Learning on the Job

The days immediately following the 1997 college football season weighed heavily on the head and shoulders of Mike DuBose. In his first season as Alabama's head coach, the Crimson Tide had slipped to a 4-7 record, only the second losing season at Alabama since Coach Paul "Bear Bryant" Bryant returned to Tuscaloosa after the 1957 season. Losing at arch-rival Auburn by one point in the final seconds was one thing. Losing to programs such as Louisiana Tech, Kentucky, Arkansas and Mississippi State in the same season, however, put DuBose at the center of a statewide whirlwind of criticism and controversy. Like Bryant, DuBose is a former Alabama football player and assistant coach. Alabama is his home, his school, his team, his blood, and for all fans who felt miserable about the 1997 season, no one felt worse than DuBose. After all, he had been the popular choice of fans who filled Athletic