The quote: “All of a sudden, FAU is the Alabama of Florida,” Miller said. “Everybody wants to come here now.”
These comments are obviously not the norm in football culture, where every coach insists upon avoiding bulletin-board material. The truth is that to compete at this level there has to be some amount of self-confidence. Putting yourself out on a limb is part of the process of moving forward. Hiring Lane Kiffin was a bold step that had lots of risk. Saying you are the Alabama of Florida is a risky that is borne of the same aggressive attitude that won FAU a league title.
As Elman notes in the article, having a staff loaded with former Alabama staffers shows that FAU is serious about things. It is not too different than an academic department hiring quality professers and researchers to boost the profile. There will be skepticism at first, but once the novelty wears off the program simply becomes known for attracting quality staff.
So it is with FAU, so far.
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