As much as it makes me 
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Saban's single-minded butthole focus is what turned the trick for Bama. After the parade of "good guys" who came through there after Stallings, his pissed at the world mentality, his General Sherman through Atlanta focus was what the program needed.
I do find it amusing that only when led by certified buttholeS does that program find success. Bryant was a complete motherphuker and a total hardass butthole. Stallings, and I can vouch for this personally, was nothing like his grandfatherly demeanor when he was on the field. He was a mean ass, cruel son-of-a-bitch who wasn't above trading on precious little Johnny's mental deficiencies to make a point.
Bama needs bastard at the helm to succeed.
That said, the ray of hope for me is that bastards generally don't succeed over the long haul. There's only so long that people will tolerate being an butthole. That tolerance is completely dependent on winning. Right now, it's okay for Saban to be an butthole. But when the record's 9-3 and one of the three is a loss to Auburn, that prickly personality is going to piss off supporters, not just fans.
It's not just the butthole part...it's the intense discipline and newness of it too. Sometimes just the new message and fresh approach yields quick results. It's why you see it happen from time to time that a new coach comes in, brings his new discipline, new approach, and if he can sell it to the existing kids, a lot of times you get a quick turnaround and big results.
But as you mentioned, it often doesn't last with the same results, as that butthole-ness or "new" message often wears on kids after 3 or 4 years.
Take Saban at LSU...the year before he got there they were 3-8...his first year they were 8-4, then 10-3, but then dropped to 8-5. He peaked at 13-1 in the fourth year of his first recruiting class. But then back down to 9-3.
Lou Holtz (who is nothing like Saban, but was a "new voice" at S Carolina) had similar results. The year before he got there they were 1-10. His first year they were 0-11. But then he went 8-4 and 9-3. Again, 9-3 was the fourth year of his first class of recruits. After that he sank back to 5-7, 5-7, 6-5 before retiring.
A lot of coaches can keep it going, or after that first dip, they can stay creative and renew things within. I think we'll know a lot more about Saban's career at Alabama from years 4-5 than we will from years 1-3.
Other examples:
Alvarez's last year at Wisconsin 10-4. Bielema's first three years....12-1, 9-4, 7-6.
Gary Barnett's last year at Northwestern 3-9. Randy Walker's first 3 years 3-8, 8-4, but then back to 4-7, 3-9.
Bob Davie's last year at Notre Dame 5-6. Willingham's three years 10-3, 5-7, 6-6.
Willingham's last year at ND, 6-6. Chuck's first three years at Notre Dame, 9-3, 10-3, 3-9.
Dirk Koetter's last year at Arizona State 7-6. Dennis Erikson's three years, 10-3, 5-7, 4-8.
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