Mike Shula prepares to return to Alabama football with South Carolina

A familiar face returns to Tuscaloosa on Saturday. When South Carolina meets Alabama Football at Bryant-Denny Stadium, the Gamecocks will be joined by former Crimson Tide head coach Mike Shula.

It will be the first time Shula has returned to Tuscaloosa for a game since he was fired after the 2006 regular season ended with a loss in the Iron Bowl. He returned to college football in 2024 as a senior offensive assistant for South Carolina after coaching in the NFL from 2007 to 2023.

Through USC's media department, Shula declined an interview request before Saturday's game. Gamecock head coach Shane Beamer praised Shula's contributions to his staff on an SEC conference call Wednesday.

“Low ego, humble, hardworking,” Beamer said. “Everyone in the building thinks a world of him. He was great. Helped us a lot on and off the field.”

Shula largely works with South Carolina's quarterbacks. He is most familiar with the position, having played it himself at Alabama from 1984 to 1986.

He also worked extensively with QBs throughout his NFL career, including big names that Gamecock starter LaNorris Sellers mentioned when asked about Shula's influence on Tuesday.

“He helped me a lot just because he worked with guys like Josh Allen and Cam Newton,” Sellers said. “Brings a lot to the table. Read the options play that helps us protect ourselves, not just as a passer…be patient and let things develop.”

Shula took over at Alabama in 2003 after Dennis Franchione left for Texas A&M and Mike Price had a short tenure. During his first three seasons at the helm of his alma mater, he turned around a team in turmoil, culminating in a 10-2 season in 2005 that ended with a Cotton Bowl victory.

However, the Tide disappointed in 2006 with a 6-6 finish. Mal Moore pulled the trigger and fired Shula after UA lost its last three games, including its fifth straight Iron Bowl loss.

To add insult to injury, Moore hired Nick Saban and poached him from the NFL's Miami Dolphins. Shula's late father Don is a legendary figure in Dolphins history and led the team to two Super Bowl victories as head coach, including an undefeated season in 1972, the only time an NFL team finished undefeated.

“The guy likes to hear himself talk and then not act on what he says,” Don Shula told the Miami Herald when Saban was hired at Alabama, referencing Saban's infamous claim that he wouldn't follow the Dolphins Leaving Tuscaloosa.

Since then, the younger Shula has not officially returned to his alma mater. Obviously, hiring Saban worked out better than most could have imagined, but after 17 seasons, Tide fans' anger toward Mike Shula has likely faded.

As South Carolina prepares to pull off a second straight upset of an Alabama team reeling from its first loss to Vanderbilt since 1984, Beamer said the UA alum hasn't shown any particular motivation.

“He didn’t really talk about it,” Beamer said. “I am sure emotions will be high as he returns to his alma mater, where he was once the head coach. But just like the professional he is, he was a true professional this week and did his best to help our quarterbacks and our football team prepare for the game.”

Alabama and South Carolina are scheduled to face off in Tuscaloosa on Saturday at 11 a.m. CT. The game will be broadcast on ABC.