Success, as defined by Nick Saban, isn’t simply winning.
Sure, the coach who has won three BCS National Titles with two different teams may be venerated as the epitome of success by outsiders.
Saban, however, will bring them all back to 2010.
Fresh off the first national title for Alabama since 1992, the Tide stumbled to a 10-3 record with road losses to South Carolina and LSU, combined with blowing a 24-point lead at home against Auburn in the Iron Bowl.
“I think success should be defined: consistency in performance,” Saban said at Southeastern Conference Media Days. “We’ve obviously learned a lot at Alabama over the last five years.”
To ensure no repeat of 2010, Saban will have to start with replacing Heisman Trophy finalist and Doak Walker Award winner Trent Richardson at running back.
Enter Dutchtown High product and Geismar native Eddie Lacy.
Lacy, who spent most of his sophomore campaign as Richardson’s primary backup, will step into the starting role after recovering nicely from a nagging turf toe injury.
“Eddie Lacy has done extremely well over the summer,” Saban said. “I do think that we have a couple running backs that will probably create some competition.”
High school teammates with LSU junior safety Eric Reid, Lacy spurned the Tigers, which already had a bevy of running backs signed, and pounced on the opportunity given to him by Saban.
Lacy had other offers from Oklahoma, Tennessee and Mississippi State.
Senior center Barrett Jones, who will anchor the Crimson Tide offensive line returning four of five starters, also lauded Lacy’s progression.
“I think Eddie is going to become a household name to a lot of people,” Jones said. “I’m just happy he’s now getting his chance to be the premier guy.”
Finishing last season second on the team with 674 yards on 95 carries, Lacy will surely see an increased workload in prime time games, a stark contrast from the mop-up duty he frequented last season.
With Saban having the luxury of splitting time in the backfield between Richardson and 2009 Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram in previous seasons, he is hopeful Lacy will be able to fill the void.
“Hopefully we’ll be able to find somebody as productive as those two guys have been to share that role again sometime in the future,” Saban said.
Dutchtown head coach Benny Saia, who coached both Reid and Lacy, said that while Lacy is a year older than Reid, the two were close in high school.
As far as who takes the upper hand, that’s more difficult for Saia to predict.
“I don’t know that either one of them has it,” Saia told the Times-Picayune in November. “They’re both pretty dang good in their own right.”
Contact Chandler Rome at [email protected].