He has been known for his intensity in practices, games, and interviews, but Alabama head coach Nick Saban has been much calmer than usual this season.
Crimson Tide fans became accustomed to seeing him chew assistant coaches out on the sidelines, breaking a few headshots, getting into his players’ faces to drive home points, and having the team match his energy. The 71-year-old has not acted the same during the last two years. Saban has become nicer to media pundits, he’s not as demanding of assistants, and he’s brought a different style in coaching players. People saw the rough and tough Saban win five national championships from 2009 to 2017, and propelled guys into men. Tide fans have not responded well to this nicer version of Saban. The college football landscape is wondering if he has lost his competitive fire. On Thursday, Saban explained why he has taken a new approach to coach.
Nick Saban answers a fans question on why/how he’s been so much calmer on the sidelines and press conferences this year.
Wait for the ending 😉
(🎥 via @UA_Athletics) pic.twitter.com/QxJ8Xoj5gL
— Touchdown Alabama (@TDAlabamaMag) November 11, 2022
“Usually one of my first prayers in church on Sunday is to pray that I don’t get mad,” he said.
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“A lot of time when I get mad, I do things that I wish I would not have done. I say things that I wish I would not have said, and I don’t make good decisions and choices. This has been a lifelong goal to not get too emotional or too upset. I think that sometimes it is the kind of team you have. Some guys need you to get on them. Some guys get really get a little upset and don’t respond well when you get on them. It bothers them a lot, and it makes them think that they are not pleasing you. I think the personality of the players, I get on some players, other players I don’t. I do it in practice a little more, but I’ve found out that players respond better to teaching and showing them what they did wrong than yelling and screaming. I don’t think that does a lot of good. So we try to teach guys. One of the things I found most impactful with players is when they do something wrong, take them in a room by themselves and show them on the film here are five plays where you are doing this, and you really should be doing it this way. If you did it this way, it would help you a lot more. Sometimes when you do it in a group setting it does not have the same impact. Young people are self-absorbed. They are kind of like ‘how do things affect me.’ You have to change your teaching to show them how things affect them. Maybe sometimes they don’t get that in a team meeting or a group meeting on offense or defense, but one-on-one they get it a lot better. So if you think me acting up on the sideline and breaking headsets will help us play better, I’ll sure as hell do it.”
Saban ended with comedy, but he made valid points. Today’s athlete is different than when he first arrived in Tuscaloosa in 2007.
Some players do not respond well to hardcore coaching, and one needs to find the best way to get the most out of athletes.
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Alabama fans saw winning with Saban doing over-the-top things on the sideline. The Tide faces Mississippi on Saturday at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. We will see if a tough, physical, and disciplined team shows up against the Rebels.
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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.
