THE SIDELINES : Alabama President Reportedly Balked at Cost of Hiring Bowden

The University of Alabama Board of Trustees reportedly voted 14 to 1 to hire Bobby Bowden as head football coach of the Crimson Tide. But the plan was shelved when Alabama President Roger Sayers objected to the cost of buying out Bowden’s contract with Florida State University.

Sayers, commenting today on a story in the Birmingham News, said the board did not demand that he hire Bowden or anyone else. But he acknowledged that financial matters were an issue in the search to replace Bill Curry.

“I am a supporter of our athletic program, but I will never sacrifice our academic program for athletics,” he said. “I am concerned about costs. . . . I don’t want costs to jeopardize any part of our academic program.”

The Birmingham News, quoting unnamed sources, said the effort to hire Bowden was dropped because Sayers refused to “give away the store” in paying upward of $565,000 to allow Bowden to cancel his contract with FSU.

The newspaper said one source heard Sayers say “they’d have to fire me” before he would pay that much money for a football coach with all the other needs at the university.

Sayers, commenting today, said, “The board of trustees did not confront me with a requirement to hire anyone.”

Gene Stallings, who played and coached under the late Alabama Coach Paul (Bear) Bryant, was picked to succeed Curry, who left amid Alabama turmoil to take the reins at Kentucky.