Saban’s staff & title discussion

S aban’s staff has been a topic of conversation on the Paul Finebaum network today. The quality of the staff is in question.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, talent is less important than obedience. I’ll take a subordinate who follows orders over the brightest, most talented worker who is out to further his own career. Football is a team game and it requires the coaches to pull together.

Having supervised a staff, I can tell you the most important thing for success is uniformity, where workers do what they are told and follow orders—not their own agenda.

You must be tough on subordinates. You must hold them accountable. Subordinates don’t like this from anyone.

One other point about staff titles. According to LSU media guides in 2003 and 2004, Saban uses the titles associate and assistant head coaches. This isn’t something knew was intimated on talk radio. Saban has a history of giving titles like assistant head coach and associate head coach. In LSU 2004 media guide, according to the media guide, Bobbie Williams was associate head coach and Derek Dooley was assistant head coach. Neither were his coordinators. In the 2003 media guide, Kirk Doll was assistant head coach and Stan Hixon as a associate head coach.