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AFM Magazine


Learning on the Job

Alabama's Mike DuBose
by: by Richard Scott
Birmingham Post-Herald
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The days immediately following the 1997 college football season weighed heavily on the head and shoulders of Mike DuBose.

In his first season as Alabama's head coach, the Crimson Tide had slipped to a 4-7 record, only the second losing season at Alabama since Coach Paul "Bear Bryant" Bryant returned to Tuscaloosa after the 1957 season. Losing at arch-rival Auburn by one point in the final seconds was one thing. Losing to programs such as Louisiana Tech, Kentucky, Arkansas and Mississippi State in the same season, however, put DuBose at the center of a statewide whirlwind of criticism and controversy.

Like Bryant, DuBose is a former Alabama football player and assistant coach. Alabama is his home, his school, his team, his blood, and for all fans who felt miserable about the 1997 season, no one felt worse than DuBose. After all, he had been the popular choice of fans who filled Athletic Director Bob Bockrath's answering machine, fax machine and mail box with demands that he hire the popular Alabama assistant. DuBose was supposed to restore Alabama's championship season, not let it slip to depths it had not seen in 50 years.

"There is no question that, if I could start the season over, there are some things I would do differently," DuBose said. "I won't get into all those things. There are a lot of things we would continue to do the same way. I do think we are headed in the right direction. I do think we're putting together a foundation that will compete for the national championship year in and year out.

"But if there were some things, if I could go back, there's definitely some things I would do differently, sure... Some of them you won't know until you see us play (this fall). But it has been a learning experience."

In retrospect, it can be said that several factors led to Alabama's poor season. Some of the problems could be blamed on insufficient recruiting and NCAA-imposed scholarship limitations that left the Crimson Tide younger and thinner than they've been since the mid-80s, when Ray Perkins replaced Bryant. An unusual number of injuries at key positions and suspensions from DuBose's get-tough disciplinary policy also led to depth problems. DuBose also lost two key defensive starters when All-America linebacker DeWayne Rudd passed up his senior season to enter the NFL draft and preseason All-America defensive tackled Michael Myers lost his eligibility after accepting cash and illegal gifts from an agent.

Of course, some of it could simply be attributed to a difficult period of transition for a new head coach who still had a lot to learn about the job. But on Nov. 23, the day after the season ended with a dramatic one-point loss to arch-rival Auburn, DuBose knew those excuses wouldn't provide any breathing room, even for one of "Bear's Boys."

It was time to make the kind of sweeping changes and tough decisions that come with the burden of leadership and DuBose knew it.

"I plan to re-evaluate where we are. Why we're where we're at and where we want to go," DuBose said. "I'm not going to jump to any decision. But I know where I want to go. We just have to make the decisions that need to be made to get there.

"But we're not going to make quick decisions. I've got to give it a lot of though. I don't want to make the wrong decision. It's very crucial to this program. It won't be based on emotion, but on education, and whether it's in two days, two weeks, two months­that's fine.

Over the next week, DuBose examined his program inside and out, and decided to dismiss three experienced Alabama assistant coaches: offensive coordinator Bruce Arians; wide receivers coach Woody McCorvey; secondary coach Curley Hallman and special teams coach Danny Pearman. Arians had coached under Bryant in 1982, and joined the staff when DuBose became head coach in 1996. The other three coaches on staff worked with DuBose under former Crimson Tide head coach Gene Stallings, and DuBose had chose to retain them when he took over for Stallings.

"I am making these changes in the best interests of the football program," DuBose said on Nov. 27, the day the staff changes were announced. "I'll continue to evaluate where we are and where we're going."

Such is the job of a head football coach at any level. Whether it's high school, junior college, small college, major college or the pro ranks, the head coach faces a constant process of evaluation and re-evaluation. That's even more true for the first-year coach who's either learning the head coaching ropes for the first time, or the experienced head coach who's still learning the ins and outs of a new job with a new program.

Whether it's Joe Tiller coming off a surprising first season at Purdue or Bob Davie coming off a so-so season in his first season at Notre Dame, the first year coach faces a period of adjustment following his first season. They must ask themselves a multitude of questions, leaving no stone unturned. Are we doing the right things offensively to fit our personnel and compete in our conference? Are we staying up-to-date with all the latest trends and tendencies on the defensive side of the ball? Are we sound in the kicking game, or just one blocked punt away from losing the big game? Are we recruiting the kind of talent, depth and character necessary to win consistently at this level? Is the coaching staff on the same page and committed to the same coaching principles?

Those are common questions, and ones DuBose had to address as he turned his attention toward his second season and the work that must be done to put the program back on solid footing.

DuBose and his remaining assistants helped themselves considerably by signing one of the nation's top recruiting classes, including six junior college players with the potential to play immediately, and one of the nation's top prep prospects in quarterback Tyler Watts of Pelham, Ala.

DuBose also found himself recruiting new assistant coaches to fill the four staff openings. Two of his hirings involved veteran coaches from established programs: Ronnie Cottrell left Florida State to become Alabama's recruiting coordinator, assistant head coach and tight ends coach; and Charlie Harbison left Clemson to coach the secondary under Crimson Tide defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson, a former Clemson defensive coordinator.

The other two hirings, however, came as big surprises to Alabama insiders. By hiring Northeast Louisiana assistant Jackie Shipp to coach the defensive line, DuBose tapped into an up-and-coming coach and a former NFL player who made a big impact in a short time at Northeast Louisiana. While neither coach appeared on the wish lists of Alabama fans, both met key requirements in DuBose's search process.

"This is something we need," DuBose said. "We sometimes get caught up just trying to get people thinking the same way we do, and that's not what I want. I want fresh ideas in here and to have coaches that are unselfish and willing to listen and let everyone have input.

"I feel real comfortable with the staff in this regard."

In hiring Nevada assistant Charlie Stubbs to coach quarterbacks and coordinate the passing game, DuBose also reaffirmed his desire to move Alabama away from it's run-dominated offense to a passing offense with the potential to stretch today's press-man, blitz-oriented defenses and score quickly and abundantly.

"One of the things he said to me­I would not have gotten involved otherwise­was that he wanted to open up the offense to where we're more explosive," Stubbs said. "He said, 'We don't want to do what we've done in the past: talk about changes, but then settle back into what we're familiar with when things don't go well right away."

DuBose made his commitment to an improved passing attack even more clear when he promoted offensive line coach Neil Callaway to offensive coordinator. Callaway ran a balanced offense when he held the same position under Kim Helton at Houston.

"I feel very comfortable with Neil Callaway," DuBose said. "I know what I'm getting there. I know that Neil and I think along the same lines."

Still, DuBose said time and time again that he had no desire to surround himself with "yes" men who simply followed his lead. He wanted free thinkers who could lead the way for a new era of championship football at Alabama.

"There is nothing wrong with hiring people that you know," DuBose said. But I wanted to make sure we hired people who had ideas and were willing to express those ideas. I wanted them to not automatically agree with me, but I do want them to make sure that once we make a decision, it's final and we go with it."

Throughout the evaluation process, DuBose also spent some time in front of the head coach's mirror, studying his own performance as a first-year coach. What he found didn't please him.

"I thought our coaches did what they need to do to win," DuBose said. "We just didn't coach well enough­and that's me... The majority of the changes that have to be made are centered around me."

In his personal evaluation, DuBose indicated he had learned a lesson about a valuable quality in every successful head coach. The best head coaches, including the one DuBose played under, know how to coach their coaches to get the job done.

DuBose indicated he spent too much time overseeing the program and allowing his coaches to coach without interference. While DuBose doesn't want to diminish the creative input or personality of his assistants, he has learned that he must be more personally involved in daily decisions and details.

"I will say that I will be more involved in the game than I have been," DuBose said. "That's something that will change, next year."

What else will change? Spring practice and two-a-days will go a long way toward determining the direction of the 1998 Alabama football team, but it's safe to assume DuBose won't make many of the same mistakes he made in 1997. After all, just as coaches believe players make their biggest improvement between the first and second games of the season, it's fair to expect a new head coach to make significant progress in his own job performance after a year on the job.

"We have an awful lot of work to do," DuBose said in February, pointing toward the fall, "but I am excited about the potential."

Potential, however, has been called the French word for "you ain't done squat yet." Potential, as coaches often say, will get you fired. DuBose knows he must learn his lessons quickly and apply those daily to every aspect of his program­or else. That's all part of being a second-year head coach. It's also a big part of being the head coach at a program where winning championships is the only standard by which coaches are measured.

"If your definition of winning is winning nine games, then this a place where anyone can win," DuBose said. "But I truly believe the definition of winning is winning championships. That's the standard that has been set here. That's the standard we have to be able to live up to again."

Life After A Legend Year Coach Record
1983 Ray Perkins 8-4
1984 Ray Perkins 9-2-1
1985 Ray Perkins 9-2-1
1986 Ray Perkins 10-3
1987 Bill Curry 7-5
1988 Bill Curry 8-3
1989 Bill Curry 10-2
1990 Gene Stallings 7-5
1991 Gene Stallings 11-1
1992 Gene Stallings 13-0
1993 Gene Stallings 9-3-1
1994 Gene Stallings 12-1-0
1995 Gene Stallings 8-3
1996 Gene Stallings 10-3
1997 Mike DuBose 4-7

"Bear" Bryant went 232-46-9 (.824) and won six national championships in 25 season (1958-82) at Alabama.






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