2003 Alabama Crimson Tide football team

The 2003 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama during the 2003 NCAA Division I-A football season. They began their season trying to improve from a 10-3 (6-2) record from the 2002 season. This was the team's 71st year in the SEC. This season was the last that the team played at Legion Field in Birmingham due to unsafe conditions with the upper deck.^[1]

Head coach Dennis Franchione left after just two years with the program and one year after the team was hit with NCAA sanctions. He took a job at Texas A&M, deemed a controversial move.^[2]

The team later hired Washington State head coach Mike Price in December 2002 who coached the team until the spring of 2003. A story in Sports Illustrated said that Price had been seen at a strip club "making it rain" and yelling "Roll Tide, Roll!". He allegedly later checked into a local hotel with at least one exotic dancer from the club. The magazine further alleged Price had sex with one of the strippers, a claim which Price denied, although he acknowledged being intoxicated on the evening in question. He filed a $20 million libel and defamation suit against Sports Illustrated. He was subsequently fired by Alabama, though having never signed a contract.^[3]

On May 9, 2003, Alabama hired Mike Shula as their fourth head coach in four years.^[4]

Summary

Alabama began their season under first-year coach Mike Shula, after a rough off-season which had multiple coaching changes. The team struggled throughout the season, though they did come close in most of their games. A notable game from the 2003 season occurred on October 25 versus rival Tennessee which ended in a 51-43 five-overtime loss for the Crimson Tide.^[5]