Before spring practice starts for Alabama football, we dive into a new series here at Touchdown Alabama Magazine.
The staff will grade the performances of all on-field coaches, including Nick Saban, for this season. We will dissect grades for leadership, player responsiveness, and overall impact for each coach. The series will lead us into spring action for the Tide.
Coach Saban is first up to be evaluated.
Nick Saban
-Years at Alabama: 16 years
–Record at Alabama:150-25
–Previous coaching stop: Miami Dolphins (NFL)
Leadership
Saban has been known for his remarkable leadership with the Crimson Tide since becoming its head coach in 2007. His no-nonsense, work-by-the-book mentality carried Alabama to six national championships and eight Southeastern Conference Championships.
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His attention to small details guided the program to having several All-Americans, four Heisman Trophy winners, and over 100 NFL Draft picks. However, the leadership from Saban took a step back during the last two seasons. Things that would not slide early in the Saban era slipped through the cracks in 2021 and 2022. It created a lack of discipline and focus, as Alabama failed to capture a College Football Playoff National Championship in 2021 and did not make the CFP last year. He did coach the Tide to a Sugar Bowl victory and another 10+ win season, but Saban needs to recapture a firm hold on players next season to get back on top.
Grade: A-
Players Responsiveness
Players normally respond well to Coach Saban in good or bad situations.
They respond well to him in practice, whether he’s praising them or correcting them.
They have responded well to him in team meetings and during games.
He got many players to understand the bigger picture and not focus on individual goals. Some players, including Bryce Young and Will Anderson Jr., responded well last season, but several did not pay attention to Saban. Alabama had a lot of guys, especially scholarship players, enter the transfer portal during and after the 2022 season. Maybe it was a good thing for Saban and Alabama football. The players that transferred probably were individuals that kept the team from achieving success.
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Hopefully, the next team will be more bought in than last year’s group.
Grade: C
Overall Impact
It was not a national championship team, but Saban’s overall impact did get Alabama to a New Year’s Six bowl.
He had an offense that averaged 40+ points per game and a defense that pitched two shutouts.
Several Tide players made an All-American team and an All-SEC team. Bryce Young accounted for 3,000+ passing yards (3,328) for a second straight year, and Will Anderson had back-to-back seasons with 10+ sacks. Saban’s impact was felt more in the latter part of 2022 as Alabama went on a four-game winning streak, finishing the campaign at 11-2. It dominated Kansas State in the second half of the Sugar Bowl, allowing only 10 points. He should be more hands-on with the next team, but Saban did have a strong end to last season.
Final Grade: B+
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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.
