Where football greatness and shade tree mechanics collide

Years ago there was a term used routinely to define homespun auto repair shops in obscure locations around town; shops that were usually managed by a couple of guys who could dismantle and reassemble a six-cylinder Chevy with ease.

We called them “shade tree mechanics.” The bad ones came and went. The good ones carved out lasting prestige. They could repair everything from the Packard to the venerable Nash Rambler. I heard they just shot Edsels to put them out of their misery.

Our first family car was an Oldsmobile. Eventually, I traded often for sister brands like Pontiac, Chevy and Buick.

Back then wrenches were standard and engine parts were similar. Any guy worth his salt crawled beneath his vehicle and changed his own oil and filter.

Back then to trust your car to a mechanic was equivalent to trusting your family to a physician. The best mechanics built customer loyalty through skill and integrity. The level of comfort between mechanic and car owner was absolute. In my case, I had a gem.

            He worked on my cars for years and I don’t recall ever having a complaint.

            Then one day the inevitable happened. He retired and sold out to an assistant.

Still, I felt my Camero was in good hands. I’d simply gone from the world’s best shade tree mechanic to a new sidekick. Wrong. The subordinate was a poor manager of business, less than ethical and just not very gifted beneath the hood.

Moral of the story here is just because he inherited my trusty mechanic’s business didn’t automatically translate to continued success.

Now let’s shift gears to college football. Here we’ll show a link between the shade tree mechanic and the assistant college gridiron coach. Impossible, you say. Nay, says I.

Just because a guy is a world-class offensive coordinator for the greatest college football machine on Earth doesn’t translate to future automatic success. This should be branded in every college AD’s noggin.

Steve Sarkisian was widely acclaimed college football’s most ingenious, a virtual Einstein-ish offensive coordinator for two seasons at ‘Bama before taking the U of Texas up on a six-year, $36 million contract.

The rub, however, is that Steve coached at Alabama, not UT. Conservatively speaking, there are probably a hundred guys who could successfully assist at Alabama. Plus, Sark’s eight-year head coaching record is a less than spectacular 50-42.

If Sarkisian lasts six years at Texas and turns the ‘Horns into a winner, I’ll apologize. For now, however, in recruiting coaches, stay clear of Alabama assistants. Hate to admit it, but the Crimson Tide is near NFL worthy.

And just like the celebrated shade tree mechanic who sells his shop to an underling, never assume continued greatness.

Ted Spud Buss is a former sports and business editor at the Times Record news.