But Saban had proven himself as a college coach, having won a national championship at LSU. And by then, seeing a successful college coach do poorly in the NFL was nothing unusual. The example of Spurrier was flesh in folks mind. And now the Urban Meyer disaster. Saban was not a risky hire, though there are never any guarantees.
Bear Bryant had a couple of off years at Alabama after he’d won two or three national titles.
Then he scheduled to play USC in 1970, and the rest is history.