NCAAF News: Alabama legend Nick Saban makes strong confession on GOAT debate

After stepping away from the Alabama Crimson Tide sideline following the 2023 season, Nick Saban left an indelible mark in college football. Walking away with six national championships in Tuscaloosa, plus another one with LSU in 2003, Saban has been widely considered the “Greatest of All Time” when it comes to NCAA head coaches. However, Saban recently admitted he is not fully bought into that idea.

Saban’s arrival in Alabama brought countless talents and future legends of the sport to campus, as well as a great collection of trophies. Since, Saban has been compared to the other mastermind in the Crimson Tide’s history: Paul “Bear” Bryant.

Bryant completely turned the page for a program that hadn’t won a title since 1941. He returned to Alabama in 1957, this time to coach his alma mater’s football team. Four seasons later, the Crimson Tide were back on top as the best team in the nation.

Bryant and Saban each won six national championships during their tenures in Tuscaloosa, leading the GOAT debate—a largely subjective discussion left to individual opinion. Regardless, Saban was asked whether, during his coaching years, he ever thought he was becoming the greatest of all time.

Head coach Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide looks on before the CFP Semifinal Rose Bowl Game against the Michigan Wolverines at Rose Bowl Stadium on January 01, 2024 in Pasadena, California.

“I never thought of it that way,” Saban admitted during an interview with The Pivot Podcast. “I never really ever thought about (being the GOAT), it was always like, ‘what’s happening next? What’s the next challenge?’ And there were always a bunch of challenges. I never really ever stopped to think about it. You know? It was always the next challenge, the next game, the next competition.”

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Head on a swivel

Saban knew better than to get too comfortable in the ever-changing landscape of the NCAA. Schools could rise at any moment, and even the apex predator, Alabama, had to stay alert to any threats in its surroundings

“The next season comes, and you know you’ve got to go perform and be the best you can be so you can keep your job,” Saban stated. “I never worried about keeping my job, but I did have this pride in performance that every year was like taking a new job.“