The day Alabama football fans have anticipated, and dreaded, has finally come. Nick Saban is retiring.
Some 17 years and 7 days after he was originally announced as the Crimson Tide’s head man, the GOAT has officially left the building. But not before he restored the once-great program to heights that even the most ardent crimson-clad supporters could have only imagined.
When Saban stepped to the podium on that January day in 2007, the predictions started. How long will he stay? How many championships will he win?
On a personal note, I well remember my prognostication. “He’ll be here for eight years”, I surmised, “and win three national championships”. I may as well have declared that the world was flat and the sky was green.
Not only did Saban win those three national championships in eight years, but he added an astonishing three more in the next nine seasons. And let’s not forget the nine SEC Championships along the way.
Without question, Alabama can now claim that the two best coaches in the history of college football have led the Alabama Crimson Tide. And with seven national championships, at two schools, even “The Bear” has to tip his hat to Nicholas Lou Saban. He is the best ever!
But, as driven as the man is, and at the heart of it, being better than all others wasn’t really his motivation. The lesson we should all learn from Coach Saban is to be your best self. To do your best all the time, every time. To set your Process and to follow it without fail.
Nick Saban will be remembered for many things. To most, it will be the games and championships that his teams won on the field. And that is as it should be. He was a great college football coach. The greatest.
But let’s give the man his full due. Nick Saban did things the right way. He won and lost with class and he demanded the same of his players.
He was a leader of young men at a very pivotal time in their lives. And every one of them who gave the Saban Way (The Process) a fair chance are better off for it today. Don’t take my word for it. Their tributes are pouring in, and will continue over the upcoming days, months, and years.
For Saban, it was never all about football. We all have turning points in our lives. Monumental moments and events that shape us and change us forever.
On April 27, 2011 a devastating tornado ripped through Tuscaloosa, AL. There were 64 fatalities, hundreds of injuries, and over $2 billion in damages.
Alabama long snapper Carson Tinker and his girlfriend, Ashley Harrison, took refuge in a closet of their rental home. Tinker held Harrison tight as the tornado ripped through the structure as if it were made of cardboard. They were hurled unmercifully through the air, landing some 50 yards away.
Tinker suffered a broken wrist and internal injuries. Tragically, Ashley Harrison did not survive.
Nick and Terry Saban played very instrumental roles in the rebuilding efforts in Tuscaloosa. They led the community in that effort with the same vigor that they led the Alabama football team.
And, if there had ever been a question of whether the University of Alabama was home for the Sabans, that question was forever erased in those days of rebuilding in Tuscaloosa.
The following season, the team won the second of Saban’s six national titles at Alabama.
And since that time, the Nick’s Kids Foundation has built 20 homes in its partnership with the Habitat for Humanity.
Originally established in 1998, Nick’s Kids Foundation serves to promote and support children, family, teacher and student causes.
“It’s impossible to express Tuscaloosa’s gratitude for Coach Saban,” said Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox upon hearing of Saban’s retirement. “Beyond unparalleled successes and countless championship trophies, Coach and Ms. Terry helped rebuild our community after the April 27, 2011 tornado and shaped our next generation through Nick’s Kids Foundation.”
Terry Saban issued this statement following the news of her husband’s retirement: “We hope that the Saban legacy will be about helping others and making a positive difference in people’s lives as well as the winning tradition on the field. Our Nick’s Kids Foundation will continue to help children, student, and teacher causes in the State of Alabama. The rules for the game of football may change, but the ‘process’ will never go out of style: hard work, discipline, the relentless pursuit of a worthy goal, not cutting corners, and doing things the right way for the sake of constant personal improvement, not for the scoreboard. Alabama will always feel like ‘Sweet Home’ to our family, and we’ll be cheering ‘Roll Tide’!”
The on-field accomplishments are astounding. They are unmatched in the history of college football. But the lasting difference that Nick and Terry Saban have made to the University of Alabama, the City of Tuscaloosa, the State of Alabama, the Southeastern Conference, and college football cannot be measured by numbers alone.
As a fan, I’ve tried to put my thoughts into words here. I’m sure you have many thoughts and memories of your own about the last 17 years.
There are really only two words that are appropriate at this time: “Thank You.”
