Turning the Tide.(hiring of football coach Dennis Franchione by University of Alabama)

Coming off its worst season in 43 years, Alabama hired Dennis Franchione to recapture its glory. His record says he's up to the challenge.

Dennis Franchione is busy organizing his desk, shuffling through all sorts of papers. To one side is a stack of letters, at least 200 of them. Some have advice, and all have messages of support for Alabama's new football coach.

Crimson Tide crazies from all over--Huntsville to Montgomery and Anniston to Dothan--want Franchione to know how much they love him. He can ease their pain. He can make the bleeding stop after a 3-8 season, the program's worst in 43 years.

Franchione is impressed by the number of letters but not surprised. This is Alabama, where the Holy Trinity is Bear Bryant, Joe Namath and Don Hutson. Franchione plans to save some of the letters. His psyche might need an injection of inspiration at the first sign of trouble--like when fans want to know why the Tide can't score every time it has the ball. When that happens, he can reach into the drawer, pull out a few of the letters and be flushed with that "I'm wanted" feeling again.

"Every once in a while, there's a tip in one of them," he says with a laugh. "Like, `Beat Auburn. Beat Tennessee.' Here's one that says, `We should expect the best and believe that we have exactly that. We will support you.' But mostly, they have just been supportive letters."

Alabama fans have reason to give thanks. Franchione is the best coaching hire among all who filled 22 Division I-A openings. The former TCU coach, who turns 50 in March, knows what's at stake. He knows why he's being paid between $1.2 million and $1.4 million a year for seven years. He's not afraid of the expectations that lurk at the foot of the main gate to Bryant-Denny Stadium. That's why he'll succeed.

Franchione respects the 600-pound shadow that is the ghost of Alabama past. He knows what Bryant and the warehouse of memories he left mean to the people of the state. But Franchione keeps it all in perspective because he hasn't spent his life being told to fear and revere all that is Bear Bryant. He embraces yesterday, but he isn't suffocated by it.