Last Word on Sports continues its Mount Rushmore Series by heading to Tuscaloosa where the defending College Football Playoff champion resides. Alabama has been a staple of college football for generations. The Crimson Tide owns 16 national titles along with 29 conference championships. Narrowing down that success to just four people is quite daunting. However, what makes Bama unique is that its Mount Rushmore is mostly comprised of larger than life coaches.
Alabama Crimson Tide Mount Rushmore
Wallace Wade, head coach, athletic director 1923-1930
Alabama’s legacy of greatness begins in the 1920s with a head coach that would put an entire region on the map. Wallace Wade is responsible for Alabama’s first three national championships. In 1925 he led an undefeated Crimson Tide team to a 20-19 Rose Bowl victory over Washington. That win would be known as “the game that changed the south” and would give birth to one of college football’s greatest dynasties. Wade would lead the Tide to two more championships in 1926 and 1930 before taking over Duke‘s program in 1931. Wade’s .812 winning percentage ties him fourth in school history. He led the Tide to winning records in each of his eight seasons in Tuscaloosa.
Paul “Bear” Bryant, head coach, athletic director 1957-1983
When you think of Alabama Football, Bear Bryant is one of the first things that come to mind. He’s Alabama’s all-time winningest coach, his name is featured on Alabama’s football stadium, and he’s the reason why “houndstooth” is plastered everywhere in the state. Most fan bases hope for greatness. Bama fans expect it and Bryant’s success is the reason for that mentality. Bryant was dominance personified. He won an unprecedented six national championships and 13 SEC titles during his 25 years in Tuscaloosa. His 323 wins has only been bested by Joe Paterno and Bobby Bowden. Like Wade before him, Bryant never had a season at or below .500. He coached legendary players, Joe Namath and Ken Stabler. His coaching tree includes Pat Dye, David Cutcliffe, Gene Stallings, and Howard Schnellenberger.
Bryant’s recipe for success has been adopted by many other successful coaches and those principles still hold true. Bryant’s teams played excellent defense and ran the ball exceptionally well. However, his longevity and sustained success was fueled by his innate ability to adapt as college football continued to change. Whether it was adopting his version of the Wishbone or being the leading force behind integrating the football program, Bryant’s resurgence in the 1970s was largely due to him being able to keep up with the times. His sixth and final title in 1979 cemented his legacy as one of the greatest coaches in college football history.
Derrick Thomas, defensive end/outside linebacker 1986-1988
It takes a special player to make it on to this list dominated by exceptional coaches. Derrick Thomas far exceeds that requirement. Thomas was un-blockable and one of the few bright spots in an otherwise forgettable Bill Curry era in Tuscaloosa. Fueled by his desire to make sure that he erased teammate Cornelius Bennett‘s name from the record books, Thomas became a one-man wrecking crew in Tuscaloosa.
Thomas was arguably the most dominant player in college football history and he has the numbers to prove it. He holds the NCAA single season and career sacks record. 27 of his 52 sacks came during his junior season in 1988. That year he would take home the Butkus Award, finish tenth in the Heisman voting, and be selected as an unanimous All-American. Thomas would continue his record breaking in the NFL. His seven sacks in one game is the most in league history. He is just one of 25 players with 100 or more career sacks. Sadly, Thomas’s Hall of Fame career was cut short. He died from injuries sustained in a car accident in 2000 after just ten years in the league.
Nick Saban, head coach 2007-present
Alabama is currently in the midst of a dynasty that college football hasn’t seen since the Bear retired over 30 years ago. Nick Saban has taken over the Crimson Tide and returned the storied program back to the dominance it had in the 1960s and 70s. In just nine years as head coach, Saban has already won four national titles. He is responsible for coaching both of Alabama’s Heisman Trophy winners.
Just as Wade and Bryant did before him, Saban has yet to post a record at or below.500*. His teams have saved their best performances for the biggest stages, outscoring their opponents 145-75 in four national championship games. However, his ability to dominate on the recruiting trail is almost as impressive as his on-the-field record. Year in and year out, Alabama is found near or at the top of the recruiting rankings. What separates him from other elite coaches is his ability to manage egos and get five-star talents to buy in to playing together as a team.
While Saban has already done more than enough to cement his legacy on Alabama’s Mount Rushmore, the fact that he is still coaching at an elite level will help him bolster those credentials. There is no end in sight as he has just led Alabama to another title and hasn’t lost more than two games in a season since 2010.
Honorable Mention
There are many other great players and coaches that would make the cut if they were at another school. Gene Stallings won a national title in 1992 and never finished worse than second in his division. Winning the Heisman is usually an automatic qualifier for a Mount Rushmore but because Mark Ingram and Derrick Henry wore the Crimson and White, they were edged out by other great names. Alabama has had its fair share of elite quarterbacks from Joe Namath to Kenny Stabler, Jay Barker, and AJ McCarron but because of the legendary status of the coaches they played for, they just miss the cut.
*Denotes on-the-field record. 4 wins were vacated in 2007 after textbook scandal.
