Nick Saban is the GOAT
To say Nick Saban is the greatest college football coach of all time is not really an outlandish statement by any stretch. In fact this sentiment is accepted by 99.9% of people who share a thought or opinion on the sport. However, what I think gets overlooked is just how truly dominate Saban has been in his college football coaching career, especially at Alabama.
Nick Saban has won the most national championships (7) in college football coaching history, surpassing fellow Alabama coaching legend Bear Bryant (6) in 2020 when he led the Crimson Tide over Ohio State. Saban currently sits at number 5 all time in wins with 286. Joe Paterno is first with 409, Bobby Bowden second with 357, Bear Bryant third with 323, and Pop Warner fourth with 311. At the pace Saban has set over his 16 previous years at Alabama (12 wins a season), he would need to coach 11 more seasons to surpass Paterno as the all-time winningest head football coach in college football history. Saban turns 72 on Halloween this year, which means he would have to maintain this pace of winning until he was 83 years old. Paterno was 84 when he was eventually fired from Penn State.
The dominance that Saban has displayed at the University of Alabama is nothing short of spectacular. Entering his 17th season as the head football coach at Alabama, Saban has a winning percentage of 88 percent with 195 wins to only 27 losses. HE HAS ONLY LOST 27 TIMES IN 16 SEASONS!!!! That is less than 2 losses a season, just simply remarkable. Especially when you factor in how many times he has had to replace his offensive or defensive coordinators (sometimes both in the same season) because they keep getting hired as head coaches at other programs.
However, what I consider the most ridiculous stat about Nick Saban is that since he was hired at Alabama, he has not went 3 years in a row without winning a national championship! That is absurd! Saban won his first national championship at LSU in 2003 before taking over for the Miami Dolphins in the NFL in 2005 and 2006. In 2007 he was hired at Alabama. Saban has now won 6 national championships at Alabama. During a 60 Minutes interview with Armen Keteyian back in 2013, then University of Alabama Chancellor Dr. Robert Witt said, “Hiring Nick Saban is the best financial investment this University has ever made.” (618) "The Perfectionist" - YouTube
Nick Saban is the highest paid collegiate head football coach in the nation, and rightfully so, earning $11.7 million for the 2023 season. The University of Alabama has seen a 112% increase in revenue since hiring Saban.
Here’s a breakdown of each year Saban has been at Alabama:
2007 = 7-6
2008 = 12-2
2009 = 14-0 *National Champions
2010 = 10-3
2011 = 12-1 *National Champions
2012 = 13-1 *National Champions
2013 = 11-2
2014 = 12-2
2015 = 14-1 *National Champions
2016 = 14-1 *Lost in the National Championship
2017 = 13-1 *National Champions
2018 = 14-1 *Lost in the National Championship
2019 = 11-2
2020 = 13-0 *National Champions
2021 = 13-2 *Lost in the National Championship
2022 = 11-2
Nick Saban and the #3 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide host the #11 ranked Texas Longhorns this Saturday. Steve Sarkisian, the head coach at Texas, was the offensive coordinator under Saban at Alabama in 2019 and 2020. Saban’s record against his former assistant coaches is spectacular going 28-2, with losses to Texas A&M and Jimbo Fisher in 2021 and to Georgia and Kirby Smart in the 2021 national championship game.
Texas faces a monumental challenge at 6 p.m. on Saturday because besides all of the other impressive stats surrounding Nick Saban, the Tide’s record at home under Saban is 103-8 with 25 straight wins at home, including 19 straight wins at home at night. Three of those eight losses came in 2007 in Saban’s first year at Alabama, losing to Georgia, LSU, and Louisiana-Monroe (checks notes … yes Saban did indeed lose to the Warhawks of ULM). Since 2008, Alabama’s home record is 99-5.
So what does it take to knock off the Crimson Tide under Nick Saban in Tuscaloosa? It takes something special. Here is a breakdown of the 5 teams who have conquered that feat since 2008.
2010 = Auburn won 28-27 led by Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Cam Newton. Auburn went on to finish 14-0 and win the national championship.
2011 = LSU won 9-6 in overtime but Alabama would get their revenge by beating the Bayou Bengals 21-0 in the national championship game later that year.
2012 = Texas A&M won 29-24 led by Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Johnny Manziel.
2015 = Ole Miss defeated Alabama 43-37 as Alabama quarterbacks threw 3 interceptions.
2019 = LSU won 46-41 led by Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Joe Burrow. LSU went on to finish 15-0 and win the national championship.
So for Texas to leave Bryant-Denny Stadium victorious Saturday night, they need: a Heisman winning quarterback, or a team good enough to win the national championship (or both), or force at least 3 Alabama turnovers.
The Longhorns better pray for turnovers.