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Steve Victory JOURNAL – Preparing for ‘Bama 2009!
Coach Steve Victory took the Alabama job pretty much sight unseen. He heard the words “Alabama Crimson Tide” and “interested in me” and jumped without checking on much of anything else.
Victory knows the hoops program is in pretty bad shape. Mike Shula’s football team at Alabama [editor's note - haha] has been averaging more wins per season than the hoops team in recent years. The Tide’s 9-21 record in 2008-09 represented the third-straight winter of single-digit victory totals. ‘Bama hasn’t had a winning season in five or six years.
So, needing a crash course in Alabama hoops history, Victory sets about on a search in between unpacking and meeting his new colleagues in Tuscaloosa. Here’s the summary of what he’s learned – ‘Bama is definitely a football school.
The Tide has never won a national championship in men’s hoops – or even been to the Final Four or Elite Eight. The only trips to the Sweet 16 were made in 1976, ‘82, ‘85, ‘86, ‘87, ’90 and ’91.
The only time Alabama has been ranked #1 in the nation in men’s hoops came in December 2002, and that team coached by Mark Gottfried wound up 17-12 – losing in the first round of the SEC tournament to Vanderbilt and falling to Indiana in the opening round of the NCT.
The most successful coach in Alabama history – so far – has been “Wimp” Sanderson, who went 267-119 from 1980-92 and piloted the Tide to six of its seven Sweet 16 appearances. But even his name has been a bit scarred because of a sexual misconduct claim made against him.
The local newspaper, The Tuscaloosa News, trumpets Victory’s arrival with this play on words in a headline:
From Wimps to Victors?
‘Bama turns struggling program over to eager young coach with a great last name
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