Nick Saban 'Was Shaken' by Tommy Tuberville's Recent Departure From Auburn

Football -- and athletics in general -- is a cutthroat business, particularly for coaches. Take Phil Fulmer and Tommy Tuberville, for instance, who both proved, with recent resignations from high quality SEC teams, that resting on your laurels for even a few years can land you in the unemployment line.

Nick Saban, head coach of No. 1 Alabama, is probably a good ways from worrying about job security. But that's not stopping him from being a little upset about the nature of his colleague's departure.

We [Al.com] just got done talking with Alabama coach Nick Saban, some about the Florida game, but most about the fact that Tommy Tuberville is out at Auburn. And seriously, he was shaken. He was frustrated for his profession and maybe a little angry.

"I really question some of the judgment," Saban said, "relative to how it is for our game that people who have those kind of relationships and have done that kind of job and affected so many people in a positive way -- and have had a reasonable amount of success relative to their circumstances -- would not be given more respect and consideration than what these guys have been. So I guess we're 5-7 away from the same thing."

REALLY. REALLY? Nick Saban, the guy who left the Miami Dolphins in the lurch in order to come back and coach against a huge conference rival for the team that made him the big name that he is ... this guy is concerned that people are a little too quick with the trigger on getting rid of coaches?

You'll forgive me if I'm not immediately full of kind emotions for the poor guy ... you know, being upset that three of his biggest rivals (well Sylvester Croom doesn't really count, I suppose, so two) just axed their coaches.

After all, sometimes teams see that coaches are on the move so frequently that they feel the need to position themselves for the future.