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Since Nick Saban came to Tuscaloosa in 2007, most Tide fans can’t picture a future without him.
That’s probably because he’s one of the best coaches to have ever graced the SEC. His name is spoken in the same breath as Bear Bryant, Steve Spurrier, Robert Neyland, Frank Thomas, John Vaught and Shug Jordan.
Saban has three national titles for the Tide, and he is now contending for a fourth. In the last nine seasons, he has claimed four conference titles and five division titles.
He currently leads the SEC by winning 84 percent of his games, and he can continue to build on that in this postseason.
Not only does he get wins with his team, but he also molds great individual players. Alabama has produced 17 first round draft picks and 35 first-team All Americans. He also coached the first Heisman winner in Alabama history, and he’s now coaching Heisman hopeful Tide RB Derrick Henry.
Saban has been well recognized for his performance with the Tide. In his career as a college coach, he has won 14 Coach of the Year Awards; ten of those were at Alabama and three were SEC Coach of the Year.
It doesn’t look like he’ll be slowing down any time soon, and I don’t think Alabama fans will mind that. But he does have a lot of work ahead of him.
In less than a month the No. 2 Tide will face off against No. 3 Michigan State in the first round of the College Football Playoffs. If Alabama gets the win, its next test will be against the winner of the No. 1 Clemson vs. No. 4 Oklahoma game.
Obviously, the winner of that game will be the new national champion, and if it’s Alabama, it will certainly add some bolded numbers to his resume.
But even after the playing season ends, Saban’s work will still not be done.
With defensive coordinator Kirby Smart taking the head coaching position at Georgia and several other Tide assistants atop the want-to-hire lists around college football, Saban will have his hands full rebuilding his coaching staff.
But if history has taught us anything, it is that everything Saban does, he does well.
