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Sexton's reputation suffering?
8Sexton
At nearly every turn of this three-ring circus better known as the Alabama coach search, one name has remained a constant -- Jimmy Sexton.
Some people have inferred that the Memphis mega-agent is the key to Alabama hitting a grand slam home run. Others have said Sexton is the reason the school has suffered a national embarrassment.
So which is it? How does one go about separating fact from fiction?
For starters, Sexton sits in a unique position as the sports agent to four SEC head coaches and several others, including recently fired Chuck Amato (North Carolina State) and Larry Coker (Miami). He also has a number of NFL clients -- including Bill Parcells -- to say nothing of countless assistants, including LSU's Jimbo Fisher. All of this is in addition to dozens of professional athletes in his camp.
So let's see if we can get this straight. Sexton has Auburn's Tommy Tuberville, his first client, in his stable while he is talking to Alabama about Nick Saban. He has Houston Nutt, the Arkansas coach (and another rumored Tide candidate), to say nothing of Phillip Fulmer, Alabama's biggest rival outside of Lee County.
So does that mean that Fulmer and Tuberville are on the de facto Alabama search committee? At the very least one has to wonder about a conflict of interest.
Also, Sexton represents Steve Spurrier, who Alabama heavily and hotly pursued during this search.
No wonder some Alabama officials go postal when the subject of Sexton comes up. Oh, did I mention he is a Tennessee graduate and owns a luxury box at Neyland Stadium? Next thing you know, we'll find out this guy is the brother-in-law of Tom Culpepper (the NCAA's secret witness against Alabama in the NCAA case).
Does Sexton share gossip with his stable of coaches? Did he try to keep Spurrier in South Carolina to protect Tuberville's turf in Alabama?
Or does he simply do his job honestly and respectfully, representing his clients to the fullest, looking at every job on a case-by-case basis?
It's a fact that during the heavy breathing period of Spurrier to Bama, Sexton had to get off a call from someone in Alabama because Fulmer was calling on the other line. Do you think Fulmer was calling to ask Sexton about the weather in Memphis?
For the most part, Sexton has a solid reputation in the business. Some of his clients and former clients whisper behind his back, saying he caters mainly to the super novas like Saban while essentially ignoring the small fish in the pond. Still, he makes big money for his top guns, and until the Alabama case had managed to avoid a sullied reputation.
However, some have wondered exactly where his reputation will be when this saga finally ends.
At the core of the issue is Saban, and whether he is interested in Alabama.
From the first moment the Saban story first reared its ugly head nearly three weeks ago, Sexton has been shooting it down with Tomahawk missiles. He easily could have offered "no comment" or little comment or said something without really saying anything.
Instead, Sexton has responded in an almost condescending fashion, slapping down the rumors with sledgehammer force.
I have had three different conversations with Sexton during this Saban odyssey and he has been downright hostile when the subject was brought up. It was like he was saying: How dare you think my man would stoop so low as to consider Alabama.
That brings to mind a variation of the old line from Shakespeare's "Hamlet" -- Me thinks he doth protest too much.
Sexton denied talking directly to Alabama. He denied talking indirectly. He denied using lawyers and go-betweens. He came close to denying he had heard of or been in the state of Alabama.
Yet, the story won't die and Saban himself, indirectly, of course, cast some serious doubt on his own agent's credibility, saying recently: "They (Alabama) called Jimmy and said, 'Is Nick interested?' and Jimmy said, 'No,'" Saban said. "Jimmy asked me on several occasions and I said, 'No. I'm interested in staying here (Miami). We're in the middle of a season. I'm committed to our team and our players trying to do what we have to do.'"
This Saban comment came immediately after the Miami Herald reported that Alabama offered the Dolphins' coach as much as $57 million to come to Tuscaloosa. Everybody denied the story, including Sexton, of course. When it comes to denials, this man is never far from his cell phone.
Some at Alabama didn't buy Sexton's denial at all, fingering him as the chief leaker to embarrass the school and also raise the stakes on Saban's worth.
Who knows?
At one point during the Spurrier story, Alabama officials became so disgusted with Sexton and had such a high degree of distrust they made efforts to contact the South Carolina coach through intermediaries. They wanted nothing to do with Sexton any longer, or so they said.
Of course, when Spurrier spurned them, guess what? UA officials were right back at Sexton's door inquiring about Saban. Memories can be short in times of trouble.
So in the end, Alabama will get a head coach sometime soon, although it may not be one of blue-chip reputation.
Sexton will still have a stable of clients when this saga ends, as well. But the question begs to be asked: How much damage will his reputation have suffered?
Contact Paul Finebaum at:
finebaumnet@yahoo.com
His column appears Tuesdays and Saturdays in the Press-Register.
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