Let the Debate on How to Honor Nick Saban Begin: 5 Suggestions
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — If you ever want to visit the Paul W. Bryant Museum in Tuscaloosa, it’s on Bryant Drive, next to the Bryant Conference Center. You know you’re getting close if you see the Bryant Statue in front of Bryant-Denny Stadium, but need to turn around before reaching Bryant Apartments. On the other side of town, of course, is Paul W. Bryant High School.
How many of these things should be named after the legendary coach? All of them. When it comes to iconic stature in this part of the country, Bryant is unparalleled, and not just in college football. But years later, another coach came along and topped many of his on-field accomplishments while also making a huge impact on the community. Nick Saban, and his wife Terry, also left a mark that will last longer than the concrete used to celebrate the team captains on the legendary Walk of Fame on campus.
Now that his collegiate coaching career has ended, how do we honor Saban? When the shock of his retirement passes, that'll be the question on everyone's minds especially considering the standard set in saluting Bryant. Moreover, his statue on the Walk of Campions was dedicated in back 2011, before he even won his second national title with the Crimson Tide.
Of course, there will be a variety of local businesses associated with the Saban name, like Bryant Bank, which was founded by Paul W. Bryant, Jr. in 2005. He's involved with numerous car dealerships and The Alamite Hotel downtown.
However, for the fans, community and game to show their appreciation, here are some ideas to get things rolling on a variety of levels:
Locally: Hopefully in the near future we'll see the major part of the construction start on the Saban Center, which will include a children’s museum, academic support center and children’s theatre. A new pedestrian bridge leading up to the location recently open in the River District Park.
Additionally, though, a Tuscaloosa-area school named after Nick and Terry Saban seems like it should be a given at this point.
State: If you've ever driven around the Miami area, a lot of the highways are named. Among them, there's the Palmetto Expressway, Port Everglades Expressway, Julia Tuttle Causeway (the "Mother of Miami" is the only woman to have founded what would become a major American city), and Alligator Alley, which is also known as Everglades Parkway. There's also Dolphin Expressway and the Don Shula Expressway.
The Saban Expressway has a nice "ring" to it (pun intended). So does Champions Highway.
University: Nick Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium sounds pretty good. But so does Bryant-Saban Stadium.
Generally speaking, removing someone's name usually isn't the way to go with something like this. But consider the following:
Denny Stadium, which opened in 1929 with a seating capacity of 6,000, was named in honor of George Hutcheson Denny, the 15th president of the university who wisely used football as a way to promote the school. It was built to replace Denny Field, which was located a couple of blocks away from where the stadium was built and still stands (albeit much bigger).
It seems like a nice comprise, and better tribute for all involved, would be Denny Field at Bryant-Saban Stadium. Plus there's still Denny Chimes in the heart of campus.
College Football Hall of Fame: Immediate induction. When the next ballot comes out in June, Saban's name will almost certainly be included unless he does something shocking like sign on to be Bill Belichick's defensive coordinator for an NFL season (how much fun would that be?). Per the selection rules, a coach becomes eligible three full seasons after retirement or immediately following retirement provided he is at least 70 years of age (active coaches become eligible at 75 years of age).
What would make it really special for Saban, though, was if some of the players he coached were inducted in the same class. There are numerous players from other schools who played during the Saban era with the Crimson Tide who have been enshrined, but Alabama is so backed up in the selection process that Antonio Langham, who was a key part of the 1992 national championship team, is part of the 2024 class. The Crimson Tide's previous enshrinement two years previous was Sylvester Croom.
College Football Playoff: The national championship trophy could use a name. , similar to the NFL's Vince Lombardi Trophy. Granted, Saban actually held up the crystal football more times (four) than the playoff award (three), but what better way to honor the person who dominated the game at the start of the playoff era?
Have an idea how Nick and Terry Saban should be honored? Make a suggestion in our comment section (top of story, click on big crimson oval icon).
Christopher Walsh's column, and All Things CW notes column, regularly appear on BamaCentral.
