I had a list of all the possible [assistant] coaches. I asked input from a lot of people - the administration, the alumni, the players. And R.C.'s name kept coming up.

When I got ready to leave, I recommended two people - R.C. and John David Crow. Fortunately, they were hired and they were able to keep things going without missing a beat. R.C. had all the ingredients to be a head coach. He was an outstanding recruiter. And he had a good feel for managing a staff from his work as defensive coordinator.

Trust me when I say this: Steve doesn't want anybody's sympathy. In fact, he wants people to make fun of him because the more they make fun, the tougher he will get. And here's a warning to anybody who might make fun if he struggles early: You better look out when he finally gets his players in there. He's on a mission. He will get the job done.

Those Mountain West officials weren't going to call any pass interference. Those guys do that [call games involving spread offenses] 24 hours a day out there. [Alabama] lucked out on that.

I always wanted to coach against the guy who jumped up and down on the sideline and got up on the table at halftime and hollered. Put it like this: When you line up and a guy knocks the slobber out of you, you're not thinking about what the coach on the sidelines is telling you.

I'd never seen anyone get rid of it like that, although I do know (Joe) Namath was fast. There was no wasted motion with Danny.