Paul Finebaum delivers stirring tribute to Nick Saban’s Alabama legacy
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Paul Finebaum has watched Nick Saban’s career at Alabama intently. Now, the popular ESPN Radio host is watching with the rest of the country as Saban rides off into the sunset.
On Wednesday, Saban announced to his players and the college football world that he is indeed retiring from coaching. He leaves college football with 7 national titles, including 6 at Alabama, as a true legendary figure in the sport.
Finebaum was quick to follow the announcement with a stirring tribute to Saban, initially drawing a line back to the end of the Bear Bryant era in Tuscaloosa. Finebaum pointed to a brief resurgence for the program with a title under Gene Stallings but an overall stretch of prolonged “ineptitude” for the Tide.
“A national title did come in 1992. But afterwards, it only seemed Alabama had made a deal with the devil,” said Finebaum. “And mostly incompetence and ineptitude prevailed in losing seasons and multiple NCAA sanctions.”
Then, Finebaum described the arrival of Saban as a parting of the seas. He even fondly recalled setting lofty expectations for Saban, expectations that the head coach exceeded:
“Finally, on Jan. 4, 2007, the Crimson Sea was seemingly parted when Nick Saban landed as Alabama’s football coach. The morning of the announcement, I boldly proclaimed Saban would win a national title in 4 seasons,” recalled Finbaum. “I was wrong. He won his first title for the Tide in just 3.
“Saban did it his own way which was really the only way it could be done at Alabama… Saban never blinked an eye that had come before him, only what would lie ahead.”
Here is the full tribute from Finebaum, simply titled “Legacy.”
“Saban did it his own way which was really the only way it could be done at @AlabamaFTBL.”@finebaum on the legacy of Nick Saban ? pic.twitter.com/iQDSy3sz3i
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) January 10, 2024
Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.
