Coastal89
November 27th, 2006, 09:39 AM
Alabama has fired coach Mike Shula a year after the Crimson Tide had a 10-2 season, a newspaper reported.
Shula told his assistant coaches late Sunday night that Alabama athletic director Mal Moore had dismissed him, The Tuscaloosa News reported on its Web site.
Reached at home, Moore declined comment Monday morning but said he would hold a news conference later in the day.
The Crimson Tide went 6-6 this season, finishing with three straight losses.
Shula, a former Alabama quarterback, was winless in four tries against Auburn, his team's biggest rival. The Tigers beat the Crimson Tide 22-15 on Nov. 18, leaving Shula to answer questions about his job security.
"I haven't even thought about all that stuff," Shula said after the game. He had received a vote of confidence from Moore several weeks earlier.
Shula took over the proud but troubled program less than four months before the 2003 season after Mike Price was fired following spring practice for his off-the-field behavior - specifically a night of drinking at a Pensacola, Fla., strip club. Price got the job after Dennis Franchione bolted for Texas A&M.
Shula, son of Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Don Shula, spent 15 years as an NFL assistant before he took the Alabama job, but had no experience as a head coach or on a college staff.
He received a new six-year contract in May worth $1.55 million per year. The deal extended his contract two years through early 2012, with a raise of $650,000 plus a $200,000 signing bonus.
The 41-year-old Shula led Alabama to a 10-2 record and a Cotton Bowl victory in his third season. He has a 26-23 record in four seasons with the Crimson Tide.
Shula told his assistant coaches late Sunday night that Alabama athletic director Mal Moore had dismissed him, The Tuscaloosa News reported on its Web site.
Reached at home, Moore declined comment Monday morning but said he would hold a news conference later in the day.
The Crimson Tide went 6-6 this season, finishing with three straight losses.
Shula, a former Alabama quarterback, was winless in four tries against Auburn, his team's biggest rival. The Tigers beat the Crimson Tide 22-15 on Nov. 18, leaving Shula to answer questions about his job security.
"I haven't even thought about all that stuff," Shula said after the game. He had received a vote of confidence from Moore several weeks earlier.
Shula took over the proud but troubled program less than four months before the 2003 season after Mike Price was fired following spring practice for his off-the-field behavior - specifically a night of drinking at a Pensacola, Fla., strip club. Price got the job after Dennis Franchione bolted for Texas A&M.
Shula, son of Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Don Shula, spent 15 years as an NFL assistant before he took the Alabama job, but had no experience as a head coach or on a college staff.
He received a new six-year contract in May worth $1.55 million per year. The deal extended his contract two years through early 2012, with a raise of $650,000 plus a $200,000 signing bonus.
The 41-year-old Shula led Alabama to a 10-2 record and a Cotton Bowl victory in his third season. He has a 26-23 record in four seasons with the Crimson Tide.