TUSCALOOSA--Alabama coach Nick Saban was retroactively named the NFL's 2006 Coach of the Year on Monday, one day after his former team, the Miami Dolphins, fell to 0-13 for the season. Saban went 6-10 with this Dolphins team, prompting some to call him a modern day Vince Lombardi.

“In retrospect, Nick Saban is one of the greatest coaches in NFL history,” said Sports Illustrated’s Peter King. “He took this Miami team – this miserable, wretched Miami team – and led it to a 6-10 record. That’s the most impressive coaching feat I’ve seen in a while. This year’s team can’t even figure out how to strap their helmets on. I know I’m going to get a lot of heat for saying this, but I think Cam Cameron has lost these players.”

Ironically, Dolphins fans were disappointed with Saban following the 6-10 season, believing they could have done better with a more experienced coach.

“I admit I didn’t think he did a very good job,” said former Dolphins coach Don Shula. “But it’s obvious now that he was a true visionary. The guy had Daunte Culpepper and Joey Harrington as his quarterbacks, so he might actually have been even worse off than Cam Cameron. And yet his steady hand guided them to a not terribly humiliating 6-10 record. For that he deserves to be Coach of the Year over that one-hit wonder Sean Payton.”

Payton, who won the award in 2006 for his work in leading the New Orleans Saints to a 10-6 record, was told today that he would no longer hold the title. He didn’t need to be told who as replacing him.

“Let me guess: Nick Saban, right?” asked Payton. “That guy did a phenomenal job last year with the Dolphins. I kind of figured he would get some kind of recognition. The only problem? I buried that award in our mock funeral earlier this year. Hopefully they can make a new one, because the last time I dug up a grave it ended real badly.”

After Saban abandoned the team in January of 2007 to become the head coach of Alabama, he was labeled a dishonest backstabber by the fans and media. Now those same fans and media, as well as his own former players, see him as a man who simply knew when to jump ship.

“Maybe Nick wasn’t some selfish jerk who was only in it for the money,” said linebacker Zach Thomas. “Maybe he was actually a genius. I can’t imagine what he must have been thinking when he saw that we hired Cam to replace him, though he did send me an email telling me we were going to go 0-18 this year. There’s not even 18 games in a season. Still, he's probably right. ”

When Saban heard the news of his retroactive Coach of the Year award, he accepted it graciously and humbly, deflecting praise to his players and assistants, as well as getting in some subtle jabs at those who mocked him.

“I sure do appreciate this,” he said in a telephone interview. “Of course, it’s a team award and I have to give all the credit to my staff and to my players for putting me in a position to win it. It’s unfortunate that people couldn’t recognize my genius while I was here, but sometimes it takes time for greatness to be acknowledged. The Jets are another example. A lot of people think Mangini is a terrible coach. Wait until next year when they bring someone else in there.”

Copyright 2007, The Brushback - Do not reprint without permission. This article is satire and is not intended as actual news.