Legendary - The Career of Porter Davis

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Alabama Turns to Luke Fickell as Successor to Nick Saban
Crimson Tide move quickly to secure nation's coach of the year after Porter Davis declines interview
By Carter Frederickson | Jan 6, 2019, 6:28pm EST



Alabama has found its next head coach.

Just days after Nick Saban announced his retirement, the Crimson Tide moved quickly to hire Miami (Ohio) head coach Luke Fickell, ending one of the most closely watched coaching searches in recent college football history.

The decision places one of the sport's fastest-rising coaches in charge of one of its most powerful programs.

"Luke embodies everything we were looking for in the next leader of Alabama football," Athletic Director Mal Moore said in a statement. "His ability to build a program, develop players, and create a winning culture stood out throughout this process. We are excited about the future of Alabama football under his leadership."

Fickell arrives in Tuscaloosa fresh off a remarkable 2018 season in which he guided Miami (Ohio) to a 13-1 record, a Mid-American Conference championship, a GoDaddy.com Bowl victory over Louisiana-Monroe, and a final national ranking of No. 15.

The season earned him National Coach of the Year honors and transformed him from a respected Group of Five coach into one of the hottest names in the profession.

What makes the hire particularly intriguing is the path Fickell took to reach this point.

Long before Alabama came calling, Fickell endured one of the more difficult experiences a young coach can face. In 2011, he was thrust into the Ohio State head coaching position and struggled to a 6-7 record. Many around the sport viewed that season as a setback that might permanently damage his prospects as a future head coach.

Instead, it became a learning experience.

Fickell spent five seasons rebuilding Miami (Ohio), compiling a 35-29 record overall. While those numbers may not immediately jump off the page, they fail to capture the steady progression of the program. After several rebuilding years, everything came together in 2018 as the RedHawks emerged as one of the nation's biggest surprise stories.

That breakthrough season ultimately convinced Alabama officials they had found the right man to replace a legend.

The search moved swiftly after another prominent candidate removed himself from consideration.

Arkansas head coach Porter Davis, who just led the Razorbacks to an SEC Championship and the school's first 12-win season, reportedly informed Alabama early in the process that he would not pursue the position and would not participate in formal interviews.

Davis had been widely viewed as one of the strongest candidates on the market after engineering one of the greatest turnarounds in recent SEC history. Alabama's interest was significant, but sources indicate Davis never seriously considered a move to Tuscaloosa.

While many speculate Davis wants to stay at Arkansas there is still significant buzz around mutual interest between him and LSU.

Once Davis withdrew, Alabama aggressively pursued Fickell.

The Crimson Tide moved quickly through negotiations and finalized the hire before competing programs could enter the picture.

The move leaves Miami (Ohio) searching for a replacement after the most successful season in program history.

For Alabama, however, the focus remains on replacing the impossible.

Nick Saban retires as one of the greatest coaches college football has ever seen, leaving behind multiple national championships and a program that has spent more than a decade competing at the highest level.

No coach can truly replace Saban.

But Alabama believes Luke Fickell gives them their best chance to continue what Saban built.

Now comes the difficult part.

Living up to it.

[djp73]

I have updated most of the front page through the end of the 2018 season.

[redsox907]

Fickell at Alabama is going to blow up quickly lmao

[djp73]

Fickell at Alabama is going to blow up quickly lmao

interesting hire for sure

[Captain Canada]

Even the photo you picked to announce the Alabama hiring sets off red flag alarms. Get his ass outta there

[djp73]

Even the photo you picked to announce the Alabama hiring sets off red flag alarms. Get his ass outta there

I just figured he was about to really annunciate his name

[djp73]

Why Porter Davis Stayed at Arkansas
As Alabama searched for Nick Saban's successor, the hottest coach in the SEC never even took the interview
By Connor Whitfield | Jan 6, 2019, 8:15pm EST



When Nick Saban retired, it did not take long for Arkansas head coach Porter Davis to become one of the first names connected to the Alabama job.

That was inevitable.

A year ago Davis inherited a Razorback program that had won just five games over the previous two seasons combined. Twelve months later Arkansas was celebrating an SEC Championship, a Sugar Bowl victory, and the first 12-win season in school history.

In a profession where coaches often spend decades trying to produce a season like that, Davis did it in one year.

Naturally, Alabama called.

And just as naturally, many around college football assumed he would listen.

He never did.

According to multiple sources, Davis informed Alabama officials early in the process that he would not be pursuing the position and would not participate in formal interviews. The Crimson Tide quickly shifted their focus toward Miami (Ohio) head coach Luke Fickell, who was ultimately hired to replace Saban.

For many coaches, passing on Alabama would seem unthinkable.

For Davis, it apparently wasn't a difficult decision.

The explanation begins long before Arkansas won the SEC Championship.

It begins in Lafayette.

Davis' rise through the profession was meteoric. After helping build one of the nation's top defenses as Louisiana's defensive coordinator, he took over the Ragin' Cajuns program and immediately transformed it into a powerhouse. Louisiana won 37 games in three seasons, captured three conference championships, and became one of the nation's best stories.

Then everything changed.

The controversy surrounding Davis' relationship with former Louisiana student Maya Collins dominated headlines throughout the end of his tenure. University investigations ultimately found no wrongdoing, but the situation deteriorated into a public battle between Davis and university administrators.

The relationship had begun after Collins graduated. Investigators determined she had never worked directly under Davis during her internship with the athletic department. Still, the public scrutiny and internal friction eventually pushed Davis to resign.

For a brief period, one of the hottest coaches in America suddenly found himself without a job.

Many coaches would have spent months waiting for the right opportunity.

Arkansas did not make him wait.

Athletic Director Jeff Long moved aggressively to hire Davis despite the controversy and despite concerns from some corners of the college football world about the optics of the situation.

The Razorbacks offered him a chance when many believed his career might temporarily stall.

People around the program believe Davis has not forgotten that.

"Arkansas took a chance on him when they didn't have to," one source close to the program said. "That matters to him."

It showed throughout the season.

Rather than treating Arkansas as a stepping stone, Davis immersed himself in rebuilding the program. He attacked recruiting. He rebuilt the culture. He brought in players such as D'Eriq Robinette and Joey Christodoulou from Louisiana and immediately established a clear identity.

The Razorbacks became one of the most physical teams in the SEC.

They ran the football relentlessly. They played defense. They won close games.

Most importantly, they believed.

By December, Arkansas had accomplished something nobody thought possible eight months earlier.

They were SEC champions.

That success only increased speculation regarding Davis' future.

Could he leave for Alabama?

Would he return to Louisiana if another opportunity arose?

Was Arkansas simply a stop along the way?

Those questions appear to have annoyed Davis more than anything.

In multiple interviews throughout the season, he consistently spoke about building a program rather than building a résumé.

The distinction matters.

Coaches frequently talk about wanting to stay somewhere long term. Davis appears to be putting actions behind those words.

There are practical reasons as well.

Unlike many rebuilding jobs, Arkansas possesses nearly everything a coach could want. The facilities are among the best in the country. Recruiting has improved dramatically. Fan support remains exceptional. The SEC provides a national stage every week.

Most importantly, Davis now owns the program.

The roster increasingly reflects his vision. The coaching staff is his. The culture belongs to him.

Leaving after one season would mean starting over.

Again.

And after the whirlwind of the past two years, there is reason to believe stability has become increasingly valuable to Davis.

That does not mean the speculation will disappear.

In fact, another SEC opening may prove more intriguing than Alabama ever was.

LSU's decision to fire Matt Limegrover has created one of the premier vacancies in college football. While Arkansas fans will not enjoy hearing it, the Tigers possess many of the same advantages that make Alabama attractive without one significant complication.

Whoever takes the Alabama job will spend years being compared to Nick Saban.

Every loss will be measured against a legend.

Every season will be judged against a dynasty.

That burden now belongs to Luke Fickell.

LSU offers a different challenge.

The Tigers remain one of the nation's elite programs. They recruit some of the best talent in America. They possess championship resources and expectations. Yet they are not replacing a coach who won six national titles and became the defining figure of an era.

There is also a personal connection.

Davis and Limegrover worked together at Louisiana, where Limegrover served as offensive coordinator while Davis coordinated the defense. When LSU conducted its coaching search following the 2016 season, both men were linked to the opening before the Tigers ultimately selected Limegrover.

Now, two years later, the position is available again.

Whether LSU seriously pursues Davis remains unknown.

Whether Davis would entertain the possibility remains even less clear.

What is clear is this:

When the biggest job in college football came calling, Porter Davis said no.

For now, Arkansas is exactly where he wants to be.

[Captain Canada]

He ain't take the job because he scared of that Bama spotlight

[djp73]

He ain't take the job because he scared of that Bama spotlight

Maybe he just wants to be a housewife and not a ho

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