OT: Alabama recruiter extraordinaire Tosh Lupoi leaving for NFL

Submitted by Laser Wolf on January 16th, 2019 at 8:27 PM

Per Bruce Feldman: Tosh Lupoi, ace recruiter and defensive coordinator at Bama, is taking a DL coach job with the Browns. This is a serious blow to Bama’s recruiting efforts (yes, yes, bagmen and all that). Was the primary recruiter for a lot of familiar names here including Najee, Alex Leatherwood, Dylan Moses among many many others. 

https://twitter.com/brucefeldmancfb/status/1085692169711607808?s=21

MaizeBlueA2

January 16th, 2019 at 11:31 PM ^

Remember all of the freakout when we were losing coaches?

There were articles in the paper, it was all Harbaugh...Harbaugh is toxic, he's running guys off, no one wants to work with him.

How many coaches have we lost this offseason? How many has Bama?

Lakeyale13

January 17th, 2019 at 9:21 AM ^

That is a poor comparison.  Saban and Bill Belichick have coordinators leave all the time...and they leave because Saban and Belichick have had record breaking success.  No one believes for one second that their coordinators leave because Saban and Belichick are difficult to work for (even though that may be true). Their Coordinators have left because success breeds opportunity.

Furthermore, as long as Saban is there, they will always have a Top 5 recruiting class regardless of who the coordinators are or who are the "recruiters".

 

I Like Burgers

January 16th, 2019 at 9:49 PM ^

I hate to be another "the dynasty is over" guy, but....turning over almost your entire staff (shout out to the TE coach -- the sole survivor) in two seasons can't be good for a program.  They are still absolutely loaded with talent, but it does feel like there are some cracks in the armor now.

FrankMurphy

January 16th, 2019 at 8:31 PM ^

Could it be that Nick Saban is not exactly the most pleasant person to work for? Maybe, just maybe, Alabama's high staff turnover is due to the fact that people generally don't like being around Nick Saban. If so, that would SHOCK me, I tell you...

Ron Utah

January 17th, 2019 at 8:27 AM ^

Nope. He has to be 70 to get maximum benefits. His “full” benefit, or the amount promised to him at Full Retirement Age, came for him at age 66.  That means he could be taking his benefits right now without reduction despite his rather generous salary.

He can increase his benefit by delaying taking it up to age 70.

FrankMurphy

January 17th, 2019 at 12:45 PM ^

Sure, but the sheer scale and frequency of the turnover on Saban's staff (coupled with the fact that curiously few of his former assistants speak glowingly about their time with Saban) leads me to believe that his prickly personality is also a factor. I don't see Dabo Swinney's assistants leaving Clemson in droves. 

goblue4321

January 16th, 2019 at 8:36 PM ^

I think Alabama’s dynasty is about done, will still be very very good next year but Maybe Saban is not as great to work for anymore it seems... 

is that the 4th or 5th coach lost now? 

Magnus

January 16th, 2019 at 8:57 PM ^

LOL. Saban is great to work for - because everyone who works for him gets a promotion! That's why people put up with him. Tosh Lupoi, moving on to the NFL. Mike Locksley, now a head coach at Maryland. Jim McElwain became head coach at Colorado State and then Florida. Lane Kiffin became a head coach at FAU. Kirby Smart became head coach at Georgia. Pruitt got the head coaching gig at Tennessee. Brian Daboll went from co-OC at Alabama to OC for the Buffalo Bills. The co-OC/WR coach became the OC at Michigan.

Chalky White

January 17th, 2019 at 8:02 AM ^

I don't get why he would leave a 7 figure job to coach DL in the NFL. 

I work with a freelance writer ran track at MSU years ago and who currently covers MSU and the Lions at times. He says he knows someone who knows Dan Enos. He says he was told that Enos was fired. He didn't just leave for Miami on his own.

JPC

January 16th, 2019 at 8:40 PM ^

Lupoi is/was a dirty recruiter. He arrived at Alabama with a cloud over his head. 

This is a huge loss for Saban.