ESPN announces Nick Saban documentary on legendary coaching career

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. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Indiana reached the College Football Playoff national championship riding an undefeated season and the Heisman-winning play of quarterback Fernando Mendoza.

Mendoza carried that momentum into the program’s first-ever national title on Monday night, completing 16 of 27 passes for 186 yards in a dramatic 27–21 victory over Miami, capping Curt Cignetti’s rapid and historic turnaround in Bloomington.

In the hours leading up to kickoff, however, the college football conversation briefly shifted away from the field as ESPN premiered a trailer for a major Nick Saban docuseries during "College GameDay."

ESPN announced a six-episode ESPN Original Series titled "Saban," produced in partnership with Words + Pictures.

The network said the project is currently in production and will feature more than 30 hours of interviews with Saban, along with over 80 interviews involving former assistants, players, family members, and observers from throughout his career.

A teaser for the series aired during "College GameDay," with a premiere date to be announced at a later time.

ESPN announces new 6-episode ESPN Original Series, 'Saban'

🏈 Highlighting the life & career of college football coach Nick Saban

Details: https://t.co/kfrif1s4SN pic.twitter.com/SRdiKfGuPo

— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) January 20, 2026

Saban’s college resume includes head coaching stops at Toledo, Michigan State, LSU, and a long tenure at Alabama.

Across his college head-coaching career, he compiled an elite .806 winning percentage (297–71–1) and won seven national championships, one at LSU in 2003 and six at Alabama in 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, and 2020.

Saban also served as head coach of the Miami Dolphins from 2005 to 2006, posting a 9–7 record in 2005 and a 6–10 mark in 2006 before resigning and returning to the college game.

Back at Alabama, Saban embarked on an unprecedented run that reshaped modern college football, cementing his status as the most decorated coach of the era.

He still holds the record for most claimed FBS national championships and never posted a losing season across 28 years as a college head coach.

Former Alabama coach Nick Saban smiles as he is on set during ESPN’s College GameDay | Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Beyond national titles, Saban collected more than 20 coach-of-the-year honors, including multiple AP and Eddie Robinson Awards and five SEC Coach of the Year selections.

He also coached four Heisman Trophy winners in Mark Ingram (2009), Derrick Henry (2015), DeVonta Smith (2020), and Bryce Young (2021).

Saban’s coaching tree has produced dozens of college and NFL head coaches as well, including Kirby Smart, Jimbo Fisher, Lane Kiffin, Steve Sarkisian, and 2025 AP Coach of the Year Curt Cignetti.

After retiring from full-time coaching, Saban joined ESPN as an on-set analyst for "College GameDay" in early 2024, was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2025, and now contributes across ESPN’s platforms.

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