The Ultimate Nick Saban Leadership Resource Library

Brian Dodd on January 11, 2024 in Coaches

Click to Watch Coach Saban’s Retirement Interview with Rece Davis

The Statement

On Wednesday afternoon, the leadership and football communities were surprised with the following statement from legendary head coach Nick Saban:

“The University of Alabama has been a very special place to Terry and me. We have enjoyed every minute of our 17 years being the head coach at Alabama as well as becoming a part of the Tuscaloosa community. It is not just about how many games we won and lost, but it’s about the legacy and how we went about it. We always tried to do it the right way. The goal was always to help players create more value for their future, be the best player they could be and be more successful in life because they were part of the program. Hopefully, we have done that, and we will always consider Alabama our home.”

Coach Saban, you did do it the right way and helped create a legacy and value for his players which is unmatched.

The Records

Just check out a few of his statistics provided by The Athletic:

A record 7 national championships
292-71-1 record
84.7% SEC winning percentage – the highest in history
0 losing seasons in 28 years
16 seasons at Alabama with at least 10 wins
A record 109 weeks ranked Number 1
A record 104 wins against ranked opponents
A record 9 wins against Number 1 ranked teams
Enrollment at the University of Alabama increased 51% during his coaching tenure
123 NFL Draft picks
His Alabama players have earned $2,269,810,252 in the NFL to date
Stunningly, Coach Saban had more 1st round picks (44) than losses (29) at Alabama

We will never see this again.

I have often said if I could have lunch with just one leader other than Jesus, it would be Coach Saban. It would not be to discover his secrets on “The Process”, recruiting, team building, constructing a staff, how to run practice, strategy or some other football related item. I would spend our time learn about his ability to change, stay relevant, and have long-term success in an ever-changing industry.

We were robbed having Coach Saban as just a football coach. How our world would be different if he was the president, a statesman, or a leader of a major corporation or medical initiative? His leadership talents and gifts are hard to find and would permeate any industry. Coach Saban is one of one.