An unprecedented move in college football?

By Terry Pellman

It was roughly one month ago that word began to leak from the Mal Moore Athletic Facility that Todd Alles, Director of Football Operations, would be retiring this summer. Alles, formerly working in a recruiting and operations position at Ohio State, joined the staff at Alabama in January of 2007.

This story came on the heels of the announcement that Wendall Hudson would be leaving his position as an Associate Athletics Director, as well as when Coach Mal Moore announced Hudson would take over the womens basketball program.

It left a void, or more aptly said, a question as to who would take over the reigns as the associate athletic director of football operations and the director of football operations.

Two weeks ago, the story broke that Coach Nick Saban was interviewing Tim Allen. Allen served as the director of football operations under Glen Mason at Minnesota. Upon learning of this interview, to say my interest was sparked would be an understatement. But it is a logical step for the football coach to interview and then hire his DOF.

But Associate Athletic Director? As in, basically hiring your own boss?

Another rumor, or perhaps wish, has been squelched.

It was the contention of many when Saban was hired that the well-documented meddling of the Athletic Department employees would be the main reason Saban would eventually leave the Alabama program. When the point was made that Saban had total control of the football program and others wouldn’t and couldn’t interfere, the responses of rivals could be characterized as jovial sarcasm. Yet today, this is the situation.

Hammer, meet nail. Nail, meet coffin.

Coach Nick Saban announced this past week that Mike Vollmar had been hired as the associate athletic director in charge of football operations. That’s right, the head coach interviewed and hired an athletic director. For the life of me, I can’t think of another instance in college football where the head coach was allowed to to conduct the search, handle the interviews and then hire his own boss.

Granted, the “boss” title is in title only. Vollmar will also serve as the director of football operations as well. However, there is one thing that is absolutely clear in regards to this announcement.

This is Nick Saban’s football program. No ifs, ands or buts about it.

In a twist of irony, this hire also goes against the grain of another thought offered by many rivals. “Saban runs off all of his assistants.” I wouldn’t begin to deny the fact that the demands Coach Saban has on his staff leads to coaches leaving for other opportunities.

A prime example of that is with Burton Burns who left to coach at Duke when David Cutcliffe took over the head coaching responsibilities. The time schedule that is required of coaches on Saban’s staff didn’t fit with Burns and his family duties—specifically his wife and her ongoing health battles. That aside, the hire of Vollmar marks the fifth staff member who had worked with Saban previously to accept a job at Alabama.

In a move many fans might consider insignificant in terms of wins and losses, I doubt those same fans can cite an example of this type of process at another school. Unprecedented.