College Football HQ

Nick Saban reveals 'biggest mistake I ever made' in career

Nick Saban is considered college football's greatest all-time head coach, but the 7-time national champions believes he made one critical mistake.
James Parks|
Seven-time national champion Nick Saban believes there was one mistake in his career that was the biggest.
Seven-time national champion Nick Saban believes there was one mistake in his career that was the biggest. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

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Alabama Crimson TideLSU Tigers

Nick Saban left a legacy that remains unmatched in college football history, retiring with an NCAA-record seven national championships to his credit, but the head coach admits there was one mistake that was his biggest professional regret.

That was leaving LSU for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League.

“When I left LSU, that was probably the biggest mistake that I ever made, not because we didn’t have success in Miami,” Saban said on The Pivot podcast.

“I enjoyed coaching in Miami. I found out in that experience that I like coaching college better because you can develop players personally, academically, athletically, and all that a little more than pro ball.”

Saban shared the story of how that one decision was made, when he was considering his options in conversation with agent Jimmy Sexton.

Asked if he would rather be Bear Bryant or Vince Lombardi, the choice was obvious to Saban.

But he didn’t follow through with his own advice.

“Jimmy Sexton stood on a balcony when I was at LSU making a decision about whether to go to Miami or stay at LSU,” Saban said.

“He said, ‘What do you want your legacy to be as a coach? Do you want to be Vince Lombardi or Bear Bryant?’ 

“Without hesitation, I said, ‘Bear Bryant.’ I went anyway,” Saban said.

But while Saban may regret the decision to leave LSU and try his luck in the NFL, in the grand scheme of things, his move to Alabama really couldn’t have turned out any better.

After winning six national championships with the Crimson Tide, he matched and surpassed Bryant’s own record at the school, and his seven rings are the most in college football history.

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James Parks
JAMES PARKS

James Parks is the founder and publisher of College Football HQ. He has covered football for a decade, previously managing several team sites and publishing national content for 247Sports.com for five years. His work has also been published on CBSSports.com. He founded College Football HQ in 2020, and the site joined the Sports Illustrated Fannation Network in 2022 and the On SI network in 2024.

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