It is lonely at the top of the food chain.
Nick Saban knows this more than anyone else.
He is pursuing an eighth national title of his coaching tenure, but the Alabama head coach took us behind the curtain on Thursday. During his weekly radio show, Saban displayed a new side of himself: a vulnerable side. Since 2007, he has dominated college football since taking the reins for the Crimson Tide.
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Saban has tasted championships, signed No. 1 recruiting classes, and positioned athletes for the NFL Draft. If one took a poll, he would be the most respected coach in the sport. He changed the landscape of the game. Everyone is chasing him, and national media wants a program to topple him, but Saban longs for something else. When one stands at the top of the mountain, it is seldom to have free time.
Before he faces Texas A&M, Saban spoke about how he longs for chats with friends and loved ones.
“I don’t chat with anybody,” he said. “I don’t talk to people throughout the week. Maybe Miss Terry, if I am lucky, but I don’t see anybody except our staff. My days are planned out. I don’t have a lot of time to say ‘Imma call my buddy and see how he’s doing.’ I would love to do that, and I wish I had time to do it. I don’t call coaches and chat with them to see how they’re doing, and it is nothing personal. I don’t talk to anybody hardly.”
Saban mentioned that family members don’t call him because they know he’s busy. He said the best coaches that are doing everything to be successful have the same problem.
Saban, who turns 70 on Halloween, cherishes the offseason because it presents a moment to spend with his family. When he is on the go, his purpose is to develop young men and win championships.
He wants to fellowship with others; however, he knows he has a job to do. Saban is larger than life for many, but it is refreshing to see human nature in him.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
