Nicholas Lou Saban Jr., shortly Nick Saban is an American Football coach at the University of Alabama since 2007. He is often hailed as one of the greatest coaches in college football.
Nick Saban is one of the most successful coaches in college football history. He has coached teams that have won championships after championships in a row.
Moreover, Nick has also previously served as head coach of the National Football League professional team Miami Dolphins.
Likewise, he has also served other universities, including Louisiana State University (LSU), Michigan State University, and the University of Toledo.
Here are a few quick facts before we get into the details of the life of Nick Saban.
Quick Facts:
| Full Name | Nicholas Lou Saban, Jr. |
| Birth Date | October 31, 1951 |
| Birth Place | Fairmont, West Virginia |
| Nick Name | Nick Saban |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Education | Kent State University |
| Horoscope | Scorpio |
| Father’s Name | Nick Saban, Sr. |
| Mother’s Name | Mary Saban |
| Siblings | One; Dianna Saban |
| Age | 72 Years Old |
| Height | 5ft 6 inches |
| Weight | 185lbs |
| Hair Color | Light Brown |
| Eye Color | Brown |
| Build | Athletic |
| Profession | Operative, Businessman, Scouting Assistant |
| Current Team | University of Alabama Football Team |
| Position | Coach |
| Active Years | 1995 – present |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Wife | Terry Saban |
| Kids | Kristen Saban Nicholas Saban |
| Net Worth | $60 million |
| Social Media | N/A |
| Merch | Paperback |
| Last Update | April, 2024 |
Nick Saban | Early Life, Family, and Education
Nick Saban Jr. was born on October 31, 1951, to parents Nick Saban and Mary Saban. Along with his parents, Nick grew up with his sister named Dianna Saban.
Both of them grew up in the small community of Monongah, West Virginia, and went to Monpgah High School.
Further, Nick played as a quarterback for the 1968 West Virginia State Championship Team. He played with Kerry Marbury, who became a professional football star later.
On December 18, 1971, when he was 20 years old, he married his girlfriend, Terry Constable.
He graduated from Kent State University with a bachelor’s degree in business, and in 1973, he got a master’s degree in sports administration, again from Kent State University.
In the beginning, Saban had no intention of being a coach, but Don James, the football team coach, hired him as a Graduate Assistant. He agreed because he was waiting for his wife to graduate.
Nick Saban | Coaching Career
Early Career
After serving as a Graduate Assistant to Don James, Nick became an assistant coach to NCAA Division I-A.
He went on as an assistant coach at several schools like Syracuse, West Virginia, Ohio State, Navy, and Michigan State.
After the 1987 season, Nick Saban became the assistant coach for the National Football League franchise, Houston Oilers.
Toledo, Ohio
The University of Toledo hired Saban as a head coach on December 22, 1989. Under Nick Saban’s training, the Rockets (University of Toledo Football Team) found quick success.
In 1990, the Rockets became Mid-American Conference champion with a season of 9 – 2. The only two games that the Rockets lost were by a low margin.
Cleveland Browns
After Saban resigned as Toledo’s head coach, he joined as the Cleveland Browns’ defensive coordinator under its head coach, Bill Belichick.
Saban continued in the position for four seasons before moving on to Michigan State. When asked about his time at the Cleveland Brown, Nick Saban explains those times as
“the worst four years of my life”
Michigan State
Nick Saban coached the team of Michigan State University from the season of 1995. They had not won any season after 1990, so there was a lot of hope from Saban to improve this drought.
The NCAA also sanctioned the team for violations of the rules while recruiting under its former coach, George Perles.
Post Saban, Spartans immediately saw an improvement in their games as he took them into the bowl games in each of his first three seasons.
In 1998, the Spartans miffed the No.1 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes with a 28 – 24 at the Ohio Stadium.
Even after a fantastic match and early-season rout of then-highly ranked Notre Dame, the Spartans finished 6 – 6.
This was mostly because of the last-minute losses, defensive lapses, and special terms misplays and failed to earn a bowl invitation. The 1999 season was a good one for the Michigan State Spartans.
They played the season at 9 – 2, which consisted of wins against teams like Notre Dame, Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State. The two losses they faced were against Perdue and Wisconsin.
In the same season, Saban resigned rather suddenly from the Michigan Team to accept the offer for the head coach of Lousiana State University.
The Michigan State assistant coach took over Saban’s position for the rest of the season, leading the Spartans to a historic 10 – 2 win at the end of the season.
Louisiana State University(LSU)
In November of 1999, LSU named Nick Saban as their 31st head coach. The 2000 season was somewhat average for the Tigers.
They won and lost an overall general amount of games, including losing to the Auburn Tigers and the Florida Gaters.
Nick Saban led the Tigers to a wonderful season in 2001 with a 10 – 3 record. They won an SEC championship and a Sugar Bowl.
They lost to the University of Mississippi, but apart from that, the Tigers had six straight wins, including winning against a #2 Tennessee and Illinois in the 2002 Sugar Bowl.
It was the first SEC championship for the Tigers after 1986 and the first Sugar Bowl since 1968.
Despite having high expectations for the 2002 season, the Tigers failed to hit the benchmark several times. They made rebounds in the midseason, but an injury to their star quarterback Matt Mauck.
This caused the Tigers to lose four of the last six matches that kicked them out of the SEC championship. The 2003 season started on a better note.
The Tigers won the first five games and impressively won against the defending SEC Champion and then-undefeated Georgia Bulldogs.
The Tigers went on to win the SEC West by losing only to Florida in the process.
Saban led the Tigers to defeat the Georgia Bulldogs again and went on to play the #1 Oklahoma Sooners in the Sugar Bowl.
Moreover, they were also the host of the BCS Championship Game. The Tigers won the game as well as the title.
The 2004 season was mixed with wins and losses. The Tigers won a few matches and lost a few. Nick Saban left LSU in 2004 to serve as the head coach for the Miami Dolphins.
Miami Dolphins
Nick Saban accepted the head coach position for Miami Dolphins on Christmas 2004.
The first season under Saban was a whirlwind one for the Dolphins. They had a fantastic start but went on to lose matches after matches before finally winning the streak again.
The Dolphins missed the playoffs by a narrow margin in the first season under Saban’s coaching.
In the 2006 season, the Dolphins were expected to make it to the playoffs, but they put up a disappointing game that season.
They bought an injured player and lost a few games but returned from it and won four games back to back and made it into the Superbowl.
This was the first losing season for Saban after being the head coach. Rumors that Nich Saban will be the head coach of the University of Alabama began circulating in the Football world.
While Saban repeatedly refused to talk about it, he later confirmed that he would not be joining the University of Alabama in 2006.
Nick Saban met with the officials of the University of Alabama in January 2007. This was after the season-ending loss of the Miami Dolphins.
University of Alabama
2007 – 2008 Season
The Tide(University of Alabama) saw significant changes from their otherwise subpar performances. The team completed the season undefeated for the first time in Saban’s career as a coach.
In the 2008 issue of Forbes, Nick Saban was on the front cover of Forbes magazine as “The most powerful coach in Sports.” The Crimson Tide went into a winning streak under Saban.
They won against strong contenders like Clemson Tigers, Arkansas, Georgia Bulldogs, Kentucky Wildcats, and the Ole Miss Rebels, etcetera, and became the number 1 team.
The Crimson Tide secured its first SEC Western Division Championship after 1999 and fixed its name in the 2008 SEC championship game.
Likewise, they finished their regular season with a win against the state rival Auburn. The Tide saw its first loss after a long time in the SEC Championship Game against Florida Gaters.
They closed out the season with another loss to Utah in the Sugar Bowl. He received several Coach of the Year Awards for his excellent coaching for the team.
2009 – 2010
The first game of the season of 2009 began with a win against Virginia Tech Hokies, 34 – 24. The winning streak continued with their game against Florida International and North Texas.
After a continuous win against Arkansas, Kentucky, Ole Miss, Carolina Gamecocks, the Tide became number 1 on the polls for the second year straight.
Alabama secured its second SEC West Divison Championship in 2009. They finished the regular season undefeated again.
In the SEC championship in 2009, the Tide defeated Florida Gaters and won the title for the first time since 1999.
The fourth season for Saban with the Crimson Tide was a whirlwind season. They started the season as Number 1. In their first game of the season, they defeated San Jose State.
The following weeks they defeated Penn State, Duke, Arkansas, Florida, etcetera but lost to South Carolina and broke its winning streak.
Their season was filled with more wins than under Saban that season. They again lost to their in-state rival Auburn, and eventually, the Auburns went on to become the champions for that year.
Read about Bill Belichick here!!
2011 – 2012
Under the leadership of Nick Saban, the Tides played flawlessly. The fifth season started for the Tide with a match against Kent State and Penn State.
The Tides defeated both of them. Crimson Tides went defeated North Texas, Florida Gators, and Arkansas.
They lost to the #1 LSU but bounced back with Mississippi State immediately. Eventually, the Tides played against LSU again for the BCS Championship Game.
They won, and Saban became the only coach in college football to have won 3 BCS Championship.
The sixth season started at the Cowboys Stadium with Michigan for the first time since 2000. Alabama won the game.
The Alabama Crimson Tide won their second 2012 SEC Championship and fourth for Saban.
2013 – 2014
The Crimsons started their season at #1. This season was a good one for them because they won the 2013 BCS National Championship Game.
Alabama went on to defeat Virginia Tech, Georgia Dome, Texas A&M, Colorado State, Ole Miss Rebels, Georgia State, Tennessee, etcetera.
A hasty decision in the match against Auburn ruined Alabama’s chances for the national championship that year.
Saban’s eighth season with Alabama started with an opening at the #2 in the coaches’ poll ranks.
The Tides went on to West Virginia, Florida Atlantic, Southern Miss, Florida, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Texas A&M, Tennessee. This concluded their 10th consecutive ten-win season.
Nick Saban led Alabama to win the SEC Championship game. This was the 5th win for Saban.
2015 – 2016
Saban and Alabama began their season #3 on the team as well as coaches’ poll. Their winning streak continued like the past seasons, with only a loss with Ole Miss.
They won the SEC Championship again. This was the sixth championship under Saban’s belt. Their 10th season started with the team as well as Saban at #1 on the polls.
Saban led the Alabama Tide into victory after victory over teams like Arkansas, Kentucky, Kent State, Ole Miss, LSU, Chattanooga, etcetera. Alabama won its 26th SEC title and Saban’s 7th.
2017 – 2018
The season started at the top of the polls for both Saban and Tide Crimsons. Alabama improved 5 – 0, and Saban improved 11 – 0 against former assistant coaches.
This season had a lot of victories, as Saban was a highly successful and efficient coach. This season was special for Saban as he won the first Sugar Bowl.
The team led by Nick Saban also won their 17th National Championship. The 2018 season started as #1 for both the team and Saban.
Their winning streak did not falter much this season, either. They won the SEC championship as well as an Orange Bowl.
2019 – 2020
Alabama opened as #2 in the AP and coached poll. This was an average season for Saban and the Tides because they did not qualify for the college playoffs for the first time.
It was also the first time Nick Saban lost two games in the regular season. The 2020 season was cut short due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
They started their season as #3 in the polls. They defeated teams like Missouri, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, etcetera before Saban tested positive for the COVID-19 and the University Athlete Director, Greg Byrne.
Nick Saban | Coaching Tree
As everyone knows, Nick Saban is one of the best coach makers in the industry. To date, he has coached numerous staff at Alabama to get a head coaching job.
Some of the names in Saban’s coaching tree were Jim McElwain, Billy Napier, Mario Cristobal, Mel Tucker, Mike Locksley, Major Applewhite Kirby Smart, Jeremy Pruitt, Lane Kiffin, and Curt Cignetti.
Apart from the names listed, there are more who has been prosperous through his coaching. Not to mention former Tennessee head coach Derek Dooley and former South Carolina head coach Will Muschamp.
Indeed, they do not come from Alabama’s background; however, they have worked with Nick Saban.
Having all of them in his group, it should come as no surprise as Saban is someone who owns the most national championships by a head coach in college football history.
Who is Nick Saban’s wife? Personal Life, Net Worth & Movie
Nick Saban is married to his high school sweetheart Terry Constable and adopted two children, Kristen Saban and Nicholas Saban.
Through his children, Nick has also become the grandfather of two grandchildren. Moreover, Nick and Terry are both devout Roman Catholics.
Saban attends the church before all of his matches. He also starred in the Oscar-Winning movie called The Blind Side.
Nick played himself and even modified his scripts to make the role be like real-life Saban. He earns an annual salary of $8.6 million.
Nick Saban is a wealthy man estimated to have a net worth of approximately $60 million. He is a charitable person who does charity through his kid’s trust fund.
Lakeside Mansion
Additionally, Nick Saban owns a lakeside property on the point of Lake Burton in woodsy Tuscaloosa County. Apparently, he got it after selling a $10.95 million investment property in the 2013 auction.
To illustrate, his mansion depicts large imported tile, rich red oak paneling, which all stand at 10,000 square foot plan. Not to mention, his mansion consists of over three levels with six bedrooms.
Alongside them, it includes a billiards room, a wine cellar, and an antique gate which is said to be imported from Barcelona. Apparently, it has an impeccable view with a stone lighthouse.
Saban’s statement during George Floyd’s death
Indeed, back when the news of George Floyd’s death strikes the INternet, many personalities put forward their thoughts.
Additionally, they were all involved in the protest. Likewise, Nick Saban also provided his views and statement right then.
Of Course, Nick stood fairly with his stance, stating their unjust behaviors while even calling out Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks’ references.
“Every life is precious, and we must understand we have so many more things that unite us than divide us. We are all part of this, and we must banish these types of injustices in not just our country, but our world, The ultimate future of our nation is in our hands. We must come together as a society and treat one another with respect and dignity.”
-Nick Saban
Apart from George Floyd’s case, Nick Saban has always been that respected coach. And, he is never scared to portray his own sense of judgment and expressions.
Looking back to the national anthem’s case, when the players kneeling to the ground was testified as disrespect.
Back then, Nick Saban was asked for his opinion, and he stated that one’s sense of disrespect doesn’t match everyones.
“I’m just a football coach. I don’t have all the answers to all the problems that we have in society. The one thing that’s a little disappointing to me is something that has always been really unifying, something that created spirit in our country and was very unifying is no longer that way.”
-Nick Saban
Face Mask
Back when Nick Saban got tested positive for the COVID 19, he was viral for his face mask. Apparently, he used to wear the SHEMA97 Functional Active Mask.
As reported by Andrews Sports Medicine, the mask can be found at around $15 online.
According to the sources, the mask is created with nano fabric technology and a micro dustproof fabric.
Furthermore, the mask boasts of 97.1% fine dust filter rate with its three layers. Additionally, the mask was designed by Dana Marquez alongside the help of the North American Group.
Social Media Presence:
Although there seem to be unverified accounts on both the website, Nick Saban is not on Twitter or Instagram, although there are unverified accounts on his name. However, his daughter constantly posts his pictures on her Instagram.
Some FAQs:
What is the Alabama record under Nick Saban?
During Nick Saban’s tenure at Alabama, they scored 165-23. Furthermore, he has led the team to 19 bowl game appearances, among which 14 of them are victories.
Not to mention, Saban has led the team to 8 SEC West titles, 7 SEC championships, and 6 national championships.
Who is in the commercial with Deion Sanders?
Nick Saban was featured with Deion Sanders in the Aflac TV Commercial, ‘Ready for Prime Time’.
Who is the guy in the blue blazer in the Aflac commercial?
Nick Saban is the guy in the blue blazer in the Aflac commercial.
When was Jimbo Fisher under Nick Saban?
Jimbo Fisher worked under Nick Saban as his offensive coordinator at Louisiana State University (LSU) from 2000-2004 before starting his head coaching career at Florida State University.
Why did Nick Saban invite Ernie Johnson?
Nick Saban invited Ernie Johnson to speak in front of the Alabama football team on August 12, 2021.
