Column: Nick Saban's Legacy is Simple, Greatest College Football Coach Ever
Like with so many other successful coaches, Nick Saban has numerous ways to get a point across, and anecdotes that get retold every few years to new and younger audiences.
“Saint,” or now “Grampa” Nick telling a story goes something like this: “I’ll never forget fishing as an 11-year-old in West Virginia, and I’m fishing down by this lake where the hot water runs off from the coal mine because that hot water is where the catfish like to hang out. This guy is just sitting there pulling in huge catfish, but throwing them back, and then he’ll catch smaller ones and keep them.
“I’m not catching anything at all, but I’m like ‘Hey man, why do you keep those little ones and throw back those huge ones.’ His answer was ‘Because I’ve only got a 9-inch skillet.’
“See? You have to know who you are.”
So who is Coach Nick Saban? Just the one everybody in college football was chasing and the man who pieced together the greatest dynasty the game has ever seen. While his career numbers have been nothing short of spectacular, the ones at Alabama can only be described as unparalleled and unprecedented.
In terms of national championships, he won the most. He arguably recruited better than anyone in college football history. He was set to reach two amazing accomplishments by 2017: Having coached the most consensus All-Americans and the most first-round selections in the NFL Draft.
Through 2012 he had a perfect record when a crystal football was on the line. He notched the most wins when ranked No. 1, and beat the team ranked No. 1 the most. He’s the only coach in the modern era to win titles with two different programs, and he’s done so while competing in a conference that was similarly at its own unique level.
Moreover, his players graduated at a very high level and won academic awards. Not only was Saban the only coach to have a Heisman Trophy winner at Alabama, while he, Steve Spurrier, and Phillip Fulmer are the only coaches to have two winners of the Campbell Trophy, the academic Heisman.
Saban hasn’t just become the coach to beat and/or emulate, he’s set a new standard while simultaneously taking his place in college football lore, alongside Notre Dame’s Four Horsemen, Woody vs. Bo, and Doug Flutie’s Hail Mary. Fans in Tuscaloosa especially had experiencing and enjoying names, games and seasons that will soon be described as “hallowed,” and discussed more over time instead of less, while helping redefine the sport and its place in our culture.
If you doubt the correlation, try substituting the world “football” for “life” with any famous quote from a player or coach.
“Football is like life,” Vince Lombardi once said. “It requires perseverance, self-denial, hard work, sacrifice, dedication and respect for authority.”
Saban may understand that as well as anyone. While so many other coaches and players have embraced the flashier “instant gratification” parts of the game, he has remained true to its core by promoting a power offense, an even tougher defense, and a relentless pursuit of excellence.
He played to his team’s strengths, but looks to wear down opponents and took away their will to compete (which sometimes happens before halftime), no matter the setting. When preparing for the BCS National Championship Game at the end of the 2012 season, Notre Dame defensive coordinator Bob Diaco had someone put together a collection of Alabama defensive snaps on third-and-7 or longer, and said after watching it, "We called it a day after that because we were all demoralized.”
Imagine how he felt after the 42-14 thrashing.
Football is changing like never before, but turnovers and explosive plays still decide the majority of games. But it’s hard work and paying attention to the details that have led the Crimson Tide to its latest dynasty and becoming the NFL’s primary resource of talent.
"He has everything in place at Alabama: recruiting, facilities and support from the administration,” an anonymous assistant coach at a rival SEC school told ESPN in 2013. “People ridicule him for always talking about the 'process,' but there isn't a better blueprint for winning anywhere out there. It's been a perfect plan so far. I don't see Alabama slowing down unless he retires."
Apparently, that time is now.
Unlike his previous stops, where Saban kept moving on after five years, this time he stuck around to enjoy the ride, in part because there were no more steps to take in college football. Finally reaching the pinnacle, and landing at the perfect school at the right time, the championships started to flow.
More than anything else, that will be his eventual legacy, of pure greatness.
Christopher Walsh's column regularly appears in BamaCentral. Part of this post first appeared in the book: Nick Saban vs. College Football.
