The South Carolina Gamecocks and quarterback LaNorris Sellers can have somebody new accountable for play-calling duties subsequent season, and it’s a reputation that Alabama football followers keep in mind properly.
On Tuesday, former Crimson Tide quarterback and head coach Mike Shula was promoted to offensive coordinator on coach Shane Beamer’s employees. Shula replaces Dowell Loggains, who lately accepted the pinnacle teaching job at Appalachian State.
In response to numerous stories, Shula’s contract with South Carolina is for 3 years at $1.1 million a season. Shula had been an assistant coach in 2024, his first season with the Gamecocks’ program.
Earlier than becoming a member of Beamer’s employees in Columbia, Shula had labored as an assistant coach within the NFL with a plethora of groups. Most notably, he was the Carolina Panthers’ offensive coordinator from 2013-17 throughout their run to Tremendous Bowl 50 and was later the offensive coordinator for the New York Giants for 2 seasons (2018-19).
However Shula is greatest recognized in faculty soccer circles for his tenure as Alabama’s head coach starting within the spring of 2003. He spent 4 seasons as coach, profitable 10 video games and the Cotton Bowl in 2005 earlier than being fired after going simply 6-6 the next season.
Shula’s firing led to Nick Saban being named Alabama’s head coach — and savior — in January 2007.
For some time, Shula was thought-about probably the most polarizing figures within the historical past of Alabama soccer. His detractors pointed to an 0-4 file towards Auburn within the Iron Bowl, an offense that had turn out to be too predictable and vanilla, and a resistance to vary.
Shula’s defenders acknowledged that he was positioned in a no-win scenario throughout his tenure in Tuscaloosa. On the time of Shula’s hiring, Alabama was affected by nice embarrassment over the fallout of the Mike Price scandal, which noticed a head coach fired for unethical conduct earlier than ever teaching his first official recreation.
The picture of the Alabama soccer program had taken a extreme beating within the public eye. Dennis Franchione, confronted with crippling NCAA sanctions as the results of a significant recruiting scandal he’d had nothing to do with, had jilted Alabama for Texas A&M the earlier winter. Shula’s first season resulted in simply 4 wins.
However the passing of time, and Alabama’s return to nationwide prominence below Saban, has heeled most if not all wounds in regard to Shula.
Alabama will sq. off towards Shula and the Gamecocks subsequent season on Oct. 25 at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia.
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