Coach Nick Saban arrived at Michigan State University in 1995 after the school’s football team had endured several losing seasons. Saban’s coaching turned the program around, and by 1999, the team was 10-2. Saban then took over at LSU in 1999. While the Saban-less Michigan State went 5-6 that year, Saban flipped a 3-8 LSU team to winning season in one year, and by 2003, LSU was 13-1 and claimed the BCS championship. Following a mostly-successful four-year stint with the Miami Dolphins, Saban was named University of Alabama head coach in 2007, and led a previously lackluster team to a 12-2 record in 2008. A perfect season and national championship followed in 2009, and Saban has since led the Alabama Crimson Tide to BCS and AP national championships in 2011, 2012, and College Football Playoff championships in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2020, winning that championship three times.
Saban is a disruptive football coach. And that’s a good thing. He has a different skill set – one that has enabled him to coach previously unsuccessful players in a manner that led to winning seasons. And it’s no fluke, as he produced winning results across several football programs.
So, what does Nick Saban have to do with mobile phones and lawyering? A lot.
The Apple iPhone was dubbed “disruptive technology” when it debuted in 2007 because it changed the thinking of an industry and the expectations of mobile phone customers. Likewise, Nick Saban is a disruptive coach – his unique approach turned around every team he has coached in recent years, with players and fans coming to expect winning results.
The Disruptive Lawyer also embodies the right skills to disrupt – in a positive way – your expectations. In our book, The Disruptive Lawyer’s Little Black Book of Litigation Management*, we discuss a truth that is not always recognized or acknowledged:
All lawyers are not created equal. All lawyers do not have the same skill set. To achieve effective litigation management, you need to begin by acknowledging this truth and then finding lawyers with the appropriate skill set to accomplish your performance goals as measured by your metrics.
Cruser Mitchell’s Disruptive Lawyers have saved clients millions of dollars in fees and indemnity – many times being the “second law firm” hired on a case and handling it differently or disruptively – much like Nick Saban taking over another coach’s team. As we are in the “evidence” business, rather than telling you about great results, we will regularly share stories demonstrating Disruptive Lawyer results. Look for them in the weeks ahead.
*If you haven’t read The Disruptive Lawyer’s Little Black Book of Litigation Management, contact us at disruptivelawyer@cmlawfirm.com and will get a complimentary copy in the mail to you right away.