On Monday, Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne announced that head football coach Nick Saban will have his contract extended through the 2028 season.
This is a three year increase on his previous contract making it a total of eight years where he will be leading the Crimson Tide’s program.
“Terry and I are pleased and happy to sign another contract extension that will keep us in Tuscaloosa through the end of our career,” Saban said in a release. “Our family calls Tuscaloosa and the state of Alabama home, it’s a place where our roots now run deep. This agreement gives us the chance to continue to impact the lives of the young men and their families who choose to play football and get an education at Alabama. We want to thank the Board of Trustees, Chancellor St. John, President Bell, Director of Athletics Greg Byrne, our athletics administration, the football staff and the whole University community for their support.”
Saban will have a base salary and talent fee of $8.425 million for the current contract year which will increase annually throughout his contract.
As he enters his 15th season, Saban has won six national titles in Tuscaloosa with the most recent coming last season where Alabama defeated Ohio State to complete it’s perfect 13-0 season. Alabama has been ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press Poll for at least one week for 13 straight years, which broke the record of seven established by Miami (1986-92). Saban’s 127 (127-12, .914) wins over the past decade are the most for any Football Bowl Subdivision school during a 10-year span in the Associated Press poll era (since 1936).
“Coach Saban is the best college football coach in the nation, and one of the greatest coaches of all time in any sport, and we are extremely fortunate that he has agreed to another contract extension at Alabama,” said Byrne in a release. “From the success of his teams on the field, to the accolades off the field and the accomplishments in the classroom, we could not be prouder of this program and what Coach Saban has done to create a championship culture in all aspects.
“Not only has the impact been felt here at The University, but throughout the community and the state thanks to all he and Ms. Terry have done through the Nick’s Kids Foundation and beyond. They are incredible people, and we are very thankful to have them around for many years to come.”
The Crimson Tide’s 2020 Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 990 bettered the national average for Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) teams by 22 points. Alabama football also earned public recognition from the NCAA for their APR score figuring in the top-10 percentile nationally among all football teams, while posting a Graduation Success Rate (GSR) of 88 in the figures released last November. The Alabama football program was among six recipients of the 2019 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Academic Achievement Award. It marked the second time in the last three years the Crimson Tide earned the recognition with a perfect score of 1,000 in the NCAA’s single-year APR.
“Coach Saban’s impact on The University of Alabama is immeasurable,” said University of Alabama President Stuart R. Bell. “What his teams have accomplished on the field is extraordinary. Moreover, he is dedicated to ensuring his student-athletes are successful beyond their sport with a stringent focus on their academics and personal development. We’re thrilled to have Nick and Terry Saban, who are among UA’s most distinguished ambassadors, leading by example and serving others in our community for many years to come.”
Beyond the success on the field and in the classroom, the Sabans have been very involved in community initiatives. Since arriving in Tuscaloosa in 2007, Nick and Terry Saban have raised nearly $10 million for charitable causes through their Nick’s Kids Foundation. Following the devastating 2011 tornado, they teamed up with Habitat for Humanity to help rebuild a total of 13 homes and have added a house for each of the Tide’s five titles since for a total of 18 houses.
The Sabans have personally donated $1 million to UA’s first-generation scholarship fund and spearheaded fundraising efforts for the new St. Francis Catholic Church student center, which is named in their honor. The Sabans and Nick’s Kids also helped the Tuscaloosa Juvenile Detention Center build a state-of-the-art welding and GED classroom addition. Most recently, the Sabans announced plans for the Saban Center, which creates a learning center on the Black Warrior River that brings together the Children’s Hands-On Museum, Tuscaloosa Public Library and the Tuscaloosa Children’s Theater. The Sabans made a personal gift of $1 million to the project and the Nick’s Kids Foundation contributed another $250,000. The Sabans also donated $1 million to The Crimson Standard, Alabama’s capital initiative that is designed to comprehensively elevate the student-athlete experience.
Members of The University of Alabama System Board of Trustees have been notified of the proposed terms and conditions of this contract extension. The financial terms remain subject to the Board’s approval.
This post will be updated.
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Patrick Dowd is a Reporter for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can follow him on Twitter, via Pat_Dowd77
