Nick Saban reveals to Joel Klatt what he still loves about his job at Alabama
By Keith Farner
Published:
Nick Saban is regularly reflective about big-picture topics, and Joel Klatt of FOX Sports delivered the latest example of how the Alabama coach looks at college football in general.
During a production meeting last week, Klatt asked Saban a simple question: What do you love about this job still?
Klatt recalled the story on his podcast on Monday, and said he was proud that Saban paused to consider the question, and didn’t have a stock answer in mind.
“Well, I guess the fact that the chase is better than the capture,” Klatt recalled Saban saying.
Then Klatt said, “I immediately think of Texas. I’m sitting there and I’m looking at Nick Saban and I immediately think of Texas. Why? Because Bama, ever since that game has been enthralled with, and enamored with the chase. And he’s not talking about the weekly chase leading up to a championship, capturing a championship. Nick Saban was talking about Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday and the chase leading to the capture of the individual game. He had brought it all the way down to a micro level where he loves Monday. He loves his staff meeting at 7:30 a.m. on Monday, and his staff meeting at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday. He loves the self-discipline and answering the question: ‘Will you do what it takes to be successful?'”
Klatt pointed to that being the problem for Texas. The Longhorns were so focused on “being back” that they forgot about the chase. Klatt said similar meetings with Texas coaches and players revealed a change in that mindset compared to previous years, and now the Longhorns are more focused on the preparation it takes to win games.
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
