Alabama – The Crimson Tide’s “Bear” Bryant
If you're a fan of college football, you have no doubt heard of the "Bear" - the now-legendary Coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide, who spent a full twenty-five years patrolling the sidelines of every Alabama game. Some would say that coaching at Alabama would be one of the easiest tasks in the sport, given the program's status as an elite power in the NCAAS. With a total of 13 NCAA titles, a host of conference titles, and more bowl appearances than you can shake a stick at, Alabama football has seemingly always been about winning. Paul Bryant was an important part of that history, as he was responsible for leading the teams that acquired six of those titles while also breaking the Alabama color barrier. Perhaps more than any other coach in Alabama history, the Bear left his own distinct impression on the program.
Arrival of the Bear
When the Bear was hired to coach the Alabama team, the program had just experienced what was for them a period of mediocrity. Four losing seasons in a row had made 'Bama fans and alumni restless, and the Bear's hiring - he left a position at Texas A&M - was thought to be a breath of fresh air. The losing halted immediately, as Bryant's first season resulted in the team winning one more game than they lost. His style of leadership seemed to have the players on the team immediately thinking "victory" and the new attitude played out in winning style whenever they took the field. Three seasons later, the true fruits of the Bryant scheme began to appear on the Alabama tree as the team won the national championship, announcing to the world that Alabama football was back with a vengeance! That was the beginning of one of the most dominant periods in team history, as the Crimson Tide would go on to win a total of 60 games during a six year span in the early 1960s, losing only five times in that same period. That run of victories netted a total of six bowl games, four SEC championships, and three national crowns.
The Crimson Tide Seventies
The next decade belonged to the Tide. Bryant's teams took the SEC championship eight of those ten years, and won another three national titles as well. That same period also saw another first for the Alabama team, and it came about during a rematch of the Tide's loss to USC in 1970. During the next year's game between the two schools, Bryant made the fateful decision to allow African American player John Mitchell to start for his team. Though Alabama won the game by a touchdown, it is better known for being the first instance of a black player starting an Alabama game.
The end of Bryant's coaching career personified his team's success as he left with a victory in the 1982 Liberty Bowl. At the time of his departure, the Bear had the most victories of any coach in history, at 323. Sadly, his retirement from coaching preceded his death by mere weeks. To this day, his quarter of a century with the Crimson Tide program is still viewed by most coaches at all levels as one of the most inspiring periods of football success in history.
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