Chasing the Bear

July 29, 2019
Sportswriter Anderson (The Storm and the Tide) draws on his decades of experience writing about the Alabama Crimson Tide football team in this fascinating dual biography of two legendary college football coaches. Anderson tells the story of how Bear Bryant and Nick Saban created college football’s most successful dynasty, but rather than provide a season-by-season account, he illuminates the uncanny similarities in character between the two men who created the titan of Alabama football. In chapters that alternate between Bryant arriving at Alabama in 1958 and Saban in 2007, Anderson shows how the two men­­­—both from small-town, working-class families—felt drawn to the University Alabama
and how their work ethics bore similarities, such as Bryant making football “a year-round activity” with a “torturous off-season” and Saban’s legendary emphasis on discipline (Anderson recalls Saban’s first comments to his new Alabama team were for them to sit up straight in their chairs). Anderson discusses their similar drive as coaches to uncover “what they were going to do tomorrow to get better.” This is a must-read for devotees of college football, Crimson Tide fans or not.

August 1, 2019

In 1982, Paul "Bear" Bryant (1913-83) retired having won the most games in college football history. He still holds the record for the most national championships in the modern era with six, all won at Alabama. At age 68, current Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban is chasing the Bear's tracks, tying Bryant with six championships, five in Tuscaloosa. This joint biography from Anderson (journalism, Univ. of Alabama; The Storm and the Tide) takes a fresh look at their lives and careers, with alternating chapters describing the coaches at comparable points in their careers and stressing the similarities of these two very different men. Bryant is portrayed as a powerful man who commanded complete respect from his players but also exuded a warm, human touch. By contrast, Saban is pictured as a leader who also demands respect but who is brusquer and more businesslike in his personal interactions. What they share in Anderson's view is dedication to their coaching methods and a flexible approach to the game itself. VERDICT A captivating comparison of two legendary figures in college football that will draw interest from all football fans.

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