A man of vision who has a proven record of championship success, head coach Nick Saban returned the University of Alabama to the top of the college football landscape with his commitment to building the total program. After the victory over Ohio State in the 2021 College Football Playoff National Championship Game, Saban passed Paul “Bear” Bryant to become the only coach to win seven national titles in the poll era of college football.
Saban’s uncompromising dedication to excellence in every phase of the program resulted in six national championships since 2009. A nine-time National Coach of the Year, Saban achieved resounding success as a head coach and earned a reputation as an outstanding tactician, leader, organizer, and motivator. Those qualities sparked impressive turnarounds at every stop of his career. Saban’s consistent approach and disciplined leadership are the reasons his teams are known for exhibiting grit, determination, and resilience, often overcoming adversity to achieve victory.
The 2021 season proved to one of Saban’s best coaching jobs, taking a team that lost 10 players to the NFL Draft – including eight in the first 38 picks and six in the first round – and leading them to an SEC Championship. The 2021 squad also used a victory in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Cotton Bowl to earn a spot in the 2022 CFP National Championship Game for the sixth time in the last seven seasons.
The 2021 season saw the Crimson Tide win its eighth SEC Championship under Saban’s guidance with a dominating 41-24 win over No. 1 Georgia in Atlanta. The win earned Alabama it’s seventh College Football Playoff berth in eight years and a bid to the Cotton Bowl. The Tide dispatched of the Bearcats 27-6 in Dallas to advance to the National Championship where Georgia scored 20 fourth-quarter points for a come-from-behind 33-18 win in the CFP National Championship Game. Alabama finished with a 13-2 record and a No. 2 national ranking that included a 7-1 mark in SEC play. UA finished sixth nationally in scoring offense (39.9 ppg) and 18th in scoring defense (20.1 ppg) while ranking seventh in both total offense (488.2 ypg) and total defense (304.1 ypg).
In his 28 seasons as a collegiate head coach, Saban compiled a 297-71-1 (.806) record, including a 206-29 (.877) mark in Tuscaloosa. His teams won 19 bowl/CFP games. Saban’s teams at Alabama have won nine SEC Championships while he has 11 SEC titles to his name (2001, 2003 at LSU) to go along with seven national championships (six at Alabama and one at LSU).
Saban’s second season in Tuscaloosa in 2008, the Tide has played just three regular-season games in which it hasn’t been in contention for the national championship – the final three regular season games of the 2010 season – a staggering 163 of 166 games, while posting an astounding 176-19 (.903) record, including an 102-12 (.895) mark in regular season conference play.
In Saban’s six national championship seasons at Alabama, his teams went 21-2 against top-10 opponents, and, since 2008, the Crimson Tide is 35-12 overall against top-10 teams. Alabama has also been ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press Poll for at least one week for 14 straight years, which broke the record of seven established by Miami (1986-92).
In 1998, during their time at Michigan State University, Nick and Terry Saban established Nick's Kids Foundation in honor of the late Nick Saban, Sr. Since then, the Sabans have maintained and supported their charity throughout their careers at Louisiana State University, the Miami Dolphins and at the University of Alabama. As the official charity of the Saban Family, Nick and Terry invest their time in hosting luncheons, golf tournaments, scrimmages, and other events to benefit the cause. They are also active in the annual Giveaway Luncheon, which serves to distribute grants to support children, family, teacher and student causes. Nick and Terry also recently started the Saban Center, which is a first-of-its-kind STEAM campus where education, experience, and innovation meet. It includes community partners at TCT and IGNITE, formerly Children's Hands-On Museum, plus public-private educational partnerships spanning the state of Alabama. Saban Center will be a hub for education training, arts participation and academic support for teachers and families alike.
A native of Monongah, W. Va., Saban is a 1973 graduate of Kent State University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business. He earned a master’s degree in sports administration from Kent State in 1975. Born Oct. 31, 1951, Saban and his wife, the former Terry Constable, have two children, Nicholas and Kristen. They have been married for over 50 years and are enjoying the company of their friends, children, granddaughter Amélie, daughter-in-law Samira, and grandson James.
