Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban Retires as College Football’s Most Decorated Leader of Men
Few coaches in all of sports have been more successful over the past two decades than Alabama’s Nick Saban, both on the field, and off it. Only New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick (6 Super Bowls) is in the same stratosphere with Saban’s 7 college football titles in 20 seasons. Ironically, Saban was once a Belichick protege. Belichick had Tom Brady. Saban had collegiate turnover every year, and that makes his Alabama dynasty even more impressive.
Turning the Tide
One championship at LSU in 2003 got the ball rolling for a longtime coach seeking Division I recognition. Six more titles with the Crimson Tide in 17 seasons (2006-2023) secured his place among football royalty. Saban will forever be synonymous with Alabama, the SEC and the greatest coaches of college football, if not thee greatest. But that CFP championship trophy? It’s been encased in glass elsewhere over the past three seasons — Georgia, 2. Michigan, 1. And with that shift away from a once-untouchable ‘Bama dynasty, things began to change. The ever-evolving college sports landscape brought football’s Crimson giant back to Earth. Still great, but ready to go.
The 72-year-old ball coach walked away on Wednesday night, retiring with more titles than any coach in modern football, ever. If there was a GOAT of college football coaches, it’s Nick Saban.
Here’s where he ranks among the all-time greats:
Most College Football Championships
1. Nick Saban (Alabama): 7
2. Bear Bryant (Alabama): 6
T3. Woody Hayes (Ohio State): 5
T3. Bernie Bierman (Minnesota): 5
T5. Frank Leahy (Notre Dame): 4
T5. John McKay (USC): 4
Most SEC Championships
1. Bear Bryant (Alabama & Kentucky): 14
2. Nick Saban (LSU & Alabama): 11
Most 1st-Round Draft Picks Produced
1. Nick Saban (LSU & Alabama): 49 Players
2. Joe Paterno (Penn State): 33 Players
3. Mack Brown (UNC & Texas): 23 Players
Most Total Wins (Division I/FBS)
1. Joe Paterno (Penn State): 409 Wins
2. Bobby Bowden (3 Schools): 377 Wins
3. Bear Bryant (4 Schools): 323 Wins
4. Pop Warner (2 Schools): 311 Wins
5. Nick Saban (4 Schools): 292 Wins
*Saban was only a head coach for 28 seasons. The other top-4 ahead of him in all-time wins coached 38 seasons or more.
Much More Than Wins & Trophies
I liken Saban to the same category as former Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski due to his impact as a leader. Sports can often be oversimplified by wins and losses. Those matter, but at the collegiate level, the futures of young athletes matter more. That’s one thing Saban stood for in a sports world continuing to chase dollars — developing young men.
“The goal was always to help players create more value for their future, be the best player they could be and be more successful in life because they were part of the program. Hopefully, we have done that, and we will always consider Alabama our home.” — Nick Saban
Read More
FOX Sports: Nick Saban Leaves the Widest Gaping Hole in College Football History
The Athletic ($): Nick Saban Retires as Alabama Coach, Ending ‘Truly Remarkable’ Career
USA Today: Deion Sanders Thinks College Football Changed So Much It ‘Chased’ Nick Saban Away
