but his changes were on offense. You are correct that you are only as good as the players you have, but some coaches get more out of their players than others. Again you are correct most all news things in football come from what others have done and the changes in the rules of the game. Spurrier is the first to say a lot of his offense comes from old single wing ball, with more passing than most of the single wing teams did, but it is the package that it is put in, the total package is different. Coaches like Bobby Bowden ( who at one time was known for his offense), Bill Curry (who fired him at Ga. Tech when he took over) and Gene Stallings past Texas A&M and Al. coach have said the same about Spurrier. If I recall correctly even Phil Fulmer said it down here on radio back in the late 90's.

But you are correct the old becomes new, but the coach who can get ahead and have the other coaches trying to catch up is making big changes. Look at the amount of passing before Spurrier in the SEC and now. Many teams were not as Miss. State is today but it was run first then pass and 15 passes were a lot. Now many teams pass 20 to 25 times or more per game.

Like Vince Dooley said Gen. Neyland would loved to have had Tim Tebow he would have made a great tale back for him. Dooley said that is all Tebow is, is a single taleback who can pass better than most tale backs.
Most go a long with what others are doing, others do it a little different.

 

You seem to think there were not many passers in the SEC before Spurrier. I remember quite a few slingers at UT, GA, etc., when Spurrier was still in the USFL. Typically, changes on offense necessitate changes on defense in the same conference.

Spurrier has a unique way about him, no doubt about it. I just think he is given far too much credit for being something he is not. And I think the Paris Hilton media gives the title "guru" or "genius" way too easily.

 

Tom, No I didn't say that, and by the way Spurrier was one of the better ones under Coach Graves. What I'm saying is look in the SEC in the 80's and after Spurrier's stay at Fl. and see if it is more of an open offence. I think so. And I'm not going on my view but other coaches I've talked to and heard on TV on the subject. I like the running game.

You could be correct, who at UT and Ga. was it putting the ball up 25 to 40 times a game back then, I don't recall, but there is a lot I don't recall. I know Reves right after Spurrier at Fl. was putting it up 20 to 30 times and played for him at Tampa.

So very true!!!

You could be correct. I'm not sure but from lets say when he came to Fl. to now, which school has won the most SEC championships in football and which coach? I think it is Fl. which has one more than with Spurrier and I believe Spurrier has been the coach of the most over that time span. Just giving you a hard time on that. It was allway ask by our Ga. brothers to us down here, how many have you won, how many great runnig backs have you had, and all I could do is say our day will come. And Fl. had never won one before he came.

We will have to disagree on Spurrier's impact on the SEC but that is life, but you still seem to be a good guy, my friend.