Nick Saban isn’t necessarily as perceived.
Most view the Alabama coach as the Bill Belichick of college football — a grumpy old man set in his ways that hates the media, has no life outside of his office, and sometimes makes questionable decisions with his players. Also: someone who has claimed five national titles, four coming in the last seven years with the Crimson Tide.
But as ESPN senior writer Ivan Maisel points out in his latest column, Saban is, in fact, a human being. Despite what we see with reports — uncomfortable vocal wars with Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh and the SEC media day fiasco with radio host Paul Finebaum being most recent — Saban has actually softened up a little since taking over Alabama in 2007.
Seriously.
“On a scale of 1 to 10,” said Georgia coach Kirby Smart, who served under Saban in Tuscaloosa from 2007-15, “[with 10 being] just out-of-control, just manic, all ball when I first got with him, I really feel like that’s toned down to an 8 or a 7.”
Now, don’t misinterpret. Saban is still Saban. He’s just a little… different.
“That guy hasn’t disappeared,” Maisel wrote. “The two-dimensional public persona, the game face that has launched a thousand memes (and headsets), is here to stay, whether he goes Belichick or not. But that guy has moved over. The three-dimensional Saban has begun to emerge.”
Did you know that moments after exiting the scene from his blowup with Finebaum, he called him personally to apologize? Did you know that he also apologized to his media assistant for dragging him into it?
“…But later that afternoon, as Saban rode back to Tuscaloosa, he called Finebaum and apologized for losing his composure. When Saban hung up, he turned to his media guy, Josh Maxson, and apologized if he had made Maxson’s day more difficult.”
Did you know that Saban skipped out on Derrick Henry’s Heisman Trophy dinner two nights prior to the ceremony so that he could spend time with his granddaughter for her second birthday?
“Another small example: Saban did not attend the Heisman Trophy dinner, held two nights after Tide running back Derrick Henry received college football’s biggest honor last December. The coach stayed home to celebrate his granddaughter Amelie’s second birthday.”
In short, Saban is more than what we see. But either way, he’s fine with the way he is perceived. And so is his wife, Terry.
“Look, we’re all responsible for the image that we have,” Saban said.
“If you’re asking me if he’s any less intense as far as his competitive spirit? I say no!” said Terry Saban, Nick’s wife. “That competitive spirit will always be there. … That, you’re never going to change. But to realize you could go home at a decent hour. … You can take your wife out to dinner. On Sundays after work, you can visit with your granddaughter and enjoy life a little bit. So I see it as balance.”
Be sure to head over to ESPN to read Maisel’s full column, which includes many more quotes and examples of Saban’s true character and personality.
Tyler Waddell is a member of the Saturday Down South news team. He brings over five years of professional journalism experience and is closing in on a Bachelor's in sports management. Follow him on Twitter (@Tyler_Waddell).
