Nick Saban’s bio on Alabama’s athletic site begins, “A man of vision who has an unmatched record of championship success…”
You’re not kidding.
When Saban took over at Alabama ahead of the 2007 season, he inherited a program that went 6-7 in 2006 and had five non-winning seasons in the previous 10.
In 2008, Saban’s second year in Tuscaloosa, the Crimson Tide won 12 games to launch an active streak of 16 straight double-digit win seasons. While that is remarkable in and of itself, what might be most impressive is that Saban continued to win at a high level despite the many changes that have enveloped the landscape of college football in recent years. Not the least of those changes has been the advent of NIL, which has largely put the individual brand ahead of that of the team.
Read: Alabama Coach Nick Saban Retiring: A Legacy In College Football
Of course, recruits have long known they could enrich themselves by signing on with Saban’s teams. After all, he coached four Heisman winners – Mark Ingram (2009), Derrick Henry (2015), DeVonta Smith (2020) and Bryce Young (2021) — and produced 44 first-round NFL draft picks in his 17 seasons on the Crimson Tide sideline. In his college head coaching career, which began at Toledo in 1990 and included stops at Michigan State and LSU, the total is 49. That figure will grow as a few of his players from the past season will be first-rounders in this year’s draft.
Then there are Saban’s seven national titles, the most in college football history. His first was at LSU followed by six at Alabama to equal Paul “Bear” Bryant’s total with the Tide.
Saban had to change with times, or least tweak how he went about his business as, among other things, recruiting schedules, NIL and the portal began to alter the sport. All the while he remained true to his process, one that ultimately led him to the top of the coaching pyramid. It was a process that was unwavering in its attention to detail as he pressed the buttons that needed to pressed while also knowing when to let up.
Nick Saban may not have won a national championship in his final season, but at 72 he goes out on top.
Android Users, Click To Download The Free Press App And Never Miss A Story. Follow Us On Facebook and Twitter. Sign up for our free newsletter.
We can’t do this without your help. Visit our GiveSendGo page and donate any dollar amount; every penny helps.