After Alabama's heartbreaking loss in the 2006 Independence Bowl to Oklahoma State, a teary-eyed Joe Kines, who served as the Tide's interim head coach, humbly looked out to the sea of reporters at the postgame press conference.
In that familiar gruff voice of his, he bellowed, "There's a champion in that room! Good young players that will work hard. Alabama’s important to them, and the University is important to this state.”
The old coach furrowed his brow and continued pouring out his heartfelt words, as he sternly dismissed the criticism of the hobbled Crimson Tide program, which had just stumbled to a 6-7 season and was in the middle of yet another coaching search.
"Don't believe all that junk about too much expectations,” Kines said. “That's what's wrong with the world anyways. Too many people settle for average. We will never settle for average at Alabama.”
It was a foreshadowing of sorts. Settle for average, Alabama did not.
Less than a week later, on Jan. 3, 2007, after a lengthy and highly criticized departure from the Miami Dolphins, Nick Saban officially accepted the position to lead the Crimson Tide.
In the eyes of Alabama fans across the nation, the hiring of Saban was an obvious reason for aspirations of better days. For Saban himself, it was a homecoming.
Prior to 2007, Saban had no ties to Alabama. He had been successful in his time at Michigan State, leading the Spartans to a 10-win season in 1999, but it was in the Southeastern Conference at LSU where Saban would reign supreme.
Winner of two SEC titles, as well as a national championship, Saban had made his mark as one of the elite among college football coaches.
His future, however, would lead him away from the college game, as he accepted an offer to coach at football’s highest level. But in the second year of his unsuccessful stint in the NFL with the Dolphins, a situation was developing in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
When the opportunity presented itself for him to return to his old stomping grounds of the SEC and be reunited with the college game he loved so dearly, Saban went where his heart was.
Thus, the process began.
On that unforgettable January morning amidst a hullabaloo of television cameras, photographers, and reporters, Saban assured everyone of his mission statement.
Using passionate phrases like, “We want to be a champion,” “I want to win every game we play,” and “We want to dominate our opponent,” Saban had rejuvenated the hungry Bama Nation.
With one fell swoop, those in crimson found themselves basking in the euphoria of the pr
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