Nick Saban on what keeps him going despite all his accomplishments at Alabama: ‘I hate to lose’
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This football season, Nick Saban will turn 70 during Alabama’s bid to repeat as national champions.
One could argue that Saban has nothing left to prove when it comes to coaching in college football.
So what keeps the greatest college football coach of all-time going despite all his massive success in Tuscaloosa?
For Saban, it’s not about what he’s accomplished in the past, it’s about what there is to accomplish today and in the future. If you missed it, this topic was recently discussed by SDS’s Matt Hayes.
During Saban’s most recent media availability, he was asked about the driving forces that keep him in the game all these years later.
“Yeah, well, I think every year is like a new year. Every year is a new team, it’s a new challenge, it’s like you took a new job,” Saban responded. “I always get excited about trying to build a team, and we have that challenge every year. In college football, you lose like 25% of your team every year. Most of the time you lose the leadership and some really really good players.
“You got to really develop young players to try to take their places. It’s very challenging, so I enjoy doing that, I have a passion for it. I think coaching is one of the greatest professions in the world.
“At this level, you have a chance to impact players in a very positive way as you help them develop as people, as students, and as football players. So, I get excited about that, I hate to lose, so you know, maybe that’s why I get excited about it.”
A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Michael Wayne Bratton oversees the news coverage for Saturday Down South. Michael previously worked for FOX Sports and NFL.com
