Tag: Greg Byrne

‘Alabama makes me sick,’ Stephen A. Smith blasts Crimson Tide football

Stephen A. Smith has some harsh words for Alabama, particularly Greg Byrne and Kalen DeBoer.

You might say that Alabama football is on Stephen A. Smith’s naughty list this Christmas season.

The fiery ESPN commentator unloaded on the Crimson Tide on Wednesday’s edition of “First Take.”

What seemed to draw Smith’s ire was Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne’s comments this week that the university would “need to assess” scheduling future Power Four nonconference games after the Crimson Tide (9-3 overall) missed the College Football Playoff.

Smith wasn’t buying it and reminded viewers (and Byrne) that Alabama’s three losses had all come in SEC play: to the Oklahoma Sooners, Vanderbilt Commodores and Tennessee Volunteers.

Said Smith:

“Alabama makes me sick. This AD, let tell you what the AD was doing. He was still trying to act like Nick Saban was still the coach. ‘Well, maybe we’ll blame it on our conference schedule,’ like he got screwed over or something; like something was owed to them. Nick Saban is gone and the program has taken a step back. DeBoer is not Saban. Why do I say that? You lost to Vanderbilt.”

The loss to Vanderbilt on Oct. 5 was a first for Alabama football in 40 years. The Crimson Tide fell 24-17 at Tennessee two weeks later, and their lifeless 24-3 loss to Oklahoma on Nov. 23 came at a time when the Crimson Tide was still in control of their playoff destiny.

 

Smith continued:

“You scored three points against Oklahoma. We forgot Oklahoma had a defense over the last decade and a half until they reminded us when they went up against Alabama and held them to three points.

“The nerve of Alabama. They have been a huge disappointment. I was very happy they were left out because the standard that Nick Saban had established over the last nearly two decades took a dive, and the fact is they needed to be held accountable for it. I don’t have a problem with them missing the playoffs at all.”

Alabama will face Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl (Outback Bowl) on New Year’s Eve at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. CT The game will be televised on ESPN.

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Alabama AD Greg Byrne comments on future scheduling after missing CFP

Byrne commented on potential scheduling after missing the CFP.

As a result of the Alabama Crimson Tide missing out on the College Football Playoff (CFP) in favor of the SMU Mustangs this past Sunday, there has been some talk surrounding college football on the impact of scheduling.

In particular, should teams from conferences such as the SEC and Big Ten schedule tougher non-conference opponents, or should they play arguably lesser teams in the non-conference to pick up wins?

Well, Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne commented on this topic Sunday in a statement on social media, which was posted shortly after the Crimson Tide missed the CFP in favor of SMU.

“Disappointed with the outcome and felt we were one of the 12 best teams in the country,” Byrne said. “We had an extremely challenging schedule and recognize there were two games in particular that we did not perform as well as we should have.”

“We have said that we would need to see how strength of schedule would be evaluated by the CFP. With this outcome, we will need to asses how many P4 non-conference games make sense in the future to put us in the best position to participate in the CFP. That is not good for college football.”

“With that said, we do not need to hang our heads and now need to finish this season strong. We have a great group of young men who have led us with Coach DeBoer through the last year and we look forward to our opportunity in the ReliaQuest Bowl.”

During the 2024 season, Alabama played a total of four non-conference opponents, only one of which came from a Power 4 conference – Western Kentucky (CUSA), South Florida (AAC), Wisconsin (Big Ten), and Mercer (FCS level). Of those four, only Wisconsin was the lone team to not finish with a record either at, or above, .500.

Next season, Alabama’s non-conference schedule is headlined by a trip to Florida State, while the Crimson Tide will host ULM, Wisconsin, and Eastern Illinois. The year after in 2026, Alabama will travel to West Virginia, as well as host South Florida and Florida State.

In the future, Alabama also has notable home-and-home matchups set with the Ohio State Buckeyes in 2027-28, as well as the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in 2029-30.

So, will Alabama’s way of scheduling non-conference opponents change going forward? Time will ultimately tell.

Athletic Director strongly pushes for Alabama football to reach CFP

Athletic Director pleads the case for why Alabama should make the College Football Playoff.

It’s officially politicking season in college football. With less than a week remaining until the final 12-team College Football Playoff field is set, University of Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne is making his pitch for why the Crimson Tide should make the playoff.

Byrne, who became Alabama’s athletic director in January 2017, took to social media on Monday night to plead the Crimson Tide’s case.

While not mentioning any other schools vying for a playoff spot directly by name, Alabama will hope to reach the 12-team field over the Miami Hurricanes (10-2), the Ole Miss Rebels (9-3), and the surging South Carolina Gamecocks (9-3).

Byrne used a familiar line while touting Alabama’s strength of schedule: “Not all schedules and conferences are created equal.”

Added Byrne:

“We’ve worked diligently to add more challenging non-conference home-and-homes, which is good for college football, not to mention the week-in and week-out of the SEC and it being the toughest in the country.”

RELATED: Kalen DeBoer makes case for why Alabama should make College Football Playoff

Alabama defeated South Carolina, 27-25, back on Oct. 12 at Bryant-Denny Stadium, a nail-biter of a game that ended when Domani Jackson picked off LaNorris Sellers in the end-zone with the Gamecocks driving at the Crimson Tide 40-yard line.

Alabama and Ole Miss did not play this season, marking the first time since 1991 that the two schools didn’t meet on the gridiron. Ole Miss defeated Mississippi State, 26-14, in the Egg Bowl on Friday at Vaught Hemingway Stadium in Oxford.

The Rebels’ three losses came to the LSU Tigers, Florida Gators and, perhaps most damning, a 20-17 upset at home against the Kentucky Wildcats, who closed the regular season at 4-8 overall. At 1-7 in conference play, Kentucky finished second to last in the SEC standings.

South Carolina won six straight games to close the season at 9-3. The Gamecocks are ranked No. 12 in this week’s US LBM Coaches Poll after a 17-14 road win over the Clemson Tigers. Coach Shane Beamer’s team, led by freshman quarterback Sellers, lost head-to-head games against both Alabama and Ole Miss, as well as LSU.

Alabama finished the regular season 9-3 overall and 5-3 in SEC play following their 28-14 win over the Auburn Tigers. Jalen Milroe was 18-of-24 for 256 yards through the air, with 104 yards and three touchdowns on the ground on 17 carries.

Among its best victories this season, Kalen DeBoer’s team has wins over the Georgia Bulldogs (10-2), who were ranked No. 1 when Alabama beat them 41-34 on Sept. 28 in Tuscaloosa, plus a 42-13 blowout victory over LSU at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge on Nov. 9, and South Carolina.

The Crimson Tide roses two spots to No. 11 in the Coaches Poll. Last week, they fell six spots to No. 13 in the CFP rankings following an ugly 24-3 loss to the Oklahoma Sooners in Norman. Two teams ranked ahead of Alabama then suffered losses in Week 14.

RELATED: How to watch CFP rankings for Alabama football fans: Time, live stream, channel

Previously sixth-ranked Miami (10-2 overall) fell 42-38 at Syracuse, squandering a 21-point lead against the Orange during a game in which the Hurricanes could have wrapped up a spot in the ACC Championship Game against the SMU Mustangs.

Clemson (9-3) was ranked one spot ahead of Alabama in last week’s CFP rankings at No. 12 before their loss to South Carolina. Dabo Swinney and the Tigers can wrap up a berth in the playoff with a win over SMU Saturday night in the ACC title game in Charlotte.

The updated CFP rankings will be unveiled Tuesday night beginning at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN. The final rankings will be revealed Sunday, Dec. 8 beginning at 11 a.m. CT on ESPN following the conclusion of Championship Saturday this weekend.

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Alabama unveils $47 million Crimson Reserve golf training facility: ‘It’s the talk of college golf’

“We hear the word ‘sick’ a lot.”

What do top recruits think of Alabama golf’s new practice facility?

“We hear the word ‘sick’ a lot,” cracked UA men’s golf coach Jay Seawell, referring to teenager-speak to describe something wildly impressive. So what’s so sick about Crimson Reserve, a $47 million project off that was constructed in under two years? Outdoors, the Crimson Tide men’s and women’s teams will have a 9-hole course and a large practice area for driving, short-game and putting. Indoors, the men and women will have separate lounges and locker rooms, hitting bays, swing technology and more.

UA Director of Athletics Greg Byrne, Seawell, women’s coach Mic Potter and other UA officials led a tour of the facility on Friday.

“It’s the talk of college golf,” Byrne said.

The indoor facility is 18,000 square feet, and houses coaches offices, workout facilities, and various areas for players, including hitting bays with swing technology, and mechanical putting greens controlled by a tablet that can be contoured different ways for slope effect. Garage-style lift doors open indoor hitting bays to the outdoor range, which will allow players to stay dry while hitting in rain or other weather conditions. Potter and Seawell both said it’s very uncommon for college programs to have a dedicated facility that isn’t shared with a country club or municipal club.

“Exclusive use doesn’t happen very often,” Potter said.

“It’s the greatest practice facility in the world, and I don’t think there’s a close (second),” Seawell said. “There’s a good place down in Augusta that wishes it was more like this.”

The walls are covered with photos of former Alabama golf greats, as well as group photos of championship teams. According to Seawell, some of those greats, including 15-time PGA Tour winner Justin Thomas, helped design the facility. Seawell said Thomas hasn’t seen the finished construction yet, and is looking forward to giving him the tour.

Here’s a look at more college golf practice facilities.

Photos: Crimson Reserve at Alabama

Alabama basketball jerseys rank No. 1 in the country in 2024

Alabama’s brand new white basketball uniforms ranked No. 1 in the country by Uniswag

Listen, I get that correlation does not mean causation, however, I am certain that there is a direct correlation between Alabama Crimson Tide basketball unveiling a new uniform and going on the program’s first-ever Final Four run. The Tide faithful have been singing the praises of the uniform’s beauty since it was unveiled during the middle of the season, but their feelings were officially validated as Uniswag voted it as the Uniform of the Year in College Basketball.

The uniforms are just a small symbol of the upgrades that are coming to Tide Hoops as a result of head coach Nate Oats’s unprecedented success.

Oats and the Crimson Tide agreed to a new deal shortly ahead of March Madness keeping him in Tuscaloosa for the foreseeable future with one of the biggest buyouts in the sport.

I would imagine that on top of an increase in pay and further job security, Oats was given assurances regarding the resources that would be given to him in the coming years. As one of the top five coaches in college basketball, the Tide did all the right things by locking him up sooner rather than later. Especially with things like the Kentucky job opening up less than a month later.

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Nate Oats inks contract extension with the Crimson Tide

Nate Oats and Alabama agree on contract extension in the midst of Michigan rumors

With the Michigan Wolverines parting ways with head basketball coach Juwan Howard this afternoon, Alabama head coach [autotag]Nate Oats[/autotag] emerged as a top target for Big Blue. Oats spent 11 years at Romulus High School, which is just outside of Detroit, so with some experience in the area he was a hot name.

Greg Byrne and the Alabama athletic department were never going to allow Michigan to test the waters though as Oats and Alabama inked an extension today. The new deal is rumored to make Oats one of the five highest-paid coaches in the sport and is very well deserved. With this being Oats’ fifth year in Tuscaloosa, he has already claimed two SEC regular season titles as well as two tournament titles. The board of trustees is expected to meet on Monday where they will approve the new deal as well as discussing the contracts of the new football staff.

Michigan is definitely one of the best jobs in college basketball, but Oats is blazing a trail in Alabama and has things rolling. He has been phenomenal on the recruiting trail, taken the Tide to new heights on the court and is already building arguably the most impressive resume of any Alabama basketball coach yet – and he is just getting started.

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Nick Saban uses Bear Bryant, Bobby Bowden to place emphasis on the current state of college football

What would Bear Bryant and Bobby Bowden think about the current state of college football?

Do you ever sit back and wonder what the former generations would think about the current state of college football? If so, you are not alone. On Monday night, former Alabama head football coach [autotag]Nick Saban[/autotag] referenced two of the most legendary college football coaches of all time when discussing the sport we all love.

While speaking at the 2024 Nick Saban Legacy Awards, the recently retired coach used Bear Bryant and Bobby Bowden as examples of why change is needed in college football. Not only did Saban reference the two legends, but he also pledged to do his part in working with SEC commissioner Greg Sankey and Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne to help develop a plan.

“If coach Bryant or coach Bowden could all of a sudden be with us tonight, what would they think of college football right now? That should be the very reason that we’re all very much committed to what we can do to make college football something where players can have a great quality of life, but we still have a venue where they have an opportunity to grow and learn and be successful.

“I would like to be a part of trying to help people that are working hard to make that happen like Greg Sankey. Like Greg Byrne. Like our conference commissioners are trying to do. That’s really, really important for young people, and it’s something that we’re very much committed to.”

Even though he has been retired for less than two months, Saban is proving that he wants to continue to be active in the sport he dominated for so long.

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5 things Kalen DeBoer must do in his first day as Alabama’s head coach

The five most important acts Kalen DeBoer must complete in his first day as Alabama’s head coach

Replacing [autotag]Nick Saban[/autotag] was going to be an impossible task, but it feels like landing [autotag]Kalen DeBoer[/autotag] is as good as it gets.

DeBoer is a proven winner with a 104-12 head coaching record. He is coming off a national title game appearance in just his second year with the Washington Huskies. He was reportedly athletic director Greg Byrne’s top target and the sides worked hard to get a deal done with almost no leaks.

DeBoer should be celebrated and enjoy the new promotion, but first thing in the morning we gotta get to work. Name, image and likeness licensing and the transfer portal have changed the game and allow you to essentially revamp your roster overnight, but DeBoer will have his work cut out for him. Many of the guys in the Alabama program came here because they wanted to play for Nick Saban, keeping them is going to require a sales pitch and a vision.

DeBoer has coordinator positions to fill, open roster spots and several other issues to attack. He has limited time to do so. Here are the five most important things DeBoer must do on his first day as head coach of the Crimson Tide:

OPINION: Alabama has a clear choice when it comes to hiring a new head coach

Breaking down what has happened in the recent hours of Alabama’s search for a head coach.

Replacing Nick Saban is an impossible task, it was always going to be. What he did on the football field will never be replicated. Six national titles, nine SEC Championships and four Heisman Trophy winners are just the beginning of an unfathomable list of achievements and accolades. There was never going to be an easy time for Saban to step away, but maybe it wasn’t the worst after an SEC title and Rose Bowl berth.

From Saban’s perspective, 14-hour long days are difficult for anyone, especially a 72-year-old. Especially in the era of the NIL, transfer portal, and social media, he has been remarkable in adapting as well as he has over time. However, I believe he still has a very bright future in media and think it’s more likely than not that he will end up on a show like ESPN’s College GameDay.

Stepping away now hurts, but if he left after the 2024 season, he would be departing at the same time as Milroe and other key contributors, which would leave a lot of issues for his successor. As of right now, whoever the next coach is has a chance to step in and take over the reins of a national title-caliber team. The next coach has a lot of recruiting to do to keep the current roster together, but Saban at an advisor-level role helps monumentally.

As for who the coach will be, I think Greg Byrne has his guy. Byrne loves and owes Saban the world, but he knew life would go on after Saban. Byrne has made some outstanding hires such as Nate Oats, so I would be appalled if he dropped the ball on the biggest coaching vacancy in the sport in 17 years. Who he hires after Saban is how Byrne’s legacy will always be judged, and I think this is an opportunity for him to flex his muscles.

Wednesday night, all the smoke indicated that Oregon’s Dan Lanning was the top target, but FOX Sports Joel Klatt has said since the jump that the pick is Washington’s DeBoer, even going as far as to say, “I would be pretty surprised if Deboer isn’t the next head coach at Alabama.” Klatt is as well connected to the people in the conference formerly known PAC-12 as anyone and is usually a very level-headed guy in a sport about hot takes.

In the last month, DeBoer hired a new agent, Jimmy Sexton. Sexton is the SEC mega-agent who represents guys like Steve Sarkisian, Lane Kiffin, Mike Norvell, and plenty of other big-time names.

Today, Norvell had a new deal announced and Sark is reportedly close to one which tells me that Sexton is just leveraging his guys into new deals for now. Norvell, Lanning, and Sarkisian have all publicly posted videos to X to stay at their current school, but it’s been crickets from DeBoer in Seattle. It was so quiet that DeBoer called out on his morning appearance with the 93.3 KJR radio station in Seattle.

DeBoer is from South Dakota and has no true allegiances anywhere when it comes to coaching, so it’s pretty hard to turn down the best coaching job in the sport in Alabama. He is 104-12 as a head coach and coming off of back-to-back PAC-12 Coach of the Year awards. He went 67-3 at Sioux Falls with three NAIA national championships. Since taking over for Washington he is 25-3, and 3-0 against Lanning and 2-0 against Sarkisian. He led his team to the College Football Playoffs and got all the way to the national championship, but fell short.

Until something tells me otherwise, all signs seem to point to DeBoer. Everywhere DeBoer has been, he has won, it would be interesting to see what he could do with Alabama’s resources. It also opens the question if he would bring offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, an Alabama target last summer, along with him.

I get that trying to replace Saban is a daunting task, but these college football coaches aren’t going to shy away from a challenge.

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Nate Oats, Alabama are quickly becoming an NBA pipeline

Nate Oats is quickly turning the Alabama men’s basketball program into a pipeline to the NBA!

From 2000 through 2018, the Alabama men’s basketball program produced just six total NBA draft picks. In 2019, athletic director Greg Byrne announced the hiring of Buffalo head coach [autotag]Nate Oats[/autotag] and the Tide turned (pun intended).

Since Oats’ arrival in Tuscaloosa, the Crimson Tide have had six players drafted, four of which have been first-round picks.

Before Brandon Miller and Noah Clowney were selected in the 2023 NBA draft on Thursday night, Kira Lewis, Josh Primo, Herb Jones, and J.D. Davison were all draft picks under the tutelage of Oats.

It’s starting to make sense as to why the Tide has been so successful on the hardwood over the past few seasons, elite talent and development have paved the way to Alabama becoming one of the premier programs in college basketball under the leadership of Nate Oats. And it doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.

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