Three good articles, thanks Ricky Mc and ROLL DAMN TIDE. RTR LC --- Ricky McMahan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Alabama plans to surprise foes > > New football coach says exhaustive groundwork, > unknown elements play in > Crimson Tide's favor > > 07/11/03 > By THOMAS MURPHY > Sports Reporter > > TUSCALOOSA -- Mike Shula can think of at least two > good reasons why his > first Alabama football team might be more > competitive more quickly than > some people think. > > First is the element of surprise. > > "That's one advantage we have," Shula said Thursday. > "There's a lot of > disadvantages that people are talking about us, > coming in with a late > staff and all that. One advantage is that people may > think they know > what we're doing, but they're not quite sure. So, > why advertise it, right?" > > Secondly, his inaugural offensive staff spent > several weeks in > exhaustive meeting and planning time in May and June > before their > families had a chance to relocate to Tuscaloosa. > > "When we first got here, we spent a lot of time (in > planning), getting > in early, meeting until lunch, breaking for lunch, > meeting until dinner, > breaking for dinner, then coming back and getting > out of here by 10 or > 11 sometimes," Shula said. "We didn't have our > families here and we > could get a lot of that stuff done. > > "A lot of the major decisions we wanted to have done > so the guys would > feel a little better about leaving (on vacation). > The thought process > has been taken care of, now it's just getting it on > paper, all the > little things surrounding it -- training-camp > schedules, practice > schedules, and, as we speak, travel schedules for > the games." > > The satisfaction of landing a prime head-coaching > job began to fade to > reality and focus turned to the work ahead very soon > after Shula took > the post at his alma mater on May 8. > > "It's almost been like training camp," Shula said. > "It's like you jump > into the deep end of the pool and you don't come up > for air until the > season is over. I've taken that kind of mindset." > > Shula inherited a relatively experienced Alabama > team coming off a 10-3 > season. Yet he's a first-time college head coach > staring down several > scholarship-throttled seasons. > > And he's jumping into shark-infested waters in the > SEC. > > "It's so much more competitive, although they were > getting that way our > junior and senior years (in 1985 and '86)," the > former Alabama > quarterback said. "Then you go down to the SEC > head-coaches meetings and > you realize why. There's some good coaches in this > league. I looked > around that table and there was a lot of wins and a > lot of > championships. So who knows what they were doing > when they were looking > at me." > > Shula understands he'll have to treat his first camp > differently than > succeeding ones. He plans to have more individual > time than normal early > in practices to make sure the teaching is done. > > And Shula doesn't intend to throw a heavy playbook > on his offensive > charges as camp commences. > > " I've talked about it like a (pro) mini-camp book, > what we'd give the > rookies and veterans for a three-day camp," he said. > "Now we gave them a > lot of stuff in those things. It'll be bigger than > that, (but) it won't > be anything near a big playbook." > > He hopes to have at least half his offensive plays > ready to run by the > Aug. 30 season opener against South Florida, then > parcel packages in as > needed throughout the year. > > "When you go into camp, at least 30 percent of that > never gets used, or > gets used later," Shula said. "We're trying to do > the stuff we know > we're going to use and go from there, instead of > giving them stuff that, > well, we're not so sure of, and now you've wasted > some time." > > http://www.al.com/sports/mobileregister/index.ssf?/xml/story.ssf/html_standard.xsl?/base/sports/1057915099205650.xml > > Rick > -- > Yea, Alabama! Drown'em Tide! > > > > > ______________________________________________________ > RollTideFan - The University of Alabama Athletics > Discussion List > > "Welcome to RollTideFan! Wear a cup!" > > To join or leave the list or to make changes to your > subscription visit http://listinfo.rolltidefan.net
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