The modern term GOAT, an acronym for greatest of all time, has become overused and watered down to a degree. On social media, it’s often used humorously or in an endearing manner to those clearly undeserving of the title. In any capacity, there are still those undeniable figures whose names firmly hold the true weight of the expression. When it comes to University of Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban, there’s no denying what side of the proverbial line he’s on. When we talk about the greatness of coaches in any sport, Saban’s name will always be amongst the pantheon.
285-69-1 overall. 194-27 at The University of Alabama. 10 time SEC champion. 7 time national champion. 3 time CFP champion. Virtually every “Coach of The Year” honor possible as well. In most cases, multiple times over. That’s just the beginning of the legacy of the universally recognized greatest college football coach of all time, Nick Saban. We could go on all day and use every superlative imaginable to describe his otherworldly career. However, I’d like to pose a question that not many seem to want to ask. What does the exit look like for the GOAT? And when should it take place?
Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban – Roll Tide Wire
It’s something that —love him or hate him— Alabama and college football fans alike don’t seem to want to accept is near. Saban is 71 years old at present day and will be 72 years old before the end of the 2023 regular season. With all the aforementioned success, what’s the driving force behind his continued reign at the helm in Tuscaloosa? Pure love for the game? Reluctancy passing the torch? A combination of both? Or something else entirely? Regardless, the topic should be met head on at some point by media, fans, & Saban alike.
Framing is important when talking about something as unconscionable as a world without Saban running Alabama football, so let me provide a bit of context as to my right to speak candidly on this seemingly unapproachable subject. I was born in Foley, Alabama (Home of Crimson Tide greats Julio Jones, Dj Fluker, & Robert Lester). Then raised from birth on in Fairhope, AL (Home to Alabama great Bob Baumhauer). On top of that, my uncle is arguably the greatest Alabama offensive lineman of all time, Chris Samuels. I practically grew up in Bryant-Denny. I’ve also had the privilege of being recruited by the university as a player. Granted I was a 3 star center prospect with less than ideal measurables, but the access granted by the recruiting process allowed for me to see much of the inner workings of the program during the Saban renaissance years. Specifically from ’09-’14.
From being a 2 year old barely able to speak watching games in Bryant-Denny, then a 17 year old college recruit watching “The Game of The Century” in the same stadium, to a grown man nearing 30 years old post my own playing career watching Bryce Young’s incredible run the past two seasons, Alabama football has been a huge part of my life. I’ve been able to witness the rebirth of the greatest titan in the sports history. It’s one of the main reasons you’ll never see me overly critical of an 11-2 season in which the program wins the Sugar Bowl & suffers two last second defeats by top 12 teams on the road (by a combined 4 points). If I have learned anything from my time as a player, coach, and analyst, it’s that winning games consistently is HARD. Another thing, I vividly remember the down years of the program. Those years are now far removed from the national consciousness for a large faction, but in reality it hasn’t been that long. As a media member now I’ve certainly had to step back from the lifelong fan perspective and look at things with a wider lens. That birds eye viewpoint is how I’ve arrived here. Fan or not, you shouldn’t take this level of sustained success for granted. It’s unprecedented. Saban and Alabama surpassed the great Bobby Bowden and Florida State’s record for most 10-win seasons in a row (15). That’s another animal to delve into on it’s own, but I digress.
Rebirth of the Tide
As I grow older myself, I definitely understand the sentimental value and attachment that grows when you build something from the ground up. Off the heels of a decade of turmoil, recruiting violations, and multiple failed regimes at head coach, that’s exactly what Saban did when he left the Miami Dolphins to accept this job. Yes, Alabama was already one of the more storied programs in college football history, home to the now second most revered coach in college football history Bear Bryant, and boasted 12 national championships. Nevertheless, the state of the program was a far cry from the days of Bear or even Stallings for that matter. Resources, pedigree and recruiting base aside, the task of rebuilding a giant with the expectation that comes at the capstone is still laden with unrealistic aspiration.
Former Dolphins Head Coach Nick Saban – Al Messerschmidt Getty Images
Saban not only met those unrealistic goals in two years, he exceeded them. This unimaginable feat was even more impressive in the midst of recent success from SEC rivals Urban Meyer, Tim Tebow and the Florida Gators / Les Miles & the LSU Tigers. Even teams like UGA, Auburn, and Arkansas were further along than Alabama was when Saban took over. In his second season, he led the Tide to the SEC Championship game against the Gators. While they ultimately fell short to the eventual national champs, everyone knew that the Alabama Crimson Tide was back to being a serious program. In year three, Saban and company took it a step further. Not only did the team avenge their loss to the Gators in the SEC Championship, Bama went on to beat the University of Texas in “The Grandaddy of Them All” (Rose Bowl) to win the 2009 BCS National Championship with a 14-0 record.
After winning his first National Championship at Alabama, Saban famously gave a quote that rang true in a way that no one across the country could’ve imagined, “This is only the beginning.” That was in January 2010. Here we are in 2023, five additional National Championships, seven SEC Championships, 72 All-Americans, and 44 first round draft picks later, that promise was kept and then some.
What does the future look like?
I say all that to say, where do we go from here? It’s been two seasons since Alabama has hoisted the national championship. They’re 24-4 in the last two campaigns with an SEC championship win over UGA and a Sugar Bowl win over Big12 champion Kansas State. They’ve also lost a national championship to former longtime Alabama defensive coordinator and Saban understudy Kirby Smart and UGA. Additionally, the program has also endured literal last second defeats on the road at Texas A&M, Tennessee, and LSU. For any other program, with the exception of Ohio State and Georgia, those two seasons would probably be considered a resounding success. When you’ve had the success that this program has had the last 15 years though, that “disappointment” of not winning it all knocks the program back to earth in an odd way.
“The standard is the standard.” That’s the favorite quote of Alabama fans and national pundits alike. How realistic is that standard, though? National championship or bust? Undefeated or bust? Alabama and Nick Saban have unquestionably become a victim of their own success. Fair or not, that’s just the reality. This harsh reality has always existed in Tuscaloosa to a certain extent, but is now amplified due to 15 years of dominance over the field. This is where we should begin to unpack the future of Nick Saban and why we shouldn’t shy away from the conversation.
There comes a time where every major program undergoes a changing of the guard with these coaches of legendary status. We saw it when Kirby Smart took over for Mark Richt at Georgia. Most recently, we’ve seen it with Ohio State and the transition from multi-time National Championship winner Urban Meyer, to then offensive coordinator Ryan Day. Depending on who you ask, Day’s tenure has been a “failure” so far. What can’t be debated is that Ohio State is still amongst the top 3-5 programs in the college football universe. Since Meyer stepped down, the Buckeyes have played for a national title and been literally one snap away from playing in another title game. While many have been extremely critical of Day, myself included, that does not change the fact that Ohio State is still one of the premier institutions in the college football world.
Another more extreme example of transition is the recent story of USC. Since 2009 (post Pete Carroll), the west coast giant has only had four 10-win seasons and have faced their fair share of scrutiny in the public eye. Multiple failed tenures from the likes of Lane Kiffin, Steve Sarkisian, and Clay Helton left the program in dire straits of sorts. Despite that, they still have the 3rd most wins in the PAC-12 over the last decade and have bounced back tremendously with the help of new head coach Lincoln Riley, Heisman winner Caleb Williams, NIL, and the transfer portal. Even at what felt like the lowest possible stage of rebuilding from a program of that magnitude, they found their way back to prominence in a relatively swift manner. The carousel will never stop turning, and these institutions will always be in the forefront of the sport.
With that in mind, finding the coach to pass the baton to would surely be an undertaking. There’s no doubt about that. However, rest assured there will be no shortage of viable options for when that time comes. Clemson Coach Dabo Swinney has always been linked as a name that could potentially take over after Saban. To be fair, it makes a ton of sense. Swinney is an Alabama native who walked on the team and served as an assistant coach for seven years after his time as a player. There’s also a first year head coach options like Glenn Schumann, the defensive coordinator at the University of Georgia whose coaching career was essentially born and raised in the state of Alabama. Schumann immediately became a student assistant coach at the University of Alabama during his college years. After graduating, he spent time as a graduate assistant and was then hired as the director of football operations. During his time coaching for the Tide post grad, he became Kirby Smart’s right hand. Those two names figure to make the most sense. Regardless, we can expect the crème de la crème to vie for arguably the most distinguished position in the sport.
Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban & Georgia Head Coach Kirby Smart – Tony Walsh Georgia Photo
There’s always a new day. No one will ever be the next Nick Saban. The part that seems to be forgotten here is, they don’t have to be. The state of the program is superb. You quite literally could not ask for a better situation for a coach to enter into. Per 247 Sports, Alabama has had the number one recruiting class eight of the last ten seasons. Another almost gaudy statistic that doesn’t get talked about enough is EVERY recruiting class in Saban’s tenure has won at LEAST one National Championship. That only speaks to the caliber of player consistently on the team. Furthermore, Crimson Tide athletics will never be devoid of resources. Regardless of who’s at the helm, money will be spent and dedicated to whatever is needed for the program. Recruiting elite players and hiring the best coaches money can buy will never be an issue. Pressure will be there, but pressure was there when the program was in the gutter. This is the type of pressure you dream of if you have a competitive spirit within you. As great as Nick Saban is, and he is the greatest, the brand of Alabama Football is greater & will carry on fine no matter who the head man is.
Most everyone will have a strong opinion and certainly doubts regardless of who takes over. In spite of that, it will definitely be someone worthy of the opportunity. What they do from there is entirely on them. What is important in my opinion is when the eventual transition will take place. We aren’t at the point where there’s an unavoidable elephant in the room regarding Coach Saban’s future. He remains amongst the premier coaches in the sport and arguably the best recruiter. But at this point, why even get to the place where we straddle the line? You’ve built the greatest empire the sport has ever seen and carried the torch far longer than anyone could’ve realistically imagined. There’s nothing left to do- it’s time to entertain a graceful exit. It’s an option that’s almost never on the table in these situations. Whether it’s after this season or the next, it should be near. Very rarely do we see giants from any walk of life, especially in sports, bow out gracefully, timely, and dignified. Saban now has that opportunity in the near future. I for one hope he takes it head on while knowing what he’s done for Alabama and for the entire college football landscape can never be duplicated.
