This feud just means more SEC fighting
When reports surfaced that Pittsburgh coach Pat Narduzzi was livid at Southern Cal coach Lincoln Riley, and Riley wouldn’t return Narduzzi’s calls, it was wildly interesting but not all together relevant.
The Pitt coach mad at the USC coach is like a county commissioner upset with a U.S. Senator.
But now Alabama coach Nick Saban and Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher are name-calling and smack-talking. Off have come the gloves in college football.
The pressure cooker of the transfer portal and name-image-likeness madness, not to mention the normal tensions of needing to win football games, has cracked the coaches’ wall of civility.
Oh, you’d have an occasional tiff. Joe Paterno saying he’d never retire because he couldn’t leave the sport to the Barry Switzers and Jackie Sherrills. Bob Stoops being aggrieved at Les Miles’ ramblings, before he and we figured out that was just Miles being Miles.
But the Saban/Fisher feud that has exploded since Wednesday night seems different. This seems bloodsport; college football has lost its bowling-alley bumpers, and into the gutter we all go.
Saban on Wednesday night told a group of Alabama businessman that A&M “bought every player” in its vaunted 2022 recruiting class.
And Thursday, here came Fisher. Jimbo Filter he was not.
In a 91⁄2-minute press conference, Fisher called Saban “despicable,” and while Fisher addressed the issues, he also got personal and quick.
“It’s despicable that a reputable head coach can come out and say this when he doesn’t get his way,” Fisher said. “The narcissist in him doesn’t allow those things to happen. It’s ridiculous when he’s not on top.”
Fisher, of course, was referring to Bama’s alleged recruiting shortcomings. After A&M’s massive talent haul, Alabama tumbled all the way to No. 2 in the national recruiting rankings. Oh the humanity.
“Some people think they’re God,” Fisher said. “Go dig into how God did his deal. You may find out ... a lot of things you don’t want to know. We build him up to be the czar of football. Go dig into his past, or anybody’s that’s ever coached with him. You can find out anything you want to find out, what he does and how he does it. It’s despicable.”
Fisher said Saban had tried to call — To apologize? To explain? To tell Fisher his mother wears combat boots? — but that Fisher refused to call back.
“Not going to. We’re done,” said Fisher, who was Saban’s offensive coordinator at Louisiana State from 2000-06, before taking the same job at Florida State under Bobby Bowden, whom he succeeded as head coach. Fisher coached the Seminoles to the 2013 national championship.
“He’s the greatest ever, huh?” Fisher said of Saban. “When you’ve got all the advantages, it’s easy ... You coach with people like Bobby Bowden and learn how to do things. You coach with other people and learn how not to do things. There’s a reason, people, I ain’t went back and worked for (Saban). Don’t wanna be associated with him.”
Well, to be accurate, the reason Fisher hasn’t gone back and worked for Saban or anybody else is that Fisher has been making millions of dollars headcoaching Florida State and A&M. Let’s not pretend Fisher has chosen the salt mines over working for Saban.
This is rich. The Southeastern Conference is a league of dangerous liaisons. Lane Kiffin spikes the punch every chance he gets, Kirby Smart is feistier than anyone gives him credit for, and Mike Leach is down in Starkville wondering when he gets in on all the action. Too bad Florida fired Dan Mullen, else the modern SEC would be the Tower of Babel.
And soon enough, OU and Texas come into the league. Welcome aboard, Brent Venables. Try to keep your decorum as long as possible.
Saban on Wednesday told Bama boosters that Alabama players made $3 million “doing it the right way” last year and that only 25 players were involved in NIL.
“A&M bought every player on their team — made a deal for name, image, likeness,” Saban said. “We didn’t buy one player, all right? But I don’t know if we’re gonna be able to sustain that in the future because more and more people are doing it. It’s tough.”
Full disclosure: I’m more of a Saban fan than Fisher fan. I find Saban off-putting and quite arrogant at times, but I rarely believe he’s full of crap. My impression of Fisher? Full of crap.
I could be wrong, of course. I’ll know more after I spend some time sharing SEC spaces.
And Saban is at least looking for high ground. The Crimson Tide apparently approached NIL the way the Sooners and Cowboys and lots of schools did, the way it was intended to be. Alabama waded into NIL, while Fisher’s Aggies went all belly-buster.
Did A&M break any rules? I don’t know. Is anyone enforcing any rules? No. It’s anarchy. Hard to get upset with any particular enterprise during anarchy. We should be upset with the anarchy.
“What’s funny, in that talk, right before he said that about us? Wasn’t he soliciting funds from the crowd?” Fisher said. “It’s amazing, isn’t it? When you walk on water, I guess it don’t matter.”
This much we know. OU-Texas, no matter its status come October 8, will not be college football’s game of the day. A&M at Alabama will have all the attention. And it doesn’t hurt that the Aggies upset Bama 41-38 in College Station last October.
Now Fisher gets to go to Tuscaloosa, where he’ll be welcomed like leprosy.
Kevin Durant’s return to Oklahoma City will be like palm-branch waving compared to Fisher’s reception in BryantDenny Stadium.
“I don’t mind confrontation,” Fisher said. “Lived with it my whole life. Kinda like it myself. Backing away from it wasn’t the way I was raised.”
Fisher on national signing day took issue with those — primarily Kiffin — who repeated stories of A&M luring players with huge NIL payouts.
“It’s disgusting what we’re into right now,” he said. “Especially by the people who are throwing the darts who have no glass in their house. It’s despicable for what it does for the sport.
“We never bought anybody. No rules are broken. Nothing was done wrong. It’s a shame that you’ve got to sit here and defend 17-year-old kids and families and Texas A&M, because we do things right. We’re always going to do things right. We’re always going to be here. We’re doing a heck of a job.”
Oh good. Now it’s a catfight between two coaches claiming to do things right, when the whole danged sport is a cesspool.
But at least it’s interesting. Sorry, NBA Playoffs. Excuse me, NCAA softball tournament. Step aside, PGA. This squabble between SEC football coaches owns the American sports day.
“You can call me anything you want to call me,” Fisher said. “You can’t call me a cheat. I don’t cheat and I don’t lie. I learned that when I was a kid. If you did, your old man slapped you upside the head. Maybe somebody should have slapped him.”
Fisher seems in no mood to slow down on the Saban-bashing.
“You know exactly what he’s about,” Fisher said. “My dad always told me this: When people show you who they are, believe them. He’s showing you who he is.”
What can we say? It’s the SEC. It just means more. More fighting.
Berry Tramel: Berry can be reached at 405-760-8080 or at btramel@oklahoman.com. He can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including FM-98.1. Support his work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today.