Nick Saban Opens Up About How He Countered 'Rat Poison' at Alabama

The former Crimson Tide head coach explains how he "used to use the media a lot" during press conferences as a way to talk to the team.

Jan 1, 2026; Pasadena, CA, USA; Nick Saban on the ESPN College Gameday set during the 2026 Rose Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff at Rose Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Nick Saban spent his entire career reshaping the college football landscape. Still, even in retirement, the former Alabama head coach continues to offer insight into the mentality that fueled the Crimson Tide’s dynasty. 

Saban appeared on the Pat McAfee Show Friday to discuss some of the biggest games of Week 4 in college football, but Alabama fans who tuned in got a glimpse into the mind of Saban, as he further explained how he effectively utilized “rat poison”.

He revealed that during his coaching tenure, he never read any headlines or stories surrounding his team for fear of tampering with his team’s psyche.

“They would tell me things that I needed to know that were happening, that I might get asked about, but I tried to stay away from the good and the bad, whatever was being written, because I didn’t want to affect what I was trying to do with the team,” Saban said.

The seven-time national champion continued by explaining how he would manipulate press conferences to send messages to his team when he believed it was necessary.

“I used to use the media a lot in terms of my press conferences and the message that I sent to the media,” Saban said. “I was really talking to the team.”

That “rat poison” label became a staple of Saban’s press conferences, his way of warning players about the danger of believing the outside praise or criticism. He said that this was a constant struggle for him and his staff, especially when times were good in Tuscaloosa, which they were pretty much the entire time he was there.

“When you lose your edge in this game, man, you get bad quick,” he said. “So it was always a fight, especially when you were dealing with success, to keep people on edge so that they had the intensity that you needed to be able to play well.”

Saban’s comments can carry weight for this year’s iteration of the Crimson Tide. In an era when anyone can launch a podcast and every opinion becomes instant noise, the challenge of blocking out the noise has reached new levels.

Alabama’s next chance to block out said noise is Saturday under the lights at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium against South Carolina. Kickoff is slated for 6 p.m. CT, with streaming available on ESPN.

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